If you’ve ever scrolled through Instagram or TikTok looking for health information, you’ve probably encountered advice that sounds remarkably certain: take this supplement for your hormones, use this herb to lower cortisol, add this powder for better gut health, or take these nutrients if you’re in perimenopause.
Some of this information may be useful. Some may even be scientifically sound. But there is an important piece missing: the person giving you that advice doesn’t know you.
They don’t know your medical history, what medications you’re taking, what you eat, what other supplements you’re already using, your pathology results, or whether your symptoms could have another underlying cause. And that context matters.
Because when it comes to your health, the question isn’t simply, “Is this supplement good?” It’s “Is this appropriate for me?”
In many cases, that question can’t be answered properly without the input of a qualified health practitioner. Some online supplement companies ask you to complete a questionnaire before recommending a product, but these questionnaires are generally designed to match your answers to products within their range. They cannot provide the same level of assessment as a practitioner who considers your health history, medications, supplements, diet, symptoms and relevant pathology results.
1. Your health doesn’t exist in isolation
A practitioner doesn’t simply ask, “What supplement might help with sleep?” A qualified health practitioner considers your symptoms, medical history, medications, diet, menstrual or menopausal status, digestive health, pathology results, diagnoses, lifestyle and other supplements. Two people with the same symptom may need completely different approaches.
I see this a lot in the perimenopause space. Women are currently exposed to an enormous amount of content about cortisol, hormone balancing, magnesium, creatine, protein powders, adaptogens, gut supplements, menopause blends and weight-loss products.
A woman experiencing fatigue, poor sleep, weight changes or anxiety may see a post saying “this is cortisol” or “your hormones are out of balance.” But these symptoms can have many possible contributors. A responsible practitioner needs to consider the broader clinical picture rather than assigning a cause from a list of symptoms.
2. “This worked for me” isn’t the same as “this is appropriate for you”
This is particularly relevant to advice from influencers. Their personal experience may be completely genuine, but it is still just that — their experience. It doesn’t tell you whether the same product is appropriate, effective or safe for you.
Something that helped one person’s sleep, digestion or menopausal symptoms may be unnecessary or inappropriate for someone else.
3. Supplements aren’t automatically benign because they’re “natural”
I can’t count how many times I’ve heard, “But they only contain natural herbs, so they must be safe!”.
Herbs contain biologically active constituents and can have powerful effects. Nutrients can also cause problems when taken at inappropriate doses. Supplements may interact with medications, duplicate nutrients already being taken, be unsuitable with certain health conditions, or simply be unnecessary.
For example, St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) has numerous clinically important drug interactions, including with some antidepressants and hormonal contraceptives. Excessive vitamin B6 intake can cause peripheral neuropathy. And feeling tired doesn’t automatically mean you need iron — supplementation should be based on an appropriate assessment, which may include blood tests, as excessive iron can also be harmful.
Natural doesn’t automatically mean harmless, and more isn’t always better.
4. A qualified practitioner assesses before recommending
I routinely prescribe herbs and nutritional supplements, but only after taking a detailed health history and considering questions such as: Why might this symptom be occurring? What else could be contributing? Is there something that needs medical investigation? What medications and supplements is this person already taking? What does their diet look like? Are there relevant pathology results?
I then evaluate that information, check for potential interactions and contraindications, and determine whether supplementation is appropriate and, if so, what type and dose may be suitable.
That’s a very different process from: “If you’re a woman over 40, you need this supplement.”
5. Sometimes the right recommendation isn’t another supplement
Sometimes I decide that supplementation isn’t necessary at all. Dietary changes, exercise, sleep strategies, referral to a GP or another practitioner, or appropriate pathology or functional testing may be more useful.
The point is that there shouldn’t be one standard treatment plan for everyone. Recommendations should reflect the person sitting in front of you.
Use social media as a starting point — not your treatment plan
Social media can be useful for learning, discovering new ideas and generating questions to ask your healthcare practitioner. The problem isn’t that every piece of health information on social media is wrong. The problem is that even accurate information may not be right for you.
Your health history, symptoms, medications, diet and individual circumstances all matter. Herbs and nutritional supplements can be valuable tools, but they deserve the same thoughtful, individualised approach as other aspects of healthcare.
If you’re unsure whether the supplements you’re taking are appropriate for you, or you’d like a more personalised approach to your health, a naturopathic consultation can help you make sense of the bigger picture.
