Five Key Ways to Get The Most Out of Your Vitamins and Supplements

Congratulations!

You've chosen and purchased supplements to support your health—now it’s time to make sure your investment pays off.

Here are five essential steps to help you get the most out of your supplements after purchase:

 

1. Make Sure The Product Information Is Clear and Accurate for You: Contact the Manufacturer If Needed

If your supplement was recommended by your healthcare provider and you're short on time, you can skip this step—just follow your provider’s guidance.

For everyone else, it's important to understand the scientific basis for your supplement’s formula and directions for use.

Manufacturers should be able to explain the rationale behind the dosage and intended effects.

This information should be readily available, as these materials should be the basis of formulating their products.

Why are these important?

This is partly because the FDA’s labeling requirements for supplements cover only certain types of information (Table 1).

Table 1. Quick Overview of What’s Required vs. Not Required by U.S. Law for Supplement Labeling

What is required by US law	What is not required by US law
Manufacturers to describe on product label: Active and inactive ingredients, serving size, amount per serving, servings per container, and direction for use.	FDA review or approval supplement labels — including dosage or directions — before they’re sold.   After they’re sold, FDA usually steps in only if a problem is reported.
Manufacturers to determine appropriate the daily amount based on available scientific evidence on safety and how the ingredients may support health.	FDA check each supplement for safety or accuracy before or after it’s sold.
Manufacturers are required to make sure their product labels are truthful and not misleading.	Supplement makers to share or cite the scientific studies that support their products.

 

FDA inspection or review of marketed supplement products remains relatively scarce due to FDA resource constraints and the high volume of products on the market.

In addition, inconsistent dosage guidance exists across products in my experience, even for the same ingredients and/or purpose.

This is especially true for supplements with multiple active ingredients.

Reliable manufacturers will treat your inquiry as a priority and respond promptly with clear, concise information.

A trustworthy company should be able to provide a straightforward answer within just a few minutes of your time.

If they are unable to respond accurately or confidently, it may be a red flag—suggesting a lack of transparency or understanding of their own products.

When the recommended daily dose or directions for use are not supported by the totality of scientific evidence, it may mean the amount is too low to provide support to your health or wellness —or worse, high enough to pose potential risks.

In such cases, we recommend pausing or reconsidering your supplement use and consulting a healthcare provider for guidance on proper use.

Given the potential impact on your health, we strongly encourage consumers to take a few minutes to ask questions and verify this information with your supplement manufacturer.

If you’re particularly curious about the science, feel free to dig into the research yourself.

And remember—when in doubt, talk to a healthcare provider.

Note that the title “nutritionist” is not consistently regulated in the U.S., so it’s important to verify their credentials.

2. Use Your Supplements Consistently

Consistency is key.

Large-scale studies involving thousands of people show that regular supplement use supports long-term health and vitality.

Let’s talk about this a bit deeper.

First, why do large-scale studies matter in your supplement routine?

Imagine seeking opinions from a handful of friends or reading online reviews before making a health-related decision.

A published, high-quality research study involving 500 participants confirming a meaningful benefit is like getting trustworthy recommendations from 500 different people — it’s super convincing!  

Second, let’s look at a few studies that explore how supplement use may support general wellness:

• One study[1],[2] including 2,897 people that looked at whether people’s dietary intake being consistent with official nutrition guidelines supports long-term health. What did it find? Diets that were most consistent with the guidelines (among which almost half — 48.3% — of people used dietary supplements) supported long-term health better compared with the least consistent diets (where almost a third — 30.1% — were on any dietary supplements).
• Another study[2],[3] including 109 people found that sticking with a nutritional supplement plan may support healthy weight management after surgery.

Also remember—usage recommendations may vary depending on the type of supplement (Table 2).

 

Table 2. Typical Patterns of Supplement Use Across Different Health Categories

Supplement Category	Suggested Use (Regular vs. occasional use)	Rationale
General Wellness & Healthy Aging	Regular	Supports foundational health over time. Best with consistent, regular use to achieve the cumulative benefit.
Weight Management	Regular or occasional	Often requires regular support alongside active weight goals. Occasional use may be appropriate once the goal is achieved and maintained.
Skin, Hair & Nail Health	Regular	Regular nutrient intake helps maintain skin/hair structure.
Heart & Metabolic Health	Regular	Heart and metabolic health require consistent, regular use to achieve the cumulative benefit.
Gut Health	Regular; sometimes occasional	Regular use supports long-term gut flora balance. Occasional use may be helpful during stress, travel, or dietary change.
Joint & Bone Health	Regular	Regular use is required to achieve or maintain the support on bones, joints and cartilages.
Immune Health	Regular or occasional	Regular and occasional use each may support immune health to different degrees. It depends on your needs (for example: for continuous vs. acute support).
Sleep Support	Regular or occasional	Often requires regular use to establish a sleep routine. If sleep quality meaningfully improves, may transition to occasional use while monitoring sleep quality.
Mood & Stress Support	Regular or occasional	Depends on your health needs and the specific ingredients: Regular use is required to achieve or maintain long-term support, while occasional use for acute or situation support.
Mental Clarity	Regular or occasional	Depends on your health needs and the specific ingredients: Regular use is required to achieve or maintain long-term support, while intermittent use for acute or situation support.
Men's and Women's Health	Regular; sometimes occasional	Regular use is generally required to achieve or maintain support. Some situations (such as temporary libido/ performance support) require intermittent use.

3. Track Your Supplement Use Over Time

As consumers, we are all busy juggling the demands of daily life.

Supplement use may be the last thing we want to spend time thinking about – yet as we discussed, discipline and consistency are key to seeing real benefits.

To free up mental space and build a sustainable routine, we recommend using simple tools to track your supplement use.

Whether it’s a mobile app, a sticky note on the fridge, a pill organizer, or setting daily reminders on your phone, having a system helps ensure you stay on track.

By keeping a record, you can also monitor how your body responds over time and share that information with your healthcare provider when needed.

 

4. Watch for Reactions or Changes in Your Health

Pay attention to how you feel physically and mentally after starting a supplement.

Consider tracking key health markers related to your supplement use or any changes you or your provider are watching for.

⚠️ If you experience negative effects or no improvement over time, it may be time to:

• Reduce the dose
• Switch products
• Stop use entirely
• Consult a healthcare professional, or
• Contact the supplement brand

 

5. Replenish at Least 2 Weeks Before You Run Out 

When we are on a consistent supplement routine to support our general health and wellbeing, the last thing we want to have disruption is an unexpected gap in our regimen – such as running out of product.

Even short breaks can disrupt our progress, particularly with supplements that require consistent use to build up and maintain benefits.

To avoid this, we recommend setting a reorder buffer of at least 2 weeks before your supply is expected to run out.

This gives you enough time to account for shipping delays, backorders, or busy schedules that may prevent you from restocking immediately.

If you’re using multiple products, consider noting each supplement’s reorder date on your calendar or setting reminders in your phone or app.

By building this habit, you not only maintain the consistency needed for long-term results, but also reduce the mental load of trying to remember when to reorder — giving you one less thing to worry about.

You can also sign up for subscription plans, which many supplement companies offer to help ensure uninterrupted use.

 

Final Thoughts

These five steps can help ensure your supplement routine is safe and aligned with your long-term health goals.

Small habits like consistent use and proactive tracking can make a big difference in maximizing your results.

Stay happy, healthy, and informed.

 

Sincerely,

Derek Tang, PhD, MS, BSPharm

Truth Full Health

Your Trusted Supplement Partner

 

*Disclaimers: All blogged content is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Dietary supplement products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

[1] Title: Adherence to dietary guidelines and 15-year risk of all-cause mortality. First Author: J. Russell. Journal: British Journal of Nutrition. Year of Publication: 2013.

[2] These are oversimplifications of the detailed study results. We recommend those interested to review the publication: find it by copy-pasting the publication information listed after [1] and [3] in scholar.google.com.

[3] Title: Nutritional supplements after hip fracture: poor compliance limits effectiveness. First Author: D. Bruce. Journal: Clinical Nutrition. Year of Publication: 2003.