Deciding Which Supplements to Take
When we were looking at the option to open a supplement store some 20+ years ago, we stopped into a nice health food store in the Capitola Mall area (Santa Cruz County) and had a nice talk with the owner.
He noted that people would sometimes come in with a book about supplements with certain pages marked and highlighted. They would proceed to buy an entire basket of supplements for a few hundred dollars and then off they would go.
We weren’t big fans of that approach although it is better than nothing. Some of those supplements could turn out to be helpful.
The goal is to target the areas of your physiology that need some support. It will take various types of testing to know what your particular physiology could use. Some examples of testing that we have found helpful are: basic blood tests, genetic testing and antibody testing.
We are big fans of routine blood tests. Most states allow you to access labs via Direct Labs. (directlabs.com). We usually recommend Apex-5 for a good starter and maintenance panel if you don’t have specific issues. To find this test, go to Order Test (red box in upper right): Enter Apex-5 in Search. Then add to cart. You can also see a sample report to see what you will be getting. Current price is $369 which is often cheaper than your co-pay with insurance.
We don’t expect you will be able to make sense of all this data so we can help. Of course, you should get a copy to your primary so they have more information to help with your health quest.
If you have the means, we also recommend antibody testing from Cyrex Labs. You will need to call them to find a local doc who can order these tests for you. This a bit complicated so it is helpful to have a knowledgeable person to help walk you through it. The information you get from this kind of testing can be life-saving.
Some years ago when I had an active practice, I would recommend genetic testing along with analysis by Nutrahacker. With this system, you get your basic DNA analyzed by 23andme or ancestry.com. Then go to Nutrahacker and select a few profiles such as the complete mutation report and carrier status to get started. It is handy to have someone help you with this if possible as it can take some time to understand what you are reading. For example, it took me several hours to get through the first complete mutation report but after that all the other ones I saw were pretty simple.
I like the way Nutrahacker lays out the genetic issues ie, Detox, Neurotransmitters, Folate-One Carbon, HPA Axis, Cardiovascular and then Digestion/Elimination. In other words, in most cases, you will get more benefit from paying close attention to Detox and Neurotransmitters.
The point is, this type of analysis will help you understand why you might need certain supplements. For example, my personal profile showed too many detox issues and I changed my supplement regimen accordingly with helpful results that show in my blood tests, especially in kidney and liver profiles.
The need for some supplements can change over time. To keep track of these changes, routine blood tests are usually enough. How often depends on the case. Some people can get by with once every year or two if everything is good. Others may need a follow-up every few months. The Cyrex labs or Nutrahacker analysis shouldn’t change over time for most health factors.
Another test we like is LifeLine Screening. They check for carotid artery plaquing, abdominal aorta aneurysms, bone density, heart rhythm etc. These are basic tests that, again, can also be life saving.
Some 10-12 years ago, I was starting to have some plaquing in my carotids so I added Pure Encapsulations Nitric Oxide Support Powder to my routine. In my next screening, the plaquing had disappeared as I would have hoped.
Testing is like getting an unbiased, third-party, expert opinion of your health profile.
So, if you have the means and want to optimize your physiology, you will need some testing. If you are short on cash, you will still do well by keeping up with these blogs so you have a better understanding of what is generally beneficial.
2026