Do You Even Need Supplements? Researching is surprising. 

Today we have an article review send to us from a customer that was from Live Vitae, Ryan’s voice is human, embodied, and sensory. That’s an asset. The list of “10 truths” is accessible and mostly aligned with circadian/mitochondrial logic. The commercial call to action is clear. The gaps are scientific over-reach in a few claims, tonal friction that may alienate supplement-friendly readers, and missed chances to frame upgrades without shaming prior choices. Below we separate what to keep and where to reframe so it lands for everyone. But first...

The Uncomfortable Truth About Supplements

Here's something most supplement companies won't tell you: the majority of supplements on the market don't deliver meaningful results. We know this because we've been in this industry for 20 years, and we've seen the patterns.

We're not saying this to be controversial. We're saying it because understanding why most supplements fail is the key to finding what actually works.

The Real Problem Isn't What You Think

Walk into any health store and you'll see thousands of products promising transformation. More energy. Better focus. Optimal health in a bottle. But life expectancy in developed nations is declining while supplement sales are at an all-time high. Something doesn't add up.

The issue isn't that people need more vitamins and minerals. Modern food systems, despite their flaws, generally provide adequate baseline nutrition for most people. The real issues run deeper:

• Bioavailability matters more than dosage. Synthetic isolates often pass through your system without being absorbed or utilized effectively.
• Form and context determine function. A vitamin taken alone behaves differently than that same compound consumed as part of whole food with its natural cofactors.
• Your cellular environment determines results. The best supplement in the world can't compensate for poor sleep, chronic stress, circadian disruption, or environmental toxins affecting your mitochondrial function. But it can help support good habits and goals!

What Actually Makes a Difference

After two decades of research and working with Dr. Rick Cohen, M.D., we've learned that true health improvement comes from a different approach entirely. It's not about adding more pills or powders. It's about addressing the foundational systems that determine whether your body can actually use nutrition effectively first beforehand.

The Foundation First Approach

Before reaching for supplements, these practices deliver more measurable impact than most capsules ever will:

1. Light exposure timing
Step outside within 30 minutes of waking. Morning light sets your circadian rhythm and activates metabolic pathways that determine how your body processes everything you consume throughout the day.

2. Eating environment
Taking meals outdoors when possible exposes you to natural light and reduces stress response. This measurably improves insulin sensitivity and digestive function—effects no supplement can replicate.

3. Whole food concentrates
Fresh herbs, fermented foods, citrus in water, and bone broths deliver nutrients in forms your body recognizes. These aren't supplements—they're concentrated nutrition that works with your biology rather than trying to hack it.

4. Hydration quality
Clean, mineral-rich water affects cellular function at the most fundamental level. Most people are chronically under-hydrated with poor-quality water.

5. Movement patterns
Regular movement maintains bone density, circulation, and metabolic flexibility in ways that calcium pills and isolated compounds simply cannot match.

6. Stress state during consumption
Your nervous system state when eating determines enzyme production and absorption. Sixty seconds of breathing before meals can dramatically improve nutrient uptake from whatever you consume.

When Supplements Actually Work

We're not anti-supplement. We're anti-waste. Honest, quality, and real supplements serve specific, legitimate purposes:

• Targeted therapeutic intervention when working with a healthcare provider on specific deficiencies or conditions
• Whole-food based formulations that preserve natural cofactors and improve bioavailability
• Strategic support during periods when foundational practices alone aren't sufficient
• Filling genuine gaps in seasonal or dietary limitations (like vitamin D in northern latitudes during winter)

The difference between supplements that work and those that don't comes down to three things: form, context, and quality.

Our Different Approach

This is why PureClean Performance exists. We don't create isolated molecules or synthetic vitamins. We don't promise overnight transformations or magic bullets.

We formulate whole-food based products designed to work with your biology when the foundations are in place. Our products are tested, transparent, and built around how cellular metabolism actually functions—not marketing trends or proprietary blends that hide inferior ingredients.

When clients tell us our products work differently, it's not because we've found a secret molecule. It's because we're honest about what supplements can and cannot do, and we formulate accordingly.

The Smart Consumer's Checklist

Before buying any supplement (including ours), ask:

• Have I addressed the fundamentals? Sleep, light exposure, stress management, real food, movement, and clean water.
• Is this targeting a specific, identified need? Not just general "wellness" or vague energy promises.
• Do I know what's actually in this? Third-party testing, transparent sourcing, whole-food ingredients vs. synthetic isolates.
• Does the company provide evidence? Real assay data, studies, and honest information about limitations.

The Bottom Line

You probably don't need more supplements. You might need better supplements. But more importantly, you need to rebuild the foundational practices that determine whether anything you consume—supplement or food—can actually be used by your body.

The supplement industry has spent decades convincing people that health comes in bottles. It doesn't. Health comes from environment, behavior, and food quality first. Supplements are tools, not solutions.

That's not great marketing, but it's the truth. And after 20 years, we'd rather keep customers through honesty than lose them through overpromising.

Start Here, Not With Pills

Here's some more ideas from the article we were shared that work better than most all supplements ever could: 

1. Outdoors dining

“Take meals outside when you can. Light, air, and a calmer nervous system improve insulin action; it’s a circadian effect, not a supplement trick.”

2. Citrus

“Lemon or lime in water raises urinary citrate and nudges bile. If you’re sensitive, dilute more or add a pinch of salt.”

3. Herbs

“Fresh and dried herbs are compact nutrient carriers. If coffee isn’t your vehicle, fold them into broths, dressings, or finishing oils.”

4. Supplements and screens

“State decides absorption. Put the phone away, breathe for sixty seconds, then chew. Enzymes work better in that state.”

5. Fermentation

“Unpasteurised ferments deliver live microbes and metabolites. Capsules are for targeted strains, dosing control, or histamine-sensitive phases.”

6. Sunlight vs D

“Sunlight is a multi-wavelength instruction set; vitamin D is one output. Use D strategically while you rebuild light habits.”

7. Labels

“‘Low-fat’ and ‘sugar-free’ often mean additives you don’t want. Read ingredients, not slogans.”

8. Fish oil, algae oil, calcium

“Oils oxidise and pills get misused. Prioritise seafood, eggs, dairy, greens, and movement; if you supplement, demand assay data and context.”

9. No magic diet

“Start with great-grandmother’s kitchen—nose-to-tail and seasonal—then tune for your body, light, and latitude.”

10. Sunrise

“Step outside within thirty minutes of waking. That light switches metabolism to ‘day mode’ before food ever arrives.”