The supplement industry made $69 billion last year. But how much of what's on that shelf do you actually need? In this episode Aurora breaks down the difference between what the science supports and what's just really good marketing. You'll learn why the FDA doesn't approve supplements before they hit shelves, which nutrients are genuinely hard to get from food alone, and which popular products are mostly expensive hype. Food-first, always — but with the nuance you actually need to make informed decisions.

This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or nutritional advice.

Sources Referenced in This Episode

U.S. Dietary Supplement Market Size (2024): Nutrition Business Journal, reported by Nutraceuticals World, "The State of Supplements: U.S. Market Approaches $70 Billion," April 2025. https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/exclusives/the-state-of-supplements-u-s-market-approaches-70-billion/

74% of Americans take supplements: Council for Responsible Nutrition, 2023 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements.

FDA Dietary Supplement Regulation (DSHEA):

FDA.gov, "FDA 101: Dietary Supplements." https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-101-dietary-supplements

FDA Q&A on Dietary Supplements: https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/questions-and-answers-dietary-supplements

Regulatory gaps — NDI notifications: Cohen, as cited in PMC Article PMC4330859, "Too Little, Too Late: Ineffective Regulation of Dietary Supplements in the United States." https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4330859/

80,000+ supplements on market: DSHEA 30-year anniversary review, Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2024. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19390211.2024.2419434

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 (Food-First Principle): USDA / HHS. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov

Vitamin D — Endocrine Society 2024 Guidelines: Demay MB et al., "Vitamin D for the Prevention of Disease: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline." Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, July 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38828931/

Vitamin D — NIH ODS Fact Sheet (Health Professional): https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

Vitamin D — Evidence for 2,000 IU/day: Kilic Sayar N et al. PMC Article PMC10857599, Nutrients, 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10857599/

Vitamin B12 — Vegan populations & older adults: NIH ODS Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/

Folate / Folic Acid & Neural Tube Defects: CDC and NIH ODS Folate Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/

Iron deficiency as most common global deficiency: NIH ODS Iron Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/

Omega-3 / Fish Oil Evidence: NIH ODS Omega-3 Fact Sheet. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/

Antioxidant supplementation — harm signals in smokers (beta-carotene): Referenced across Cochrane Reviews and CARET/ATBC trials; reviewed in NIH ODS Vitamin E and Vitamin A fact sheets.

Weight-loss supplement spending — $2.1 billion: Precedence Research, U.S. Dietary Supplements Market, 2024. https://www.precedenceresearch.com/us-dietery-supplements-market

Average supplement spending per trip: Zippia, citing Statista data. https://www.zippia.com/advice/supplements-industry-statistics/

Third-Party Testing: USP (USP.org), NSF International (nsf.org), ConsumerLab (consumerlab.com)

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — all nutrient fact sheets: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/list-all/

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: https://www.eatright.org

GLP-1 medications ...Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound are dominating headlines. But most of the conversation misses the actual science.In this episode, we break down what GLP-1 is (it's a hormone your body already makes), how GLP-1 and dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists work, what the clinical trial data really shows, and the expanding landscape of conditions these medications are being studied for.We also spend real time on the shame and stigma that surrounds these medications — and why the "easy way out" narrative is both scientifically wrong and genuinely harmful.Evidence-led, non-judgmental, and long overdue.

Sources:

Drucker DJ. (2018). Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Application of Glucagon-like Peptide-1. Cell Metabolism, 27(4), 740–756.

Wilding JPH, et al. (2021). Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1). New England Journal of Medicine, 384(11), 989–1002.

Jastreboff AM, et al. (2022). Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-1). New England Journal of Medicine, 387(3), 205–216.

Lincoff AM, et al. (2023). Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (SELECT trial). New England Journal of Medicine, 389(24), 2221–2232.

Rubino DM, et al. (2022). Effect of Continued Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: The STEP 4 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA, 327(14), 1414–1425.

Nauck MA & Meier JJ. (2018). Incretin hormones: Their role in health and disease. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 20(S1), 5–21.

Sumithran P, et al. (2011). Long-term persistence of hormonal adaptations to weight loss. New England Journal of Medicine, 365(17), 1597–1604.

Garvey WT & Mechanick JI. (2020). Proposal for a scientifically correct and medically actionable disease classification system (ICD) for obesity. Obesity, 28(3), 484–492.

Patel D. (2023). Pharmacotherapy for the management of obesity. Metabolism, 92, 1–18.

FDA Drug Approvals: Ozempic (2017), Wegovy (2021), Mounjaro (2022), Zepbound (2023). fda.gov

Wilding JPH, et al. (2021). Cardiovascular and metabolic effects of semaglutide. Lancet, 399, 1736–1748.

Bikou A, et al. (2023). Protein intake and lean mass preservation during GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy: A systematic review. Nutrients, 15(8), 1876.

Cummings DE & Rubino F. (2018). Metabolic surgery for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in obese individuals. Diabetologia, 61(2), 257–264.

1 in 10 people with a uterus have endometriosis...and most wait 7–10 years for a diagnosis. Today we cover what it is, how nutrition can help, and your full symptom management toolkit.

Sources:

Missmer SA, et al. (2004). Prospective study of dietary fat consumption and endometriosis risk. Human Reproduction, 19(6), 1357–1363.

Mier-Cabrera J, et al. (2009). Effect of vitamins C and E supplementation on peripheral oxidative stress markers and pregnancy rate in women with endometriosis. Fertility and Sterility, 91(6), 1721–1731.

Parazzini F, et al. (2013). Diet and endometriosis risk: a literature review. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 26(4), 323–336.

Missmer SA, Chavarro JE, Malspeis S, et al. (2010). A prospective study of dietary fat consumption and endometriosis risk. Human Reproduction, 25(6), 1528–1535.

Marziali M, et al. (2012). Gluten-free diet: a new strategy for management of painful endometriosis related symptoms? Minerva Ginecologica, 64(6), 497–501.

Flower A, et al. (2012). Acupuncture for endometriosis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

World Health Organization. (2023). Endometriosis Fact Sheet. who.int

Zondervan KT, et al. (2020). Endometriosis. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 6(1), 9.

Leonardi M, et al. (2020). Endometriosis and the microbiome: a systematic review. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.

Agarwal SK, et al. (2019). Clinical diagnosis of endometriosis: a call to action. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 220(4), 354.e1–354.e12.

Ever had your period go MIA and just... chalked it up to training hard? You're not alone, but it's not something to brush off. In this episode of Let's Digest This, we're breaking down the Female Athlete Triad: what it actually is, why losing your period is a bigger deal than most people realize, and what it means for your bones, your hormones, and your fertility - both now and in the future. We're also getting into something that doesn't get talked about enough: how do you know if a missing period is from under-fueling, or if something else like PCOS or a thyroid issue is going on? Because the answer actually changes everything about next steps. This one is for the runners, the gym-goers, the dancers, the women who push hard and sometimes forget to eat enough to match it. Tune in — your body will thank you.

References

Nattiv A, et al. "The Female Athlete Triad." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2007.

Mountjoy M, et al. "RED-S: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport." British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014.

Gibbs JC, et al. "Bone mineral density and stress fractures in amenorrheic athletes." British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014.

Gordon CM, et al. "Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline." Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2017.

Fourman LT, Fazeli PK. "Neuroendocrine causes of amenorrhea — an update." JCEM, 2015.

Your nutrition needs don't stay the same...they evolve with you. In this episode, we walk through the key nutritional priorities at every stage of adulthood, from building peak bone density in your 20s, to navigating perimenopause with adequate protein in midlife, to fighting muscle loss and staying nourished well into your 60s and beyond. Whether you're just starting out or supporting someone you love through a new life stage, this episode breaks down the science in a way that's actually actionable. Because eating well isn't a one-size-fits-all — and the sooner we understand that, the better we eat for life.

Show Notes — References

Early Adulthood:

National Academy of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D (2011).

CDC. Folic Acid Recommendations — cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid

Springmann M, et al. "Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries." The Lancet, 2019.

Midlife / Perimenopause:

Estruch R, et al. "Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet." NEJM, 2018.

Bauer J, et al. "Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people." Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2013.

Stachowiak G, et al. "Metabolic disorders in menopause." Przegląd Menopauzalny, 2015.

Older Adulthood:

Cruz-Jentoft AJ, et al. "Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis." Age and Ageing, 2019.

Papadimitriou N, et al. "Sarcopenia prevalence and risk factors." Ageing Research Reviews, 2022.

Allen LH. "Vitamin B-12." Advances in Nutrition, 2012.

Slavin J. "Fiber and Prebiotics: Mechanisms and Health Benefits." Nutrients, 2013.

Let’s talk about something quietly toxic in wellness culture: the idea that food has moral value. In this episode, we unpack how labeling foods as “good” or “bad” creates guilt instead of health, and why real well-being isn’t about rules—it’s about balance. Health looks different for everyone, and what you eat does not define your worth.

If this conversation brings up heavy feelings around food or body image, support is available.

For U.S. listeners, visit NEDA’s website: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

for resources and screening tools. If you’re in crisis or need immediate support in the U.S., you can call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org/

for 24/7 confidential support.

In the U.K., Beat Eating Disorders offers helplines and support at https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/

What does balanced eating actually mean? (Spoiler: it's not about perfection.) In this episode, we break down the basics of macronutrients—carbs, protein, and fat—and explain why your body needs all three. Learn how to build satisfying meals without obsessing over numbers, understand what each macro does for your body, and discover practical tips for nourishing yourself in a way that feels sustainable. Whether you're new to nutrition or just want to refresh the basics, this episode will help you approach food with confidence and flexibility.

If meal prep has ever felt overwhelming, boring, or impossible to keep up with, this episode is for you. Today's episode focuses on realistic, low-pressure ways to plan and prep food that actually gets eaten. We talk flexible systems, beginner-friendly strategies, flavor-first cooking, and how to stop treating food prep like a test you can fail. Real life. Real food. Real solutions.

Who should you actually trust online when it comes to nutrition and wellness? In this episode of Let's Digest this, we break down how to spot credible, evidence-based professionals in a sea of loud opinions, detox claims, and “miracle” fixes.

If you’ve ever felt confused, overwhelmed, or skeptical about nutrition advice online — this episode is for you.

In this episode, we dive into fibermaxxing — what it is, why fiber is so important for digestion, gut health, and even heart health, and how to safely boost your fiber intake without upsetting your stomach. From soluble vs. insoluble fiber to practical tips, we break it all down so you can support your gut and feel your best, one bite at a time.