I spent £20/month on multivitamins for 8 years. Thought I was being healthy. Building a fortress of wellness with my rainbow collection of bottles. Then Professor Tim Spector’s research landed on my desk: if you’re not deficient, supplements are expensive wee. Translation: I was literally pissing away £1,920 over nearly a decade. That stung a bit more than my pride.
Here’s what I’ve learned about the supplement industry and what your body actually needs. Spoiler: it’s probably not what Holland & Barrett wants you to believe.
The Vitamin Myth Nobody’s Talking About
Vitamins and minerals are essential. Your body needs them to survive. But here’s the catch most people miss — it needs them in tiny amounts. Once you’ve got enough, more doesn’t equal better. You can’t overdose on health by megadosing vitamins.
Think of it like watering a plant. Your plant needs water to survive. But if you water it every hour because “more water equals healthier plant,” you drown it. Roots rot. Plant dies. Vitamins work the same way. Your body needs vitamin C, D, B12. But megadosing doesn’t create better health. It creates imbalanced systems and, yes, expensive wee.
The supplement industry was built on solving 1900s problems. During the Industrial Revolution, people moved from countryside to cities and the food supply collapsed. Scurvy. Rickets. Beriberi. Real vitamin deficiencies that killed people. Vitamins saved lives back then.
We’re not in 1920 anymore.
When “Health” Products Create Health Problems
Professor Spector used to prescribe calcium supplements as a doctor. He thought they’d prevent fractures in older adults. Then the research came in: calcium supplements don’t prevent fractures and they increase heart disease risk. The thing meant to strengthen your bones was thickening your arteries.
He stopped prescribing them.
This isn’t anti-science. This is what science actually looks like — constantly updating based on evidence, not marketing. If you eat reasonably well — even basic supermarket food — you’re not deficient in most vitamins. And taking extra vitamins when you’re not deficient doesn’t create a super-body.
The One Supplement Exception That Actually Works
Dr. Federica Amati points out one major exception worth noting: creatine monohydrate. This is one of the few supplements with solid evidence for muscle mass, cognitive function, and gut health — particularly valuable for adults 60+.
But it’s the exception, not the rule.
Most supplements are backup singers pretending to be the lead vocalist. They’re meant to fill gaps in your diet, not replace your diet entirely.
Who Actually Needs Supplements (Test, Don’t Guess)
Some people do need specific supplements:
- Vitamin D in UK winter — we don’t get enough sun between October and March
- Vitamin B12 if you’re vegan — no animal sources means no B12 naturally
- Iron if you’re menstruating heavily or diagnosed deficient by your GP
- Specific deficiencies identified through blood tests
The key is test, don’t guess. Get bloods done. If you’re deficient in something specific, supplement that one thing. Don’t carpet-bomb your system with 47 different vitamins hoping something sticks.
I don’t take multivitamins. I eat meat, eggs, fish, fermented foods, vegetables. I get vitamin D from sun exposure and supplement it in winter because I live in the UK. That’s it. No expensive cupboard full of bottles.
My bloods are fine. Energy’s fine. I’m not deficient because I eat real food. That’s the foundation supplements are trying to replace.
You Can’t Out-Supplement a Bad Diet
Here’s the trap I see constantly: people eating ultra-processed food as their baseline, then thinking popping vitamins fixes that. It doesn’t.
Supplements are backup, not foundation. If your diet is built on meal-deal sandwiches, crisps, and cereal bars, no amount of multivitamins will compensate for that metabolic chaos.
Fix the food first. Real food contains vitamins in the ratios your body recognises, along with fibre, protein, and hundreds of compounds we haven’t even named yet. A vitamin pill contains isolated compounds in doses nature never intended.
Your body evolved eating food, not pills.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Supplements solved 1920s deficiency diseases — most of us aren’t living through the Industrial Revolution anymore
- More vitamins ≠ better health — your body uses what it needs, pisses out the rest (literally)
- Test before supplementing — get bloods done, supplement specific deficiencies only
- Real food is foundation — supplements are backup for identified gaps, not a replacement for eating well
- One exception: creatine monohydrate — solid evidence for muscle mass and cognitive function, especially 60+
Stop Wasting Money on Expensive Wee
Bottom line: if you’re not deficient, vitamin supplements are expensive wee. Eat real food. Get sun when possible. Test your bloods if you’re concerned. Supplement specific deficiencies only.
Save your money. Spend it on better food instead. That’s the investment that actually compounds.
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🔽 Read the Video Transcript
“I spent £20/month on multivitamins for 8 years. Thought I was being healthy. Then Professor Spector’s research landed: if you’re not deficient, supplements are expensive wee. Translation: I was literally pissing my money away.”
Here’s the truth: vitamins and minerals are essential. Your body needs them to survive. But here’s the catch — it needs them in tiny amounts. Once you’ve got enough, more doesn’t equal better. You can’t overdose on health by megadosing vitamins. The supplement industry was built on solving 1900s problems. During the Industrial Revolution, people moved from countryside to cities and the food supply collapsed. Scurvy. Rickets. Beriberi. Real vitamin deficiencies that killed people. Vitamins saved lives back then. We’re not in 1920 anymore. If you eat reasonably well — even basic supermarket food — you’re not deficient. And taking extra vitamins when you’re not deficient doesn’t create a super-body. It just creates expensive wee.
Professor Spector used to prescribe calcium supplements as a doctor. He thought they’d prevent fractures. Then the research came in: calcium supplements don’t prevent fractures and they increase heart disease risk. The thing meant to strengthen your bones was thickening your arteries. He stopped prescribing them. Think of it like watering a plant. Your plant needs water to survive. But if you water it every hour because “more water equals healthier plant,” you drown it. Roots rot. Plant dies. Vitamins work the same way. Your body needs vitamin C, D, B12. But megadosing doesn’t create better health. It creates imbalanced systems and expensive wee.
Dr. Federica Amati points out one major exception: creatine monohydrate. This is one of the few supplements with solid evidence for muscle mass, cognitive function, and gut health — particularly valuable for adults 60+. But it’s the exception, not the rule. Now, some people do need supplements. Vitamin D in UK winter — we don’t get enough sun. Vitamin B12 if you’re vegan — no animal sources. Iron if you’re menstruating heavily or diagnosed deficient. The key is test, don’t guess. Get bloods done. If you’re deficient, supplement that specific thing. I don’t take multivitamins. I eat meat, eggs, fish, fermented foods, vegetables. I get vitamin D from sun exposure and supplement in winter because I live in the UK. That’s it. No expensive cupboard full of bottles. My bloods are fine. Energy’s fine. I’m not deficient because I eat real food. That’s the foundation supplements are trying to replace. And here’s the trap: you can’t out-supplement a bad diet. If you’re eating ultra-processed food as your baseline, don’t think popping vitamins fixes that. Fix the food first. Supplements are backup, not foundation.
Bottom line: if you’re not deficient, vitamin supplements are expensive wee. Eat real food. Get sun. Test your bloods. Supplement specific deficiencies only. Save your money. Spend it on better food instead. Free 14-Day Rhythm Reset Guide in the description — whole food focus, no supplements required (except vitamin D in UK winter).
This is educational content based on research and my experience. Not medical advice. If you’re concerned about deficiencies, get bloods done via your GP before supplementing.
⚠️ Important: This is educational content based on evidence and personal experience. It is not medical advice. Speak to your GP before making changes to your fasting pattern, diet, or medication.
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