Five Foundation Supplements EVERYONE Should Be Taking

Unless you eat wild, fresh, whole, organic, local, non-genetically modified food grown in virgin mineral and nutrient-rich soils AND that food is not transported across the world and stored for months before being eaten AND you sleep nine hours every night, AND you only drink pure water AND you are free from chronic stress, AND…. ok, by now, you get it,

its nearly impossible to have the “perfect” diet and you are probably deficient in some vitamins and minerals.

A study of 3 million people revealed less than 1% of participants were getting their recommended daily vitamins and minerals from diet alone (Fletcher & Fairfield, 2002) and over half of American adults have a chronic diet-related disease (United States Department of Agriculture, 2015). What you consume, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies can put you at risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and colon and breast cancer.

Just like eating healthy and knowing where your food comes from, getting your supplements from a reputable company can make a big difference as well. The best way to ensure you are getting what is right for you is getting your supplements from a health care provider that can discuss them with you. QUALITY and BIO-AVAILABILITY is the difference between what you can get at GNC and Walmart compared to pharmaceutical-grade supplements you can get from a healthcare provider. There are five (5) supplements everyone could benefit from taking to ensure they are getting the proper nutrients.

1) Multi-vitamin/mineral

Taking a quality multi-vitamin is going to help make up for deficiencies in our diet. Over half the U.S. population is deficient in calcium, folate, magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin E and many others are deficient in others including iron, vitamin C, zinc, and vitamins B6 & B12 (United States Department of Agriculture, 2009). Vitamins and minerals are necessary for our bodies to function normally. Certain prescription medications cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies when taken for extended periods. The U.S population is already not getting the nutrients needed in food alone and adding into the equation the amount of prescriptions taken amplifies the problem. The American Medical Association recommends that all adults take one multivitamin daily. By taking a daily multi-vitamin, you are ensuring your body is getting the vitamins and nutrients it needs.

2) Omega 3/6 Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids cannot be synthesized in the body but they are required for maintenance of optimal health. By taking a supplement rich in omega 3/6 fatty acids, you are helping decrease inflammation in your body and improving brain health and function. DHA accounts for 40% of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in your brain and 60% in the retina of your eye. Taking a supplement like fish oil, you are maintaining the health of your brain and your eyes. There are a lot more benefits that omega fatty acids provide and we would be happy to discuss other ways adding this into your diet can improve your overall health. If you hate taking fish oil because of “the fish burps”, try freezing your oil or try our fish oil we offer that is naturally flavored with lemon.

3) Vitamin D3 with K2

Vitamin D is something we can only get from the sun unless it is taken in supplemental form. Vitamin D helps maintain bone strength by allowing them to absorb calcium from food and supplements. In order to maintain healthy levels of vitamin D, you need to spend at least 15 minutes in direct sun exposure with 60% skin area exposed, at least five times per week. The problem is, we live in Wisconsin where for about half the year, the sun isn’t strong enough to produce vitamin D from sun exposure and our skin is almost completely covered. While Vitamin D alone is beneficial, vitamin D with K2 helps promote a healthy calcium balance in the body by directing calcium where it needs to go. Vitamin D helps take calcium from the gut, to the blood, to the bone and vitamin K helps direct calcium away from soft tissue where it hardens them and makes them brittle. Vitamin K helps calcium stay in the bones which maintains skeletal and joint health.

4) Probiotic

Probiotics, simply put, help with digestive health. Think of your gut as a parking lot. The parking spaces represent the gut lining. The gut lining is where bacteria bind to and colonize. When you take an antibiotic, all of the good bacteria die off with the bad ones, emptying the parking lot. Those empty parking spaces are now available for bad bacteria to bind and colonize. This is a problem because those bacteria produce toxins that get into your bloodstream and trigger inflammation. The next issue is now all of the parking spots are full with bad bacteria, leaving no spaces for good bacteria. Probiotics are important for keeping the parking spots full with good bacteria, however if your gut is full of bad bacteria, the good bacteria AKA probiotics, have nowhere to bind. Rebuilding gut health requires supporting the gut lining, removing bad bacteria, and replenishing good bacteria.

5) Plant Nutrient Supplement

A good plant nutrient supplement contains blends of “superfoods” like spinach, kale, broccoli, etc. to provide you with antioxidant benefits, support your immune system, help alkalize and detoxify and aid your body in digestion. Other benefits of supplementing plant nutrients in your diet can include increased energy and can help burn fat as well. This is a great way to get all of the benefits from eating vegetables and other superfoods by supplementing a plant nutrient mix that is (usually) mixed with water. Our favorite way to drink our chocolate-flavored plant nutrient is in a smoothie (recipe below). It’s a delicious, healthy and satisfying way to start off your morning.

1 – 1 & 1/2 cups Milk of choice (we use almond milk)

2 TBSP of Peanut Butter or PB Fit

1 Frozen Banana

1 scoop of NutriDyn Chocolate Fruits and Greens

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

If you would like to know what supplements we offer in our office, or have any questions about any of the listed or other supplements, feel free to call us or stop in to our office.

*Disclaimer: You should always consult a licensed healthcare professional before you begin taking any new supplements. All recommendations in our office are based on individual needs of the patient. This information is not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.