I went down a rabbit hole this week.

It started with a podcast, two scientists talking about a study that stopped me in my tracks. I replayed it twice. Then I went and pulled the actual research. Then I kept going, reading around it, checking the numbers, understanding the context. A couple of hours later I surfaced and thought – I have to share this.

The study is called the DO HEALTH trial. It ran for three years across five European countries, with over 2,000 participants. The researchers wanted to know what happened when you combined three simple, affordable interventions: vitamin D supplementation, omega-3 fatty acids, and a basic home resistance exercise programme.

The result? A 61% reduction in invasive cancer risk when all three were combined.

Sixty-one percent.

I sat with that number for a while. Because we live in a world where we’re constantly chasing complex, expensive solutions to enormous problems. And here’s a peer-reviewed, randomised controlled trial, one of the most rigorous forms of evidence we have, suggesting that three things most people could start this week might cut their risk of invasive cancer by more than half.

The reason I was so struck by it, honestly, is that I already do all three. Have done for years. Not because of this study, I didn’t know it existed until this week, but because the evidence base for each of them has always stacked up. Seeing them validated together like this felt like a significant moment.

A quick note before I go further: this study was in adults aged 70 and over. We can’t say with certainty it applies to younger populations in the same way. But the mechanisms, how these things work in the body, are well understood and relevant at any age. The direction of travel is clear.

Beyond the cancer research, I’d argue vitamin D and omega-3 are essential for almost everyone regardless. Unless you live somewhere sunny year round and eat lorry loads of oily fish every single day, there’s a very strong chance you’re deficient in both. Most people in the UK are walking around with low vitamin D and have no idea. The benefits of both extend far beyond any single study too, brain health, heart health, immune function, mood, inflammation. The list genuinely goes on. And resistance training? I’d put that in the same category as sleep and nutrition. Not optional. Non-negotiable. The study just gives us another compelling reason to do what we probably should have been doing anyway.

Which got me thinking about supplements more broadly

Because here’s the thing. Supplements are a complete minefield for most people. Walk into any health shop, open any fitness app, and you’re bombarded with hundreds of products, wild claims, and enough conflicting advice to make your head spin.

It doesn’t need to be that complicated.

After years of trial, error, research, and genuinely paying attention to how my body responds, I’ve landed on a core stack I recommend to almost everyone — and then a few additional ones I take personally based on my own circumstances. Let me break it down cleanly.

The ones I recommend to everyone

Creatine. And yes, I mean everyone, including women, perhaps especially women. Women have a lower natural capacity to store creatine than men, which means they often see significant benefits from supplementation. The evidence base here is enormous: muscle function, cognitive performance, recovery. It’s one of the most studied supplements in existence. Don’t overthink it, just take it.

A decent multivitamin. I know the argument, “they are expensive urine.” Maybe. But most people don’t eat perfectly every day, and a good multi is cheap insurance in my opinion. I think covering your bases makes sense. It won’t transform your health on its own, but it fills gaps. I’d rather have it and not need it.

High-strength omega-3. This one matters, and it matters in the right dose. The study I mentioned used 1g daily, but most serious recommendations for meaningful health benefits point to 2–3g of combined EPA and DHA. Here’s the issue with capsules: you’d need a lot of them to hit that. My approach is to just take the oil. I mix it with water and a vitamin C effervescent — cuts through the taste completely. Look for the EPA and DHA content on the label, not just the total fish oil number. That’s the bit that matters.

Vitamin D3 and this is one where the form really does matter. I take mine as drops combined with K2, and here’s why. Vitamin D3 increases calcium absorption in the body, which is exactly what you want. But without K2, that calcium can end up in the wrong places, your arteries rather than your bones. K2 acts as the traffic director, making sure the calcium goes where it’s supposed to go. Drops are also preferable to tablets because vitamin D is fat soluble, meaning it absorbs far better in liquid form. It’s a small detail but worth getting right. This is one supplement where I’d really say don’t just grab the cheapest option off the shelf, get a good quality D3/K2 drop and you’re sorted.

Magnesium glycinate and zinc before bed. Most people are deficient in magnesium and don’t know it. The glycinate form is well absorbed and gentle on the stomach. Combine it with zinc before bed and you’ll notice the difference in sleep quality and recovery. It’s become non-negotiable for me.

That’s the core stack. You don’t need a cupboard full of supplements. You need the right ones in the right forms at the right doses. Quality over quantity, always.

My personal additions, and why I’m transparent about the difference

The following are things I take based on my own situation, my training load, and my specific needs. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend these to everyone, but I want to be honest about what I actually do, and why.

Ashwagandha. I run multiple businesses. The stress is real. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen with a solid body of research behind it for cortisol regulation and stress response. I feel the difference when I take it consistently. It’s not a magic bullet, but it’s part of how I manage the pressure.

High-strength turmeric with black pepper. This one started after I pulled my back badly a few years ago. I felt the anti-inflammatory effects and kept going with it. I train a lot, so the inflammation support feels relevant. Could some of it be placebo? Honestly, maybe. But I genuinely feel it works for me, and the research on curcumin is promising. The black pepper is essential — without piperine, your body barely absorbs turmeric at all.

Ubiquinol. This is the bioavailable form of CoQ10, which plays a direct role in mitochondrial health and energy production at a cellular level. Given how much I train and what I ask of my body, this makes sense for me. It’s one of those supplements where the science is solid but the benefit is subtle — you probably won’t feel it overnight.

Beta-alanine. I’m a runner. Beta-alanine helps buffer lactic acid, which delays muscular fatigue during sustained effort. If you run or do endurance work, it’s worth looking into. If you don’t, it’s probably not for you.

The bottom line

The DO HEALTH study isn’t telling us that three supplements and some home workouts make us invincible. What it’s telling us is that simple, consistent, affordable habits, done together, done over time, can have an impact that most people would associate only with pharmaceutical interventions.

That’s the message I keep coming back to. It’s not complicated. It’s not expensive. It’s not exclusive.

Resistance train. Take your omega-3 in a meaningful dose. Get your vitamin D. Cover your bases with a good multi and some magnesium before bed. Stack the simple things consistently, and let time do its work.

The compounding effect of good habits is real, in health, exactly as it is everywhere else.

As always, none of this is medical advice. Do your own research, talk to a professional if you have specific health concerns, and be a critical consumer of what you read, including this. But don’t let the noise put you off the signal. The signal here is strong.