Are Your Supplements Actually Working? | EP 395.A

Summary

The Dr. Gundry Podcast

Episode 395.A: Are Your Supplements Actually Working?
Date: March 18, 2026
Host: Dr. Steven Gundry (PodcastOne)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Steven Gundry addresses the widespread confusion surrounding supplements, unpacking which popular supplements are truly beneficial, which are ineffective or potentially harmful, and what the current science reveals. Drawing on clinical experience and research, Dr. Gundry provides actionable guidance on how to approach supplementation for better health and longevity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Cutting Through Supplement Confusion

• Dr. Gundry emphasizes that supplements are not a trend for him but a critical tool in supporting patient health.
  • "Supplements aren't a trend to me. They're tools I use to help my patients experience dramatic health transformation." (00:06, Dr. Gundry)
• The aim: Answer common questions about which supplements to take, skip, or question. (00:29)

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The Seven Supplements You Should Mostly Skip

(01:00–13:02)

1. Calcium Supplements

• There's no strong evidence that calcium supplements benefit bone health; they may deposit in blood vessels instead.
• Better sources: food, especially dark leafy greens, small fish (like sardines, anchovies).
  • "There is no evidence that a calcium supplement will actually have any benefit in making the calcium go to your bones. In fact, there's some evidence that calcium supplements will deposit calcium in your blood vessels where you don't want it." (01:00–02:08, Dr. Gundry)

2. Multivitamins

• The basis for multivitamin formulation is outdated, originating from early 20th-century studies on college students to find minimum requirements, not optimal levels.
• Dr. Gundry cites vitamin D as an example where the minimum requirement is insufficient for health optimization.
  • "The minimum daily requirement has nothing to do with the amount you need for good health. That's totally different." (02:54, Dr. Gundry)

3. Standard Vitamin C Tablets

• Humans don't synthesize vitamin C and need a steady dietary source.
• Swallowing a single tablet isn't effective; vitamin C is water-soluble and quickly eliminated.
• Recommendation: Use time-release vitamin C or take small doses multiple times a day.
  • "If you just swallow a vitamin C tablet, that vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and it will be gone out of your system in about two to four hours." (05:59, Dr. Gundry)

4. Ketone Drinks

• Often taste bad and are expensive.
• Cheaper and more effective: MCT oil, which naturally supports ketone production.
  • "Don't waste your money on expensive ketone drinks." (09:00, Dr. Gundry)

5. Low-Quality Probiotics

• Many probiotics die in the stomach before helping the gut.
• Buy spore-forming or enteric-coated probiotics for delivery to intestines.
• Most strains are not native and only temporarily stay in your system, requiring ongoing use.
  • "Probiotics are something that should be a part of a continuous maintenance program for your gut. The vast majority, though, of probiotics don't have these characteristics. Don't waste your money." (10:20, Dr. Gundry)

6. Vitamin E

• Most supplements contain the wrong forms (isomers) of vitamin E; some mixtures cancel out benefits.
  • "Don't waste your money on vitamin E supplements." (12:28, Dr. Gundry)

7. Iron

• Iron accelerates aging (“we rust from iron”).
• Populations who regularly lose blood (donate blood or menstruate) tend to live longer.
• Only supplement with iron if medically necessary (e.g., verified deficiency).
  • "Iron is one of those compounds that ages us. We rust from iron. And studies show that people who donate blood actually live seven years longer than people who don't donate blood." (12:45, Dr. Gundry)

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Navigating Supplement Studies & Dosages

(13:05–14:30)

• Dr. Gundry explains that many studies showing no benefit from supplements use minimal or inadequate doses, based on old requirements.
• Key insight: Always scrutinize the dosages in supplement research before dismissing their efficacy.
  • "Anytime you see these studies, don't throw supplements under the bus. Always look with a critical eye as to what the dose of these supplements they were studying." (13:57, Dr. Gundry)

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Q&A and Listener Interaction

Question of the Week

(14:31–15:24)

• Question: Is pomegranate vinegar “syrup” good for polyphenols or too high in sugar?
• Dr. Gundry’s Answer: Be wary of anything labeled "syrup" due to added sugars; generally, fermented vinegars do not retain sugar from the original carbohydrate but check labels carefully.
  • "Usually when you see the word syrup, buyer beware." (15:24, Dr. Gundry)

Listener Feedback Highlight

(15:28–15:57)

• Dr. Gundry reads a review appreciating his deep dives connecting ancient food wisdom with modern science (e.g. purple sweet potatoes and Okinawan longevity).
  • "Thank you for always connecting the dots between ancient wisdom and modern science." (15:53, listener review)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If you really want to spend your money on a calcium supplement, buy some sardines, buy some anchovies." (01:49, Dr. Gundry)
• "Multivitamins were developed based on examination of 20 college students in New York City in the 1920s..." (02:33, Dr. Gundry)
• "If you put vitamin C in the drinking water of those vitamin C deficient rats, they will live exactly as long as the rats who make their own vitamin C." (05:24, Dr. Gundry)
• "The delivery device [of probiotics] really, really matters." (10:08, Dr. Gundry)
• "We rust from iron." (12:45, Dr. Gundry)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:06 – Dr. Gundry opens on his supplement philosophy
• 01:00 – The seven supplements you can skip (starts)
  • 01:00 – Calcium supplements
  • 02:33 – Multivitamins
  • 05:36 – Vitamin C tablets
  • 09:00 – Ketone drinks
  • 10:08 – Probiotics
  • 12:08 – Vitamin E
  • 12:45 – Iron
• 13:05 – Why supplement studies often get dosages wrong
• 14:31 – Listener question: Pomegranate vinegar syrup and sugar (Q&A)
• 15:28 – Listener review: Traditional foods and longevity

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Tone and Style

Dr. Gundry speaks directly and informally, blending scientific explanation with practical advice. He draws from both research and clinical anecdotes, often demystifying health misconceptions and advocating for critical consumer awareness.

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Summary

This episode equips listeners with the knowledge to make more informed, critical decisions about supplement use, emphasizing the importance of sourcing, dosage, and context. Dr. Gundry’s message is clear: don’t fall for supplement hype—understand the science, question the dosages, and get nutrients primarily from whole foods when possible.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

Foreign.

[Dr. Steven Gundry]

As a restorative medicine doctor, supplements aren't a trend to me. They're tools I use to help my patients experience dramatic health transformation. And it's exactly why I personally formulate every single Gundry MD product to make sure you and my patients are actually getting what you and they need.

[Podcast Host]

So today I'm cutting through the noise

[Dr. Steven Gundry]

and answering your biggest questions. What to take when, what to skip, and what's just hype.

[Podcast Host]

Let's get into it.

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This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with a name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail], progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.

[Podcast Host]

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, stop wasting your money on these seven supplements. Number one, calcium supplements. Huh? I'll bet you your doctor is telling you you need calcium for strong bones. I bet you all the milk advertisements you see on TV tells you you need calcium for strong bones. While it's true calcium is a part of the makeup of bone structure, there is no evidence that a calcium supplement will actually have any benefit in actually making the calcium go to your bones. In fact, there's some evidence that calcium supplements will deposit calcium in your blood vessels where you, you don't want it. So you get plenty of bioavailable calcium in the foods you eat, particularly in vegetables in dark leafy greens. And there's actually a not insignificant amount of calcium in animal protein and fish. Interestingly enough, people who have some of the longest life expectancy, the Acciarolis in southern Italy, are small fish eaters, anchovy eaters, sardine eaters. What are they eating? They're eating the calcium in the little bones of these fish. And so if you really want to spend your money on a calcium supplement, buy some sardines, buy some anchovies. That's the way to get your calcium. Number two, multivitamins. So multivitamins have been around forever. Unfortunately, multivitamins were developed based on examination of 20 college students in New York City in the 1920s, when the federal government was trying to determine what would be the bare minimum amount of various vitamins and minerals that somebody should have to avoid diseases, diseases like beriberi, diseases like pellagra, which you probably never heard of. And they wanted to find the bare minimum that would be necessary. So they looked at the blood work of 20 college students and said, well, this is what these kids are eating and this is what their blood work looks like and they're healthy college students. So that's probably what we need. And that was actually the basis for the recommendations of the minimal daily requirement of vitamins and minerals. Now the minimum daily requirement unfortunately has nothing to do with the amount you need for good health. That's totally different. I'll give you an example. The minimum daily requirement for vitamin D is about 400 international units a day. And yet the University of California, San Diego research shows that the minimum daily requirement for prevention of cancer is 9,600 international units of vitamin D3 daily. And that's nowhere near 400 international units. Recently there's been a very good paper showing the higher your vitamin D level is in your brain, the better your neurons work. Exactly the opposite of what a minimum daily requirement of vitamin d would say. 80% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. Regular vitamin C tablets. Now, vitamin C is essential. Let's make no mistake about it. We unfortunately, like most other animals, do not manufacture our own vitamin C. So we have to acquire vitamin C from our diet. How do we do that? Well, long ago it's conjectured that great apes and us stopped making vitamin C because we were always eating vitamin C. Living in tropical rainforests, not only in the fruits, but also in the leaves of the plants that we were eating. Guinea pigs don't make vitamin C for the same reason. They get it from their diet. Strangely enough, vitamin C is made from glucose. And there are five genes that control this, five enzymatic steps that take glucose and turn it into vitamin C. We lack the fifth gene. It's a ghost gene. Why is that important? Let's take rats, let's genetically engineer them so that they carry the human vitamin C producing pathway where the fifth gene is a good ghosts. Those rats live 50% shorter lives than rats who manufacture their vitamin C. Well, 50% shorter lives. Now here's the exciting news. If you put vitamin C in the drinking water of those vitamin C deficient rats, they will live exactly as long as the rats who make their own vitamin C. So what does that tell you? We really have to have a continuous source of vitamin C in our diets. How do you do that? Well, if you just swallow a vitamin C tablet, that vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin and it will be gone out of your system in about two to four hours. So the options are take time to release vitamin C. I personally take 1000mg twice a day of timed release vitamin C. If that's too much to ask. Get yourself some chewable vitamin C tablets or carry around some 500 milligram vitamin C tablets and swallow them four times a day. But what you're looking for is a continuous extra exposure in your body to the benefits of vitamin C. But just swallowing one once a day is really not going to do you much good.

[Dr. Steven Gundry]

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[Podcast Host]

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[Dr. Steven Gundry]

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[Podcast Host]

Number four Ketone Drinks okay, ketone drinks are a hot item. You you want to be able to swallow your ketones. Here's the problem. Ketone drinks, quite frankly taste terrible and they're really expensive. And there's so much easier, cheaper ways to make ketones and that is MCT oil. So if you're going to have a ketone shot, just have a tablespoon of McDonald's MCT oil. The MCT oil will produce ketones automatically and it's cheap and you can even buy it at Costco. Don't waste your money on expensive ketone drinks. Number 5 Low quality probiotics here's the problem with probiotics. The vast majority of probiotics you're going to spend your hard earned money money on are probably not going to make it past the acid in your stomach to populate the gut that you need. So if you're going to get probiotics, look for either spore forming probiotics that will resist gastric digestion or look for probiotics that are enteric coated, that resist gastric acid and will dissolve once the probiotics get to their destination in your intestines. So got to know the delivery device now. The other thing that's important to realize about probiotics is that almost all of these probiotics are not native to our gut and they will go on vacation in our gut if they can get to your gut, but they'll leave after a couple weeks. So probiotics are something that should be a part of a continuous maintenance program for your gut. The vast majority, though, of probiotics don't have these characteristics. Don't waste your money. Number six, vitamin E. Vitamin E. Most vitamin E that you're going to buy, either in a multiple vitamin or separately, is actually the wrong form, the wrong isomere of vitamin E. And you should realize that vitamin E is actually two different classifications of vitamin E. There are tocotrienols and tocopherols, and there are only certain ones of the tocopherol family and the tocotrienol family that are any good. And if you take one with a broad spectrum vitamin E, the benefits of some will cancel out the benefits of the other. So don't waste your money on vitamin E supplements. Number seven, iron. As many of you know who have read and followed me, iron is one of those compounds that ages us. We rust from iron. And studies show that people who donate blood actually live seven years longer than people who don't donate blood. And women live seven years longer than men, partially because, as you know, you donate blood once a month for a good half of your life, whereas men don't donate blood every month for half of our lives. Yes, occasionally you can be iron deficient and you should have your iron level checked periodically. Some women have very heavy periods and may need supplements.

[Dr. Steven Gundry]

Supplementation temporarily with iron.

[Podcast Host]

Men, if you have an iron deficiency, or women after menopause, if you have an iron deficiency, that's cause for your doctor to go looking for. Why that is because blood loss is the cause of iron deficiency as we get older. And there's nothing in you that you should have blood loss. So back to the subject that supplements don't help. Recently you may have seen a big study in JAMA that these sort of supplements don't help and that they're all a waste of money. With what I started with, remember, these are studies looking at the USDA recommended dosages of supplements. And quite frankly, it's no wonder that they couldn't find that these supplements help because the dose was much too small. So anytime you see these studies, don't throw supplements under the bus. Always look with a critical eye as to what the dose of these supplements they were studying. And it's how much you take of a particular supplement that's really the key. So supplements are great for you as long as you know what the dose you really need to have an effective.

[Dr. Steven Gundry]

The question of the week comes from alievanting grandma over on YouTube. On my episode about the six foods to stay healthy, they asked regarding vinegar, what about pomegranate vinegar? Salt syrup? It has 6 to 8 grams of carbs per tablespoon. Is this good for polyphenols? Too much sugar? Well, yeah, usually when you see the word syrup, buyer beware. Now it's true that many vinegars look like they have sugar, and that's because most vinegars start with a carbohydrate, like for instance, a grape in balsamic vinegar. But that does not mean that the bacteria or fungi haven't eaten all that sugar in the process of making vinegar. It's helpful to look for added sugars,

[Podcast Host]

but if it says syrup, buyer beware.

[Dr. Steven Gundry]

Now it's time for the review of the week. A review from AgingStrong us over on YouTube. On my episode about which potatoes are ruining your gut, they said it's so refreshing to see a deep dive into something as simple as a potato. I never knew the history of the purple sweet potato or its connection to longevity in Okinawa. Thank you for always connecting the dots between ancient wisdom and modern science. Well, thank you.

[Podcast Host]

Aging strong.

[Dr. Steven Gundry]

You know, this is what I've been studying for 30 years now. And again thanks to my patience and my research and see what works and and doesn't work. I'm bringing it to you every week.

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