While many people are of the mindset that they can get every nutrient they need from their diet alone, this truly isn’t possible. The amount of food variety and consumption makes this virtually impossible. For that reason, many people look for supplements to fill in any nutritional gaps as well as to help them live a healthy and active lifestyle. One question that comes up quite often is whether or not you should cycle supplements?
For the most part, health supplements don’t need to be cycled. However, there are some ingredients that could cause you to want to cycle supplements rather than taking the same thing daily for the entirety of a year.
In this article, we will help answer if you should cycle supplements and how in doing so, you may be able to better optimize your results and benefits.
Let’s dive in!
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition or disease. You should always speak with your doctor before including any new supplements into your nutrition and supplement regimen to ensure you are healthy enough to do so and that they will not interact with any medications or drugs you may currently be using. Supplements should never supersede a doctor’s prescription and guidance.
What Does It Mean to Cycle Supplements?
The meaning of cycle supplements is precisely what you would imagine by understanding those two words. To cycle supplements is nothing more than using them for a given period of time and then going off them for a given period of time.
The exact duration of time that you cycle supplements can be dependent on many factors. One is the nature of the product itself, and another could be the seasonality.
To better illustrate this process and the reason are as follows. If you supplement with something that is a stimulant (think along the lines of caffeine), your body will eventually adapt and get used to the effects, causing you to need more to attain the same benefits. In this instance, it may make sense to use a product containing a stimulant for a month or so and then cycle off of it for a few weeks.
On the other hand, you could be looking at something like vitamin D from a seasonality standpoint. You may start supplementing with vitamin D during the colder months due to not getting it naturally from being out in direct sunlight. Then when spring and summer months come along, and you’re outside more, you may cycle off of vitamin D as you’re helping get your recommended dose by exposing yourself and your skin to the sun.
Are There Benefits Associated with Cycling the Supplements You Use?
There are a few key benefits generally associated with cycling supplements. Again, not all supplements need to be cycled, but many, if not most of them, can if you wish to do so.
Below are three main features and reasons you may find it useful to cycle supplements rather than stay on them for long periods of time.
- You’ll be able to give your body a break from having to effectively break down and absorb the nutrients found in the supplements you are taking.
- Your body will not create a dependency or tolerance to the ingredient or supplement, which may cause you to need to take more of the supplement to achieve the same effects and benefits.
- You can avoid building up toxic levels of certain ingredients in your system that could cause some adverse health conditions or negative side effects.
Is There a Specific Way to Cycle Supplements?
The short answer to this is NO. However, there are some supplements that you need to build up in your system to see the best results and benefits from. This can cause users to use a product for 30 days (or more) and then require you to cycle off of it for 30 days (or whatever given timeframe is recommended for a given ingredient or supplement).
Related Article: Proper Storage for Organic Batch Products
Some people will go the route of going on for a few days and then cycle supplements where they go off for a few days each week. Think along the lines of taking a supplement Monday through Friday and then cycling off during the weekends.
As an example of how to cycle supplements, Holistic Bin owner Chris Brown outlines what his week looks like and his routine to cycle supplements that he uses regularly.
Monday through Friday: Morning coffee stack or booster
* Mix in with coffee grinds, add hot water, strain, top off with frothed almond milk, and sweeten to taste with local raw honey.
Saturday and Sunday: Morning matcha stack or booster
- Pine pollen powder
- Coconut fat
- American ginseng powder
- Royal Jelly powder
* Froth the matcha powder along with oat milk and the coconut fat, pour over the remaining powders, and then stir in a touch of local raw honey.
With all of this being said, supplements such as a multivitamin are something that is recommended that you take daily due to the precise micronutrients it contains.
Circling back to what was said earlier, you would need to eat a ton of food in wide varieties to fulfill all your recommended daily micronutrient needs. Utilizing a daily multivitamin can help fill in any nutritional gaps you may have in your diet.
How Do You Know If You REALLY Need to Cycle Your Supplements?
First and foremost, speak to your doctor or pharmacist. A medical professional will be able to help guide you in understanding how to cycle supplements if needed.
As a general rule of thumb, if the supplement is not meant or used to supplement your diet, you should probably be cycling it.
Each of the supplements found in the Holistic Bin family of products will provide you with a recommended way to cycle supplements if necessary. You will either be able to take a product every day, or you will find a five days on, two days off recommended cycle. 
If you ever have any questions about our products and how to cycle supplements available from Holistic Bin, feel free to contact us for assistance.