All you have to do is spend some time in a gym, or log onto social media, to know that the market is flooded with supplement brands and products. It seems that every sports-person has their 'favourite' supplement company, and indeed some brands are becoming household names. What was once a relatively niche market now seems to be mainstream...so the question is, should it be? Are supplements really that necessary to overall health and fitness? Indeed, is there a problem with supplements?

We feel the best place to start with this is with a simple priority matrix which depicts where we believe supplements fall on the road to becoming a healthier, fitter individual.

1. Calories:

The most important aspect to health and fitness, and body composition, is calorie balance. This energy balance is what determines whether you gain fat, lose fat or maintain fat. We have all heard of the calories in versus calories out equation, and as straightforward or old fashioned as it may seem...it is also undeniably correct.

2. Macros:

Likewise, the macronutrient balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates determines your body's ability to build muscle, to recover from physical stress and training, and to fuel daily life and exercise. Tracking macros, or at least considering them, is now largely mainstream - and so it should be when considering the factors above.

3. Micronutrition:

Micronutrients are where things really start to get interesting! This is the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which your diet can provide, and it is this category that many top athletes hone in on. Are you good at a sport but want to be better? Do you want to boost your brain and heart health, enhance your immune system and improve recovery time whilst reducing inflammation? That is where micronutrients come in! Greens, leafy vegetables, healthy oils and fatty acids, antioxidant-packed fruit...all of these things are vital for the human body (and indeed, the mind) to function optimally. It is also what can help to manage anxiety levels, stress and mental wellness.

4. Meal Timing/Frequency:

We’ll bypass meal timing/frequency here, as it largely depends on individual needs, and move onto the top of our pyramid...Supplements.

5. Supplements:

These are the smallest category in our priority matrix, but also underpin the categories below. Quite simply, clever supplementation can mean that your micro and macro intake is enhanced. Whether you choose to supplement proteins, greens, fish oils or specific vitamins, supplements are convenient and have the power to enhance your mental and physical wellness in a way that a balanced diet may not! Are they crucial for survival? Assuming a healthy, nutritious diet...no. But, if you are an athlete looking to up your game, or a business person looking to improve their energy levels and overall health, or indeed a gym-goer who wants to improve their health and fitness as much as possible in a sustainable way...supplements can help you to achieve your goals. You may put in the hours in the gym, but supplements can maximise the results that you get from that time!

Supplements are only for people who don't have a nutritious diet

The question remains, could we simply bypass supplements and achieve the same results from diet alone? We know a nutritious, balanced diet underpins overall health...but is it possible to alter a diet and incorporate all the benefits that supplements can offer?

Adaptogens, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, proteins, Omega 3's...all of these things come from natural sources initially, so could we just eat lots of fruit, vegetables and oily fish?

In theory, if we had unlimited resources to travel the world, unlimited time to prepare these micronutrients with unique benefits, and unlimited access to plants, herbs, nuts, meat and organisms, then yes. Absolutely.

We could reach our peak health without any supplements! But, therein lies the issue. We lead busy lives. Most of us cannot travel to China to pick some Ashwagandha root or Curcuma for our morning smoothie. So, problem number 1 lies in sourcing these ingredients (and keeping them fresh!). Secondly, a plate of 10 different types of green vegetables, or a large serving of oily fish every day, is simply not practical for the most part (and can get very expensive!).

Supplements exist to take away the difficulty; to provide the benefits of everything the world has to offer for the human body to thrive...in a simple, fast and convenient format.

To enhance a nutritionally balanced diet.

To boost the immune system.

To protect against disease.

To promote better rest and recovery.

To enable an athlete to go from being 'good' to being 'the best'.

To support a busy working professional by enhancing their cognitive function, mental wellbeing, heart health and energy levels.

Our products are designed to take the difficulty away and to make sure that everyone can Get More from their daily life, regardless of context or background.

Your competitor has a cheaper alternative!

If we take it as accepted that supplements can offer benefits which are very difficult to obtain from a nutritious diet alone...the next issue comes with choosing which brands, or products, to buy. If you think a Greens Powder may be the perfect supplement to enhance your mental and physical wellbeing...how do you choose when the market is flooded with alternatives?

Are all supplements created equally? Quite simply, and unfortunately, no.

Some supplements may appear 'better value', but when you look into the quality of the ingredients, or indeed the density of the dosage, more often than not their real value is far less. Cheaper ingredients (for example broccoli and spinach) are often used to bulk out Greens Powders, and CBD products are often diluted down or made from isolate. Our core belief at Hence, above all else, is in offering products which are the best possible blend and the highest possible quality...with no expense spared!

Our Greens Stack is the result of years of research and over 30 studies in order to find the most powerful blend of ingredients. From Ashwaghanda extract and Curcuma, Spirulina and Dang-Gui Buxue Tang...all of our ingredients have a reason and a why (head to the product page to read the science and the studies). We have not only sourced the most perfect blend of ingredients from around the world, but also indentified the most potent version of each ingredient. From day 1, Greens Stack will enhance your cognition and mental energy, lift your mood, boost your immune system and support your bodies physiological systems, all with the most powerful of nature’s phytonutrients. No added caffeine, no bulk ingredients like many cheaper alternatives, just natural plant-based adaptogens, nootropics and antioxidants which your mind and body need to thrive.

Our CBD++, again, is the highest possible quality and dosage. One ecopod contains 100mg of broad-spectrum, 0% THC CBD. In layman's terms, this means that per mg our CBD costs less than 50% of other market leading alternatives (based on a high-strength tincture). One dropper-full from alternative brands often offers just 5-12mg of CBD per serving, meaning that you would have to take 8-16 servings to reach the same dosage as one of our eco-pods. Each of our pods can also be split into smaller servings as required, meaning that for many of our customers, one box can provide up to 24 servings! As well as this, in official product testing the active cannabinoid content of our CBD++ is proven to be 10-15% higher than the industry standard of alternative products, meaning that the bioavailability (uptake by your body), and therefore the overall benefits, are higher!

Our CBD++ is also the only CBD product we know of which is carried in organic extra-virgin coconut butter. So, why did we choose this carrier? Firstly, coconut oils are made primarily of C8 and C10 medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's). These fats are the easiest type of fats for the body to break down and convert to energy! This is also one of the reasons why coconut products have risen to such prominence in recent years. As well as this, this semi-solid state carrier means it is ideal to rub into aching muscles or skin, melt into coffee or crumble into recipes.

Our partner company, Omega3Zone, again follows our 'quality above all else' belief. They offer a pharmaceutical grade, high-strength fish oil (the gold standard of fish oils), which also happens to taste better than any other alternatives in the industry (we think!). The EPA & DHA fatty acids in O3Z are essential, meaning that without them the mind and body cannot function optimally! O3Z provides these fatty acids in the best possible way and in far more effective doses than high-street Omega-3 supplements (the story of capsules versus oils is one for another day!).

So...is there a problem with supplements?

Absolutely not! Supplements enhance nutrition. They fill in the gaps that a healthy diet cannot. They do not, however, take away the need for a nutritious, balanced diet. They may not be vital to survival, but they are a convenient way to ensure that the mind and body function in the healthiest way possible! Our supplements have been created to target 'all round health', and our overall aim at Hence is to offer supplements to cover all bases, for all people, with no expense spared; to help you Get More from today and Achieve More tomorrow.

Get More. Get Hence.

Why Supplements needed improving.