Supplement 101
What Supplements Cannot Do
Supplements can support specific functions, but they do not replace underlying physiological systems or compensate for structural lifestyle factors.
Expectations
Supplements operate within constraints.
Most outcomes depend on broader conditions — diet, sleep, baseline health, and context.
Supplements interact with these conditions, but do not override them.
At a high level, limitations come from three signals:
- Dependence on baseline state — effects vary based on existing conditions
- Magnitude of intervention — inputs are incremental, not structural
- Context sensitivity — outcomes depend on alignment with use case
Supplements can be meaningful.
They are rarely decisive.
They adjust.
They do not replace.