By Brooks Laber D.C.
When it comes to supplements I get asked all the time, which supplements are the best bang for my buck? As always my first response is that most of your nutrients should come from a well-balanced diet consisting mainly of vegetables, fruits, high quality meats, nuts, seeds, and with minimal processed foods. If you looking to cover your basis my top 3 supplements would be as follows.
1) Fermented cod liver oil/Butter oil, or a high quality fish oil: Our food supply today is loaded with pro-inflammatory omega 6 fats, and lacks omega 3 fats which has been linked to conditions like: heart disease, cancer, depression, bi-polar disorder, diabetes, and a plethora of other conditions. Taking a fish oil or fermented cod liver oil can greatly help with all the conditions noted above. One advantage with the fermented cod liver oil/butter oil over the fish oil is that it contains more of the vitamins A, D, E, and K2 that are scarce in modern day diets. It also contains CoQ10 which has known anti-tumor, anti-microbacterial, and anti-cardiovascular disease properties.
When thinking about starting a fish oil or cod liver oil, quality is key! For beginners find a source that is GMP certified, after this if you can find 3rd parting testing to insure purity and quality would be a great start. For fish oil I use the metagenics fish oils, which are triple GMP certified and are of the highest quality. If you’re interested in fermented cod liver oil/butter oil the only source that uses cold-processed form, which doesn’t damage the vitamins or the omega 3 fats, is from Green Pasture.
2) Vitamin D3: We live in an area where we receive no Vitamin D production from about October to May, due to cold weather and the angle of the sun rays during these months. Supplementation during the winter has been proven to be more effective than a flu shot for the flu. Low levels of D3 have been linked to depression, diabetes, cancers, heart disease, auto-immune disease, and even fibromyalgia.
Vitamin D regulates blood pressure, reduces stress and tension, relieves body aches and pains by reducing muscle spasms, reduces respiratory infections, helps in differentiation of the cells, aids in insulin secretion, helps fight depression, improves overall skin health by reducing wrinkles, makes skin soft, strong, and smooth, and improves cardiovascular strength by providing a protective lining for the blood vessels.
So how much D3 to you need to supplement during the winter? For most I recommend a dose of between 4000, to 5000 a day, with the goal of having your Vitamin D levels around 60-80. The best way to check your D3 levels is by having your regular physician take a simple blood test to see where you’re at.
3) Probiotics: Probiotics are a type of living bacteria that actually benefit your health when taken in the appropriate amounts. This friendly bacteria, located in the gastrointestinal tract is essential for health and wellness. These bacteria act as balancing agents for non-friendly, pathogenic, gut-bacteria such as Candida or E. coli. When the “good-guys” are not present enough, a number of bacteria-related health problems such as digestive upset, headaches, sluggishness, irritability, candidiasis (an overgrowth of the bacteria Candida albicans), and even anxiety can occur.
The following health benefits are associated with the intake of daily servings of probiotics: enhanced immune system response, prevents eczema, digesting food, reduces incidence of yeast infections, and candidiasis, alleviates constipation, diarrhea, IBS, and promotes anti-tumor and anti-cancer activity. Starting a daily high quality probiotic is a great way to get back on the track to health and wellness.
In addition to the top 3 supplements, others that I would consider looking into include, Folate/B12, high quality multi vitamin, and a CoQ10 supplement. If you have any questions about supplements or where to find them give us a call at (952) 456-6611.