The Wellness Mama Podcast Take Daily: How Supplements Hijack Our Health with Robyn Openshaw
Jan 19, 2026
Robyn Openshaw, an author and health researcher known for her work on nutrition, digs deep into the supplement industry. She challenges the popular narratives around common supplements like vitamin D, revealing that what we think we know might be misleading. Robyn discusses the dangers of synthetic B vitamins and the rancidity issues plaguing fish oil products. She argues that while many supplements are ineffective, minerals represent one true deficiency story, ultimately advocating for a return to whole foods and natural health practices.
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Childhood Moment That Sparked Skepticism
- Robyn Openshaw recalled being a child forced to take a deep cup of supplements and once left them in her desk, causing police to be called for suspected drugs.
- That early experience shaped her lifelong skepticism about pills and supplement culture.
Vitamin D Testing Can Be Misleading
- The common 25D vitamin D lab test (cholecalciferol) can mislead people into a deficiency narrative while missing usable D metabolites.
- Robyn argues cholecalciferol is chemically derived and not equivalent to the complex secosteroid hormones made by sun exposure.
Test Deeper Before Taking Vitamin D
- Check both 25D and 1,25D labs and question cholecalciferol supplementation instead of accepting a single 25D number.
- Seek informed consent and research ingredients before routinely taking prescribed vitamin D or practitioner-recommended formulas.
