ELITE SUPPLEMENTS

"With the help of Aidan Goggins, author and nutritional medicine director at wellness consultancy Kyros Project, we analysed ten supposedly healthy loaves and five everyday white loaves – and found a host of hidden ingredients and nasties in most of them."

"The problem is that ‘the GLP-1 drugs [such as Wegovy] have given credibility to peptides of all kinds’, says Aidan Goggins, a pharmacologist and expert in supplements. ‘Social media influencers simplify that into peptide supplements, with “the same results without injections”. ‘In reality, most peptide supplements can’t survive digestion or penetrate skin. ‘So while the marketing often sounds medical, the biology isn’t there."

"GLP-1 is the natural hormone released after eating that helps regulate appetite, and weight-loss jabs such as Mounjaro and Ozempic work by mimicking this hormone at far higher levels than the body could usually produce. But can you experience anything like the same effect from a supple-We asked pharmacist and medical nutritionist Aidan Goggins, the co-creator of non-weight-loss supplements Kyros Nutrition."

"Aidan Goggins says: Even exemplary diets are 'nowhere near as good as we think'. Nutrient levels have declined from intense farming, creating 'hidden hunger'. We rely on just 30 plants for 95% of calories—so there's no chance today's diets provide sufficient nutrients, even if we're 'eating well'."

"Aidan Goggins says: The findings were clear: concerns about potential genotoxicity—damage to DNA—could not be ruled out, and this additive posed risks inconsistent with its continued use in the food chain. Add synthetic colourings linked to hyperactivity and hormone-disrupting preservatives—cumulative risks escalate."

"Aidan Goggins says: The results are pretty significant—and unexpected, too. We always thought acetic acid in apple cider vinegar might bind carbohydrates to reduce absorption, but taken on an empty tummy it may instead increase gut satiety hormones, similar to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy."

"Premium supplements often boast better absorption—like calcium citrate over carbonate, offering 20% better uptake if stomach acid is low. Similarly, zinc citrate or acetate cause fewer gut issues than gluconate. Piperine boosting curcumin absorption by 2000% sounds impressive, but it's still a small number if absorption starts low."

"Aidan Goggins explains: These vitamins are absorbed 'transmucosally' – passing directly through the thin lining of the mouth into the bloodstream. But full absorption requires contact with the mucosal membrane, or most vitamins are swallowed with saliva and absorbed normally in the gut."

"Aidan says: Its L. casei Shirota bacteria survives gastric fluids, reaching the gut alive, improving IBS and reducing stomach infections. Using sweeteners maltitol and stevia is smart—unlike other sweeteners, these don’t disrupt the microbiome; maltitol even feeds good bacteria."

"Premium supplements often boast better absorption—like calcium citrate over carbonate, offering 20% better uptake if stomach acid is low. Similarly, zinc citrate or acetate cause fewer gut issues than gluconate. Piperine boosting curcumin absorption by 2000% sounds impressive, but it's still a small number if absorption starts low."

"Aidan also recommends caution: Fundamentally these drinks are very basic – a few minerals and some sugar in water… product claims are often driven by clever marketing over actual health benefits, in my opinion."

"Aidan Goggins says: To get the therapeutic dose (around 900mg or 3-8mg allicin), you'd need to eat about a clove of raw garlic daily. Allicin formation stops with heat, so let garlic sit about ten minutes after chopping for maximum benefit."

"Aidan Goggins says: You need sufficient vitamin D to absorb calcium well, as vitamin D converts into calcitriol, boosting gut production of calcium-absorbing proteins called calbindins. Magnesium and vitamin K are also needed for vitamin D to balance calcium levels."

"Aidan Goggins says: UK supplements fall under Safe Food Law, which isn't the most stringent—many fish oils are rancid and don't meet guidelines. Some contain additives like synthetic dyes, potentially causing neurodevelopmental problems. Avoid these entirely; their inclusion is unnecessary and merely a cheap manufacturing solution."

"Aidan Goggins says: Conventional tablets dissolve slowly in the digestive system, reducing absorption as some nutrient passes as waste. Liquids are already dissolved, absorbed faster and more completely, allow larger doses, and can be invaluable."