Why Most Supplements Are a WASTE of Money (And What Actually Works) : 1291
The Human Upgrade with Dave Asprey
Dave Asprey
4.6 • 7.3K Ratings
🗓️ 13 June 2025
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Most supplements don’t work, and this episode reveals why. You’ll learn how to stop wasting money on “expensive pee,” how to spot marketing lies on labels, and which ingredients actually move the needle for energy, focus, and longevity.
Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience:
https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR
Host Dave Asprey sits down with Jeff Boyd, founder of MTE and a leader in the new wave of performance supplements. With a background in data-driven wellness and a decade of experience optimizing human performance without caffeine or sugar, Jeff breaks down the science of nootropics, adaptogens, and smart nutrient stacking. His work focuses on self-quantification, nervous system regulation, and sustainable energy for founders, athletes, and high performers.
Together, they explore why 85% of supplements are designed to fail, how to activate mitochondria for real results, and what it means to biohack your biology smarter, not harder. This isn’t just about supplements. It’s about reclaiming your energy, upgrading your brain, and aligning your stack with how your body actually works. You’ll also hear how fasting, sleep optimization, and even subtle neurohacking protocols support long-term resilience and better decision-making.
You’ll Learn:
• The real reason most supplements don’t absorb and how to fix it
• How to build a caffeine-free stack that fuels energy, mood, and clarity
• The latest in adaptogens, nootropics, and functional medicine
• How to align your supplement timing with circadian biology and ketosis
• Why “clean labels” often mean nothing
• How emotional regulation and neurotransmitters shape performance
• Tools for self-quantification and supplement personalization
This is essential listening for anyone serious about biohacking, longevity, smarter supplementation, mitochondrial health, sleep optimization, emotional resilience, and conscious human performance.
Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.
Episodes are released every Tuesday and Thursday, where Dave asks questions no one else dares and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.
Resources:
• Dave Asprey’s New Book - Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/
• MTE website – www.getmte.com
• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com
• Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com
• Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey
• Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com
• Own an Upgrade Labs: https://ownanupgradelabs.com
• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com
• 40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement: https://40yearsofzen.com
Timestamps:
• 00:00 Trailer
• 01:13 Saffron Benefits
• 02:26 Medicinal Herbs
• 04:12 Supplement Formulation
• 13:16 Theanine & GABA
• 20:06 Adaptogens & Performance
• 23:23 Stress & Muscle Growth
• 24:03 Parenting & Energy
• 27:47 Nervous System for Kids
• 35:15 Sleep for Families
• 36:41 Wrap-Up & Offers
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | I think that adaptogens are generally good. |
| 0:03.0 | If you're blocking your cortisol and blocking your stress response entirely, |
| 0:07.6 | that's not an adaptogen. That's a sedative. |
| 0:09.8 | I love adaptogens. |
| 0:11.0 | They get their name from helping your body adapt to the stresses of life. |
| 0:15.0 | Cool thing about adaptogens is they'll help you rev up or rev down. |
| 0:18.7 | So they're very dynamic. |
| 0:20.3 | It's kind of an overused term. |
| 0:21.9 | Like there really aren't as many adaptogens as people claim. |
| 0:24.9 | There's so many supplements out there with merit that you don't feel. |
| 0:28.2 | There are definitely some that have metals, some that don't have the right ingredients. |
| 0:33.1 | And if you go to Amazon, at least half are not real. |
| 0:36.3 | They're counterfeit. |
| 0:37.1 | I just read yesterday that like 80% of supplements out there just crap on Amazon. |
| 0:42.9 | Anywhere. |
| 0:43.5 | How do you know when you look at a brand, whether it's a scammer brand or a real brand? |
| 0:48.9 | You're listening to The Human Upgrade with Dave Asprey. |
| 0:55.1 | You have done something interesting. It was so I want to have you on the show, where you're |
| 1:00.1 | looking at what is the combination of things you could do in the morning that makes people |
| 1:04.6 | feel really good. |
| 1:05.8 | This has been my obsession for 30 years because I didn't feel good. |
| 1:09.8 | And you used some really unusual things. |
... |
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