Essential Supplements for Everyone
Even those with the healthiest diet are likely low in some key vitamins and minerals.
Trying to figure out which supplements to take can be overwhelming. While I don’t suggest people try to figure out their own deficiencies or insufficiencies without the help of a highly trained practitioner, there are some nutrients that almost everyone is low in, regardless of whether they eat a standard American diet, or cook meals made from whole foods on the regular.
Multivitamins are trash.
Yep, I said what I said.
Even high quality multivitamins aren’t a good catch-all. One of the main issues with using a multivitamin is that they don’t contain therapeutic doses of any of the nutrients contained in them, so you’ll have a difficult time raising your levels at all.
The other big issue is that most of them contain minerals and vitamins that can be highly problematic if you already have high levels- calcium and copper being the main ones. If an individual has high levels of calcium or copper -or both, they are often high in tandem- taking more of these minerals on a daily basis can lead to a worsening of symptoms associated with increased levels.
If you are reaching for the cheaper brands, it’s likely there are synthetic nutrients being used- versions such as folic acid rather than methylfolate or even a folinic acid. B12 is often in the form of cyancobalamin instead of a methyl- or adenosylcobalamin. What this means is that your body won’t absorb and utilize the synthetic versions as well as the methylated version. In some individuals, taking a synthetic version can actually cause more issues than not supplementing at all- this is usually associated with an MTHFR mutation. You can learn more about that by reading my blog “What the MTHFR?!”.
However, there are some single nutrients and even a couple nutrient complexes that would be beneficial to almost everyone.
Multivitamins don’t contain therapeutic doses of nutrients
The form of the nutrient in your supplement is extremely important
Magnesium, Potassium, Boron, Vitamin C, and Omega-3s are safe and effective for most people
Nutrients We All Need
Due to the way in which our industrialized agriculture system works in the United States, foods that would normally be high in Magnesium and Potassium are much lower than they used to be.
This means that even if we eat a diet high in foods containing these nutrients, we are also likely deficient. Considering that Potassium is responsible for keeping the harmony of almost all other minerals in our body in play, and that Magnesium is a cofactor in over 300 different processes in the body, these are two of the most important minerals we need to be supplementing.
Potassium is vital for healthy blood pressure regulation, it helps maintain other minerals (when Potassium is chronically low, Magnesium, Zinc, and Boron become low and Copper and Calcium become high). Potassium also improves insulin sensitivity, and reduces inflammation. Low potassium impairs the ability of the kidneys to reabsorb calcium, which can lead to kidney stones. It can be tough to take from a supplement standpoint- including foods like acorn squash, green vegetable juices, and coconut water can help to increase your daily intake. I am also partial to electrolyte supplements with high levels of potassium. Redmond ReLyte is my favorite, as it has 500mg of potassium per serving! For supplementation, 1000mg per day is recommended.
Magnesium improves glucose regulation, lowers oxidative stress, modulates adrenal response, regulates thyroid hormone, enables melatonin and dopamine production, and balances the immune response. This is just a short list of the variety of processes magnesium contributes to. Magnesium L-Threonate or Magnesium glycinate are the most absorbable forms to supplement with. Magnesium L-threonate will cross the blood brain barrier and is helpful with combatting anxiety and insomnia. Forms like Magnesium citrate are poorly absorbed and can cause GI upset if taken in high doses. In general, to raise levels of Magnesium in the cells, you need to supplement with 5mg of Magnesium per pound of body weight.
Boron is a key mineral for proper utilization of calcium, and it’s incredibly common to be low or deficient in this mineral. What this means is that your calcium isn’t going to be used to build or maintain your bone mass. In addition to bone remineralization, Boron is helpful in reducing the risk of cancer, reducing inflammation, and improving cognitive function. Vitamin D is also dependent on Boron as a cofactor for use. Boron can be safely supplemented at 3-5mg per day.
Vitamin C, as we all know, is key for immune health. It’s also a main player in modulating the stress and adrenal responses and keeping us out of chronic fight or flight mode. Low Vitamin C levels impair the absorption of dietary iron, and collagen cannot be formed without proper levels of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is extremely susceptible to breakdown upon exposure to heat, so try getting your C from raw food sources like strawberries. The best way to supplement with Vitamin C is in a Liposomal form. This ensures you won’t experience the GI upset that taking over 1g of C in ascorbic acid form can cause. Supplementing with 1-5g of Vitamin C per day is safe, but even 1-3g is extremely beneficial.
Omega-3 fatty acids are well known for lowering inflammation, but they also play a large role in cognition and preventing brain fog. EPA and DHA are essential for forming hormones, keeping HDL (the good cholesterol) at higher levels, as well as maintaining optimal heart and eye health. Getting enough EPA to ensure delivery of DHA is important as well- DHA can’t cross the blood brain barrier (or the placenta in pregnant women) without enough EPA to escort it over. This is why I like the ProOmega2000 from Nordic Naturals- it provides 2g of Omega 3 fatty acids in a ratio equivalent to what you’d find in nature. If you’re not wild caught eating salmon or tuna at least twice a week, supplementing with a high quality Omega 3 is recommended.
Above and beyond these, I recommend having a highly trained practitioner evaluate your nutrient status. One of the best ways to do so is to utilize a HTMA (hair tissue mineral analysis) test alongside a SpectraCell blood chemistry workup. HTMA analyzes the mineral levels of your soft tissue, while the SpectraCell evaluates the intra-cellular levels of a variety of nutrients. This is important because not all nutrients are able to be measured with just one test, so combining the two really gives you a full breakdown of where individual nutrient deficiencies and insufficiencies lie. If you’d like more info on how to take a deep dive into uncovering your specific nutrient deficiencies, click the “HTMA Discovery Call” button below.
You can easily access the supplements I recommend in this article by clicking the “Essential Nutrients” button below. This will give you access to my Fullscript Supplement Dispensary, where you can also access other practitioner grade supplements at a 15% discount.