SUPPLEMENTS…should I be taking them?

If so, what should I be taking, and what am I taking them for?

These are questions I hear every day, and it is one of the areas of health and wellness I love talking about the most!

The truth is supplements are not an essential component of living a healthy lifestyle, IF your diet checks all the boxes for meeting your nutritional needs.

There are several reasons why investing in a laundry list of supplements may not be for you. However, for many of these same reasons, supplementing your nutrition may help fill gaps where your diet is lacking.

For example, due to the rise in the cost of food many of us have resorted to lesser quality, cheaper sources of food. This is understandable, but results in the consumption of foods lacking the nutrients we need to maintain our health.

Due to various reasons, such as poor soil quality, commercial methods of raising livestock, and pollution of water sources, the foods we consume are lacking the nutrients we need to survive.

Supplements can help us fill this void to ensure our bodies are getting the necessary nutrients.

This topic is too widespread to cover in one post, so I’m excited to dive deep into this topic over the next series of blog and social media posts to help unravel any questions you may have in this area.

To start the series we’re going to touch on what I consider, according to research and basic nutritional needs, are the 5 essential supplements we all should be taking to help fill the gaps in our nutritional profile.

The 5 Essential Supplements are:

Multivitamin

Contrary to popular belief not all supplements are equal, and this is especially the case when it comes to a high-quality multivitamin.

Many of the popular box stores, like Walmart and Walgreens, carry better quality supplements these days, but also offer generic versions which contain lesser quality ingredients and fillers.

The problem with this is the money we spend on these supplements may be literally being flushed down the toilet. As the saying goes, “You get what you pay for.”

Absorption rates of these lesser-quality supplements are highly correlated to the quality and source of the supplement.

However, with a high-quality multivitamin, your body will absorb it better and make better use of the nutrients. A good rule of thumb when shopping for supplements is to look for a pharmaceutical-grade

Probiotic

70% of our immune system is located within the digestive tract, therefore having a strong immune system depends greatly on a healthy gut microbiome by boosting the amount of beneficial bacteria.

Other than supplements, probiotics are found in fermented foods (like sauerkraut, tempeh, and miso), as well as drinks like kombucha.

Omega-3s

Fatty acids are building blocks for fat molecules and serve many important biological functions, such as maintenance of cell membranes and absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins like A and D. Fatty fish is a primary food source, but fish oil, cod liver oil, and krill oil are quality sources of omega-3s, as well.

Vitamin D3 with K2

The absorption of sunlight through our skin is the primary source of Vitamin D manufacturing in our bodies. In the winter months, with less exposure to sunlight, we are more susceptible to Vitamin D deficiency, which has many consequences on our health.

Bone and mental health are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the importance of Vitamin D to our health and wellness.

Magnesium

According to research, 80% of the population is deficient in magnesium!

Magnesium has many important functions in our bodies, and is arguably the most important mineral in the body.

Physiologically, Magnesium is necessary for muscles to relax. Therefore, if you suffer from chronically tight shoulders, or “hold your stress” there, supplementing with magnesium may help with managing said stress.

Magnesium is also important for digestion, so if you suffer from chronic constipation, supplementing with magnesium may be beneficial.

However, magnesium supplements come in various forms. In fact, there are seven different forms of magnesium!

Magnesium needs its own separate article to hash out what the benefits of each is. Due to the various consequences magnesium deficiency can have on our health, I will dive deep with a separate post dedicated to the benefits of supplementing with magnesium.

As this is an overview, in subsequent posts I will go into more detail on these and other supplements and recommend ideal dosages and where to find the best quality supplements.

Stay tuned!

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Family Chiropractic and Wellness in Columbus, Indiana