For Felix Hesse, the wake-up call came during years when getting out of bed was his biggest accomplishment of the day. Childhood health complications had left him essentially homebound, watching life pass by while he struggled just to survive.
Today, Hesse runs multiple businesses from Manhattan. The transformation didn’t come from doctors or prescriptions; it came from diving deep into nutritional science and discovering how the right supplements could rebuild what years of illness had taken away. Now he’s turning that hard-won knowledge into Best Supplements, a platform and company he founded designed to cut through the marketing noise plaguing the wellness industry.
“Without good health, it’s almost impossible to succeed in life,” Hesse said, reflecting on the years he lost. “I know because I still spend nearly half my day managing the health issues from my childhood. For some years, I couldn’t do anything beyond basic survival. If I could get that time back and invest it somewhere else, well, I guess I could reach for the stars.”
That frustration fuels his current mission: helping others avoid the trial-and-error nightmare he endured while trying to figure out which supplements actually work and which are expensive placebos.
The supplement industry desperately needs that kind of truth-telling. Recent research in JAMA Network Open exposed how many products don’t contain what their labels promise. The FDA logged over 6,300 adverse event reports tied to dietary supplements in 2023 alone. Meanwhile, Americans spent $177.5 billion on these products last year, according to Grand View Research, often with more hope than evidence guiding their choices.
Hesse discovered firsthand the infrequent alignment between marketing claims and scientific reality. His decade of research in nutritional biochemistry taught him to read peer-reviewed studies, understand bioavailability, and spot quality red flags that most consumers miss. Best Supplements applies those lessons, providing the kind of detailed research breakdowns and third-party testing results he wishes he’d had years ago.
The approach resonates with a growing distrust of supplement marketing. A 2024 Pew Research Center study found 68% of supplement buyers now prioritize scientific citations over celebrity endorsements.
People want proof, not promises. The Council for Responsible Nutrition reports that 77% of Americans take supplements, but many do so while questioning whether they’re wasting money on products that might not deliver.
Hesse operates from both Manhattan and Dresden, Germany, reflecting his international perspective on wellness quality standards. His products come from FDA-registered facilities following Good Manufacturing Practice protocols, the kind of verified safety standards he had to dig for during his own health journey.
His story echoes other patient-turned-entrepreneur ventures that have disrupted the supplement space. Thorne Research began with a physician’s frustration. Pure encapsulations emerged when clinical practitioners demanded better options for patients. These founder-driven companies have steadily pulled market share from legacy vitamin brands by prioritizing evidence over advertising budgets.
The timing aligns with regulatory momentum. The FDA’s 2023 guidance on supplement labeling signals growing pressure for industry-wide transparency improvements. Hesse’s documentation-heavy model positions him ahead of likely regulatory changes rather than scrambling to catch up later.
For someone who spent years unable to function normally, Hesse has built an unexpected second act. His health still demands significant daily management, a constant reminder of what motivated this work. But that limitation has become his competitive advantage; he understands what’s at stake when people search for solutions to health problems that steal their time, energy, and possibilities.
“That’s why I made it my mission to help other people get their health back or even improve it,” Hesse said. In an industry built on exaggerated claims and opaque sourcing, he’s betting that honesty might actually be revolutionary.
About Felix Hesse
Felix Hesse is an entrepreneur and wellness advocate who overcame debilitating childhood health complications through nutritional science research. Based in Manhattan, New York, with operations in Dresden, Germany, he founded Best Supplements in 2024 to provide transparency and scientific rigor to supplement selection. His work focuses on consumer education and evidence-based wellness approaches drawn from his personal health transformation journey. Offices are located at 100 Park Ave, Manhattan, NY 10017, USA, and Wiener Str. 46, 01069 Dresden, Germany.