These days, it seems like everyone is taking a supplement—to look better, think better, sleep better, relax better, poop better, or work out better. And you’re not imagining things: Half of adults and one-third of children in the United States take supplements regularly, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Supplements may be ubiquitous, but many experts have serious reservations about their rise. First, most physicians recommend obtaining nutrients directly from food rather than a pill or capsule. Second, supplements aren’t reviewed for safety and effectiveness by the FDA before they hit shelves. Because of all the concerns surrounding supplements, Jeffrey Linder, MD, MPH, a general internist and professor of medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, takes a dim view of the category overall: In fact, “a vast majority of supplements are probably worthless,” he tells SELF.
Still, there are exceptions to every rule—and supplements are no different. Many experts, as it turns out, do take some type of supplement, but they are choosy about which ones they select. Read on to learn more about six they actually use.
Vitamin D
How it works: Vitamin D plays key roles in bone health and immune function. In fact, low vitamin D is associated with a wide swath of medical conditions, according to Dr. Linder—including cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular issues (and, famously, seasonal affective disorder, or SAD).
Why some docs like it: Vitamin D deficiency is widespread, especially among people who live at northern latitudes that don’t see as much sun during the winter, and people with darker skin. What’s more, few foods contain significant amounts of vitamin D, so it’s tough to source enough from your diet. Lawrence Green, MD, a dermatologist and clinical professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, tells SELF that these two factors make vitamin D a rare nutrient “we do need to take supplements for.” Nearly every single one of the eight doctors who spoke with SELF for this article said they take a vitamin D supplement, especially in the winter, though the frequency and dosage varied.
What to keep in mind: Most docs recommend vitamin D3 (also known as cholecalciferol) over vitamin D2 (also known as ergocalciferol), as studies have shown that D3 is more effective at raising vitamin D levels in your blood. Whichever option you decide on, try to take it with food—specifically, an item that contains fat. Because vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, it “absorbs better that way,” Sara Velayati, MD, an obesity medicine specialist at Montefiore Einstein and an assistant professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, tells SELF. For this reason, Dr. Green makes a point of taking his supplements with breakfast or dinner. “The fattier and thicker the meal,” the better, he says.