I’m supplement agnostic. I simply do not know enough about taking them versus not taking them. I will also not be revealing or debunking any of the science behind them in this. I do know that the results of taking them require consistency and patience, and I’m more of an instant result “inject that botulinum toxin straight into my forehead!” kind of girl. 

Patience is a virtue that I do not possess in abundance. 

My boss, Adam, asked me to write this and I don’t normally like being told what to do but after a mildly heated discussion, I remembered he pays me and obliged. Adam is totally adverse to all things social media but can’t fight the genetic characteristics of his species and has therefore decided at the ripe age of 33 and at the appearance of a few crows feet, that he’s going to ‘“get really into supplements”.

He’s a startup founder, so obviously he drinks AG1 and is constantly using phrases like “low-hanging fruit” and “optimisation” but after talking to me for 20 minutes about collagen, ashwagandha and a cocktail of other recommendations from his Dr Huberman podcast, I had to tell him…

“Christ, you’re dull.” 

It’s not that I disagree with the taking of supplements or think they’re uninteresting – more that I’m familiar with Adam’s tendency to become obsessed with something for a short period of time and then forget it exists. The film Limitless (2011) did for startup founders what the cast of Beetlejuice (1988) did for me as a young woman – turned me on massively. I’m not sorry for that comparison. 

Would I take the Limitless pill if it existed? 

Probably. I generally believe in trying everything once – except crystal meth.

Luckily for all parties involved, neither of those films are real and there isn’t a 100% brain optimisation pill available at Holland & Barrett. (Or a bio-exorcist living in my miniature town model.) This is a good thing! I’m pretty sure Bradley Cooper’s character in Limitless throws himself off a building? I can’t remember, I haven’t seen it since 2011. I can only apologise if this is completely false information. 

Of course, if you wander the aisles of Holland & Barrett, you’ll find shelves of tablets, sachets and gummies telling you they can help fix your aches, exhaustions and digestion issues. These products are backed by science and based in fact and I have indeed felt the benefits of taking Magnesium – but I am also susceptible to marketing. 

There’s an argument to be made for just eating loads of fruit, veggies and healthy foods, moving your body in whatever way you can regularly, and smelling the flowers. There’s also an argument to be made for committing to something, yourself in particular, and looking for ways to constantly improve your physical and mental wellbeing – supplements being a small part of that journey. 

As with most things in life, I’d say it hangs in a delicate balance. It’s probably not healthy to eat five Gregg’s corned beef pasties a day, but also not that healthy to have a spreadsheet tracking your daily intake and freaking out at the sight of Cadbury’s mini roll. I’m not judging – I eat Gregg’s pasties, take magnesium when I remember, and choose meals based on calories if I’m having that sort of day. 

If you’re supplement-curious and found yourself hovering in the Holland & Barrett aisles on a few occasions, I’d say absolutely go for it. If you are a person committed to working out, studying, self-improvement, or fitness – why not? There’s seemingly no evidence that they’re going to make you feel worse. There’s a tonne of bullshit out there, so be careful, do your research and remember the definition of supplement is “a thing added to something else in order to complete or enhance it.” Do not replace whole and healthy foods. Keep eating your veggies, but if you want to pop a few ashwagandhas, I’m certainly not going to stop you (although, your bank account might).