Day 297 of 365 - What Vitamins Do You Take?
In one or two other posts, I've made reference to a few of the supplements I take to support my health and wellness. Because I, and a small number of other friends, talk frequently about what we do to positively influence the direction of our well-being in this way, it is not uncommon for us to be asked 'What should I take for...?'
Despite all the newer evidence of the beneficial effects of supplementing our diets with vitamins or other nutritional components, this remains a very controversial topic. The majority of family doctors would still likely tell you that there is absolutely no need to take vitamins or supplements unless some of your lab work shows you have a significant deficiency. That's definitely one way to go for your guidance. The most typical recommendations from that approach would likely be for things like Vitamin B12 or iron. Bear in mind though, that physicians receive very little education in nutrition, unless they choose to do it on their own after graduating, or are in a more alternative medical stream, like a doctor of naturopathy or a doctor of chiropractic.
Sometimes, the general advice might be just to take a multivitamin every day to cover all your bases. There are certainly a lot of those on the market. However, quality and absorbability matters. A lot of testing done in the last decade has shown that many of the hard caplet forms of vitamins never break down in the digestive system, and just pass through. When this news showed up in the mainstream media, it gave rise to the generalized belief that vitamins and supplements in general are a waste of money, promoted by people who are just out to get your hard earned cash.
Because of the different layers of controversy around the topic, I would rarely list off every supplement I take in answer to a question from a friend, because most would be rolling their eyes in disbelief. Honestly, I would have been one of those people rolling my eyes in the past. But, there is that saying that 'when we know better, we do better'. When dealing with my own problematic symptoms, my tendency now is to use nutritional and supplemental strategies first, rather than, say, an over the counter medication. As a result, over the past ten years or so, my regimen of vitamin and supplement use has changed a lot.
Why would we need vitamins or supplements at all? They can support key functions in our body and brain by providing components that we can't get from diet alone. Part of the reason we need targeted supplements is something I've mentioned before. The nutritional quality of our food is simply no longer what it used to be, due to soil depletion and modern farming and food production processes.
If you want to go the route of testing to see where you might be deficient in key nutrients, working with a practitioner like a naturopathic doctor, or some other clinician who has a lot of education in this area, could point you to lab tests more specific than what you would get during your annual physical with your family physician.
However, if you want some pretty safe bet recommendations in general, widely suggested by several experts for both body and brain health, here is a list to consider:
- Magnesium (in an absorbable form) and melatonin for sleep
- Omega 3 Fatty Acids, especially DHA, from either algae or fish sources, as a potent brain support
- B12 and folate (B9) which are commonly deficient, or just take a good quality B complex
- Vitamin D, which plays a role in the function of hundreds of genes
-Turmeric/Curcumin, for its amazing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects
- Probiotics and Prebiotics to support a healthy gut
As far as how I choose my vitamins and supplements, I am guided by the combination of affordability and effect. I spend more on some than others, but would say that in general, I stick to the mid-range price point. Generally, cheap products are cheap quality with a lot of fillers. Once you get to know products you like, you can shop around. Some I buy at at health food store, others at mainstream drug stores and still others online. I watch for sales to avoid paying full price.
Some people still might think that I'm wasting my money. I look at it this way. Instead of spending money on daily alcoholic beverages, poor quality take out food or restaurant meals, I choose to spend it on something that supports my health and longevity. I buy real food and cook meals at home. I'm far from perfect, and do sometimes eat snack foods or sweets, or have a glass of wine. More often than not, I want the needle to be pointing to health rather than illness. It's a choice we all get to make for ourselves.
Despite all the newer evidence of the beneficial effects of supplementing our diets with vitamins or other nutritional components, this remains a very controversial topic. The majority of family doctors would still likely tell you that there is absolutely no need to take vitamins or supplements unless some of your lab work shows you have a significant deficiency. That's definitely one way to go for your guidance. The most typical recommendations from that approach would likely be for things like Vitamin B12 or iron. Bear in mind though, that physicians receive very little education in nutrition, unless they choose to do it on their own after graduating, or are in a more alternative medical stream, like a doctor of naturopathy or a doctor of chiropractic.
Sometimes, the general advice might be just to take a multivitamin every day to cover all your bases. There are certainly a lot of those on the market. However, quality and absorbability matters. A lot of testing done in the last decade has shown that many of the hard caplet forms of vitamins never break down in the digestive system, and just pass through. When this news showed up in the mainstream media, it gave rise to the generalized belief that vitamins and supplements in general are a waste of money, promoted by people who are just out to get your hard earned cash.
Because of the different layers of controversy around the topic, I would rarely list off every supplement I take in answer to a question from a friend, because most would be rolling their eyes in disbelief. Honestly, I would have been one of those people rolling my eyes in the past. But, there is that saying that 'when we know better, we do better'. When dealing with my own problematic symptoms, my tendency now is to use nutritional and supplemental strategies first, rather than, say, an over the counter medication. As a result, over the past ten years or so, my regimen of vitamin and supplement use has changed a lot.
Why would we need vitamins or supplements at all? They can support key functions in our body and brain by providing components that we can't get from diet alone. Part of the reason we need targeted supplements is something I've mentioned before. The nutritional quality of our food is simply no longer what it used to be, due to soil depletion and modern farming and food production processes.
If you want to go the route of testing to see where you might be deficient in key nutrients, working with a practitioner like a naturopathic doctor, or some other clinician who has a lot of education in this area, could point you to lab tests more specific than what you would get during your annual physical with your family physician.
However, if you want some pretty safe bet recommendations in general, widely suggested by several experts for both body and brain health, here is a list to consider:
- Magnesium (in an absorbable form) and melatonin for sleep
- Omega 3 Fatty Acids, especially DHA, from either algae or fish sources, as a potent brain support
- B12 and folate (B9) which are commonly deficient, or just take a good quality B complex
- Vitamin D, which plays a role in the function of hundreds of genes
-Turmeric/Curcumin, for its amazing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects
- Probiotics and Prebiotics to support a healthy gut
As far as how I choose my vitamins and supplements, I am guided by the combination of affordability and effect. I spend more on some than others, but would say that in general, I stick to the mid-range price point. Generally, cheap products are cheap quality with a lot of fillers. Once you get to know products you like, you can shop around. Some I buy at at health food store, others at mainstream drug stores and still others online. I watch for sales to avoid paying full price.
Some people still might think that I'm wasting my money. I look at it this way. Instead of spending money on daily alcoholic beverages, poor quality take out food or restaurant meals, I choose to spend it on something that supports my health and longevity. I buy real food and cook meals at home. I'm far from perfect, and do sometimes eat snack foods or sweets, or have a glass of wine. More often than not, I want the needle to be pointing to health rather than illness. It's a choice we all get to make for ourselves.
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