How supplements work: Every person is unique

Why do supplements not always work as you expect? It is a good question that is not only asked by experts; you have probably wondered about it too. How can it be that a dietary supplement has a positive effect on one person, while another notices no difference? Many factors are involved, including the biochemical individuality of the human body.

Everyone is as different on the inside as on the outside

Biochemical individuality is a concept that assumes that each person’s nutritional status and chemical makeup are as unique as a fingerprint.

It is widely known that nutritional needs differ from person to person. Think of something as simple as a food allergy: pure peanut butter is a good source of energy and nutrients, yet eating it can be fatal for someone with a peanut allergy. Or consider how one person may feel much better after switching to a vegan diet, while the carnivore diet works wonders for someone else’s health, with every nuance in between.

This automatically means that not only nutritional needs vary from person to person, but the effects of dietary supplements can also differ by individual. In 1956, Dr. Roger J. Williams first wrote about this in his book “Biochemical Individuality – the Key to Understanding What Shapes Your Health.” Although the book was written a long time ago, it remains relevant today in the search for a balanced body.

In his book, Dr. Williams shows, among other things, how even identical twins are not biochemically identical, and how even seemingly small differences in organ size can create different nutritional needs between individuals.

Multiple paths, multiple outcomes

Just as explorers map unknown paths, medical researchers do this for biochemical pathways. In the body, these reaction pathways are the steps taken at the molecular level in a biochemical process. At each step of a pathway, molecular bonds are formed or broken. Mapping reaction pathways is done for all known exogenous and endogenous substances.

Some pathways simply run one way from A to B, but some substances follow branched pathways with multiple endpoints. Think of it as a toll road system, where enzymes sit in the toll booths and determine the next step and endpoint of a substance’s reaction pathway. In this case, when you take a dietary supplement, multiple reactions can take place in the body: each pathway has its own endpoint, and each endpoint determines how the supplement works.

Genetics and epigenetics

Take the amino acid tryptophan, for example. Tryptophan is a precursor to vitamin B3, melatonin, 5-HTP and serotonin. Depending on the enzyme involved in a pathway, tryptophan is converted into one of these substances. The ability to do this optimally is the result of the interaction between your genetic makeup (genetics) and your environment (epigenetics). That means the status of enzymes in your cells, but also the condition of your body. Air quality and nutritional status, for example, influence this.

Take control

If the conversion does not go smoothly and the pathway deviates from the ideal, this is not only inefficient or ineffective, but also potentially unfavorable because unwanted byproducts can arise along the pathway. You can support your cells in following the desired pathways! Improving the current state of the body contributes to these processes. You can also do this by combining the foods you eat with the right co-factors and supplements.

Bio-rhythm and your metabolic mindset

The co-factors that activate an amino acid such as tryptophan to enter a specific pathway are non-protein biochemicals such as vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are also the building blocks of coenzymes, which are needed to carry out enzymatic reactions. Each amino acid requires a cofactor to trigger a biochemical reaction. In the case of tryptophan, vitamin B6 helps with this, among others.

Not only the involuntary biochemical processes in your body determine how your metabolism functions. Your mindset also plays a major role. The negative effects of stress on your overall functioning are a well-known example, but there are many other examples. Scientific research has produced the following fascinating results that challenge us to think beyond current frameworks:

• In two study groups of patients with type 2 diabetes, the belief that a sugary product had been consumed was enough to raise blood glucose levels. Both groups received the same drink, but the ingredient label differed. Still, the group that believed their drink contained more sugar showed a glucose spike in their blood, which was not seen in the group that had the correct label.
• Another study on the relationship between cognition and metabolism showed that when test subjects mainly believed they were on a low-calorie diet, even when they were not, they lost weight.
• The belief that flu circulates in winter increases the likelihood that flu-like symptoms are actually reported in winter.

Besides combining supplements with the right nutritional status, bio-rhythm is very important because it affects all bodily processes. Exercise and sufficient rest/sleep for body and mind are central, along with nutrient density. Of course, there are many other important aspects such as gut flora: the better your intestines work, the better nutrients can be absorbed. You want a broad spectrum of nutrients to be biologically available so that your body can function as optimally as possible on its fuel. Using the right fuel in the right amount for each body is the art.

Too much of a good thing

A point to consider when supplementing nutrients is the amount you take. Although dietary supplements are often seen as harmless additions to a diet, this is certainly not true in all cases, and the credo “more is better” does not apply.

Resveratrol is one supplement that has become increasingly well known. What is less well known is the hormetic effect of resveratrol. In short, hormesis means that a substance triggers a stress response in your body, from which you then gain a physical benefit through recovery because you come out stronger, as with strength training or fasting. Resveratrol has a two-sided hormetic effect: depending on the dose, the effect can be positive or negative for the body. Conversely, this biphasic response can also be set off within a group: a certain dose can have a negative effect on one biochemical process but a positive effect on another. For a number of nutrients, including phytochemicals,

Even when consuming foods that naturally contain beneficial nutrients, it is important to consider how much you need to take to achieve a beneficial effect, and how that balance relates to the other properties of that food. You can take resveratrol through red wine, but to reach an effective resveratrol dose you would need to drink so many bottles of red wine every day that the alcohol would cancel out the benefits of the resveratrol. Balance is the key.

Eat as naturally as possible

Although specific nutritional needs vary because of individual biochemical differences, it is generally a solid foundation to obtain as many co-factors and coenzymes as possible through food, alongside enough exercise and sleep. Make sure you get enough protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals in your daily diet from as natural sources as possible, so your body has the tools to create the optimal combinations between amino acids and co-factors. And where food falls short, supplements can help.

When choosing supplements, the same applies: a source that is as natural as possible is always preferred.