The promise of an enhanced version of ourselves, one with better hair, skin, nails, sex drive, sleep, muscles and energy awaits all of us. We just need a little extra support to help us achieve it. And that little extra support, we are told, is contained within shiny supplement bottles.

Once vitamins and supplements targeted those with diseases of deficiency. Today, none of us can escape the pervasive and often seductive marketing.

“‘Optimisation’ has become a lucrative marketing approach, often used to promote a wide range of unproven products, including supplements with little to no solid evidence for safety or effectiveness,” says dietitian and nutrition researcher, Danielle Shine. “It reinforces the idea that you’re never quite enough as you are – that you always need another pill, powder, or capsule to become your healthiest ‘best self.’”

‘It reinforces the idea that you’re never quite enough as you are - that you always need another pill, powder, or capsule to become your healthiest best self.’

Danielle Shine, dietitian and nutrition researcher

There are the supplement stacks, which are a bedrock of both bodybuilders and elaborate morning routine types, where various vitamins, minerals and nutrients are used in combination to support health or performance goals; there is creatine for muscle mass and energy; magnesium for sleep and exercise recovery; turmeric for inflammation; and bespoke blends to boost beauty, sex drive and fix frankly any shortcoming you’ve ever had or might ever experience.

Experts are adamant that there is a place for vitamins, namely for those who have been diagnosed by their doctor as deficient in a certain nutrient, or at particular times in our lives when our bodies need more, such as during pregnancy.

But, behind the sexy marketing spin, is there any substance to claims that vitamins and supplements can support the optimisation of the self?

In some cases, the answer is a qualified “yes”. In other cases, it’s just spin.

“Most supplements marketed to ‘optimise’, ‘boost’, ‘hack’, or ‘supercharge’ health are oversold,” says Shine. “These buzzwords are red flags for marketing hype rather than science.”

Let’s take a closer look at three of the trending approaches for supplementing our way to a better life.

Supplement stacks

Popularised by body builders and adopted by biohackers and self-optimisers, supplement stacks have hit the mainstream. Stacking involves tailoring an array of supplements to your health, longevity, or fitness goals.

Stacking may provide a placebo effect because we believe we are doing something to help ourselves, says Oliver Jones, a professor of chemistry at Melbourne’s RMIT University.

“Unless a company can provide some solid clinical trials to support any of these ‘health optimisation’ claims then it would be wise to be wary,” adds dietitian and nutrition research scientist, Dr Tim Crowe.

“The more you put in your stack, the more focus it takes off the core things such as healthy eating, sleep and activity that will have the biggest impact on health, longevity and performance.”

Shine’s assessment is more circumspect. Supplement stacks, she says are often overhyped and expensive, may harm your health, and pose extra risks for competitive athletes facing anti-doping tests.

“The body has precise requirements, and exceeding them generally offers no added benefit,” she says. “Only extra cost, potential side effects, and, in some cases, real harm.”

Creatine

Creatine is a compound our body naturally makes (and that we get from protein-rich foods, such as meat and fish) to deliver energy to our muscles during exercise. Stored in our muscles and our brain, it also provides the brain cells with energy to help neurons fire more efficiently.

The research on creatine supplementation for performance and skeletal muscle growth, provided we do regular resistance training as well, is promising.

As well as potentially helping those hoping to improve their athletic performance, it may be particularly beneficial to older people in maintaining muscle mass as they age and preventing sarcopenia (age-related muscle wasting), says Evangeline Mantzioris, the program director of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of South Australia.

There is growing evidence that supplementation of between 5 and 20 grams can also support brain health.

Though positive, claims should still be interpreted with caution, says Shine. She points out that the optimal dose is still unclear and benefits vary between individuals.

“Claims that creatine dramatically improves energy, overall wellbeing, cognition, or that it’s a ‘game changer’ for peri- or post-menopausal women aren’t supported by current human research,” Shine adds.

Experts believe creatine supplementation is relatively safe. However, there is not enough evidence yet for certain groups such as women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people with kidney disease or certain psychiatric diseases.

People who take higher doses (20 grams a day or more) may experience gastrointestinal side effects such as bloating, cramps, or diarrhoea.

Magnesium

An essential mineral for muscle and nerve function, blood sugar control, and bone health, we get magnesium through foods such as whole grains, legumes, leafy green vegetables, seeds and nuts. In fact, a small handful of almonds provides about 20 per cent of our daily requirement.

Yet, magnesium supplementation has become popular among those wanting to improve sleep, relaxation or post-exercise muscle recovery.

There are lots of health claims made about magnesium, but the benefits are fairly marginal, and it is unlikely to have much effect on people who get enough of the mineral in their diet, says Crowe.

“There’s some evidence that magnesium may have a mild relaxing effect on the nervous system and could be helpful for certain populations, particularly older adults, who often have lower magnesium intake, and people with confirmed magnesium deficiency,” says Shine.

For the majority of people, she adds, the most effective improvements in sleep come from addressing lifestyle factors including limiting screen time before bed, managing stress, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule.

Magnesium citrate has more bioavailability than magnesium oxide and while it is considered relatively safe, high doses supplements can cause diarrhoea, cramping, or nausea.

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