The Limits of Supplements: Bioavailability, Signaling, and Whole-Food Biology
How Whole Foods and Physiology Outperform Pills in Supporting Nutrition and Health
Kendall Toerner
Published: December 16, 2025
Supplements are marketed as health insurance.
If something is wrong, take a pill.
If you feel off, add another one.
If levels are low, replace them directly.
This sounds logical, but it ignores how the body actually works.
Human biology is not designed to be adjusted one isolated molecule at a time. It is designed to respond to environmental signals. When those signals are correct, nutrients regulate themselves. When they are wrong, supplements often create new imbalances.
The Body Is a Self-Regulating System
In healthy conditions, the body maintains balance on its own.
Minerals, hormones, neurotransmitters, and enzymes are tightly regulated by:
- Light exposure
- Temperature
- Timing of food
- Energy availability
When these signals are aligned, levels adjust naturally. When they are not, forcing levels with supplements bypasses regulation instead of restoring it.
This is why supplement effects often feel unpredictable.
Supplements Treat Numbers, Not Causes
Most supplement use begins with a lab value.
Low vitamin D.
Low magnesium.
Low iron.
But lab values reflect environmental context, not just deficiency.
Low vitamin D often reflects:
- Lack of sunlight
- Poor mitochondrial signaling
- Circadian disruption
Taking vitamin D does not fix those inputs. It changes a number while leaving the cause intact.
The body notices.
Isolated Nutrients Create Imbalances
In nature, nutrients come in ratios.
Minerals balance other minerals.
Vitamins work in networks.
Fats carry signals, not just calories.
Supplements isolate one component and amplify it.
This often leads to:
- One deficiency improving while another worsens
- Increased demand for cofactors
- New symptoms that didnât exist before
For example, adding one mineral can increase loss of another. Raising one hormone can suppress others. These effects are not side effects. They are predictable consequences of bypassing regulation.
Supplements Bypass Timing Signals
Timing matters.
Many nutrients are meant to rise and fall with:
- Light and darkness
- Seasons
- Activity levels
Supplements flatten these rhythms.
Taking the same dose every day ignores:
- Circadian timing
- Seasonal variation
- Environmental context
This creates constant signaling when biology expects fluctuation. Over time, this dulls responsiveness.
Supplements Increase Dependence, Not Resilience
When a supplement works, people often feel worse without it.
Thatâs a warning sign.
It means the body is adapting to the external input instead of restoring internal regulation. Over time:
- Endogenous production decreases
- Sensitivity changes
- Higher doses are needed
This is not healing. It is substitution.
Most Deficiencies Are Environmental, Not Nutritional
True dietary deficiencies are rare in modern societies.
Whatâs common is poor utilization.
Light mismatch, EMF exposure, poor sleep, dehydration, and mitochondrial inefficiency prevent nutrients from being used properly.
In these cases, adding more does not help. It increases waste and stress.
Fix the signal, and utilization improves without supplementation.
When Supplements Can Make Sense
Supplements are not evil. They are tools, not foundations.
They can be useful:
- Short-term
- In acute situations
- To bridge modern mismatches
Examples include:
- Temporary use during extreme stress
- Correcting deficiencies caused by artificial environments
- Supporting transitions while fixing upstream causes
The key is intent and duration.
Supplements should be removed, not accumulated.
Why Long-Term Supplement Use Often Backfires
Long-term supplementation assumes the environment will not change.
But biology expects the opposite.
When supplements replace signals like sunlight, cold, or timing:
- Regulation weakens
- Sensitivity drops
- Complexity increases
This is why people on many supplements often feel fragile instead of robust.
What Actually Replaces Supplements
The body prioritizes signals over substances.
Foundational inputs include:
- Natural sunlight
- Darkness at night
- Seasonal temperature exposure
- Proper timing of food
- Stable electrical environments
When these are present, nutrient handling improves automatically.
This reduces the need for supplementation.
Practical Takeaways
If you rely on many supplements, ask why.
Helpful questions:
- What signal am I replacing instead of restoring?
- What happens if I remove this slowly?
- Is this correcting a modern problem or creating a new one?
Focus on environment first. Use supplements only when necessary, briefly, and deliberately.
Closing Perspective
Health does not come from stacking inputs.
It comes from restoring regulation.
Supplements can mask problems, shift numbers, and create temporary relief. They rarely fix root causes.
Fix the environment, and the need for supplements fades.
That is how resilient biology works.
What to read next
Field Notes: Continue Exploring
Explore beyond the framework into implementation.
You can read the public notes here, or become a member to access the full archive of Field Notes:
Consult With Kendall
Deep, Systems-Level Health & Biophysics Strategy
For those seeking clarity over confusion, and depth over surface-level solutions.
The Sunlight Cure
by Kendall Toerner
Preventing Aging and Reversing Disease Through the Epigenetic Signals of Nature