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How to keep track of how a supplement is affecting you if you have a large stack?

One of the best ways to keep track of the supplements you’re taking and the effects they are having on your body is to keep a supplement log. This will help you keep track of your use of the supplements in a customisable way.

A supplement log will help you determine if any of the supplement stack you’re taking are causing you any medical problems as well as simply help you determine if the supplement you’re taking has any effect on you. For example, if you take an energy-boosting supplement, like ginseng, you could track the time of day you’re taking it, how long before you feel the effects and then how long before it then starts to wear off. You can do the same thing for brain-boosting nootropics.

If you’re just starting supplementation, it’s best to start with one supplement at a time, giving the supplement about a week to start being absorbed into your body, and then starting the next, tracking it in your log as you go. This way, you can test for any possible interactions in your body or even with the other supplements you’re taking. Sometimes, you might feel great with a supplement and then it does a 180 and you feel awful, so by noting this down, you can remove it from your supplement stack and then possibly integrate it back in later.

Make sure to jot down any notes about how you’re feeling and then any changes you notice in how you’re feeling.

If you’re already taking a variety of supplements, simplify your stack to test individual supplements in relative isolation until you can understand their effects, then monitor the introduction of new scientifically proven supplements. Possibly even stop everything for a week and start again.

There are plenty of online nutritional diaries or apps (Oracle, MyFitnessPal, Cronometer), but you can also create a written version, too. If you notice any health problems, you can then show your doctor the notes you’ve taken, but if you start to feel adverse side effects from any supplement as you’ve introduced it, stop taking it.

Remember, always carefully research and then assess everything you’re putting in your body over a period of time.