Supplements are not created equal

Hello universe!  Let’s talk about supplements shall we?

This is what I get asked about the most.  Which supplements should I be taking?  Should I be taking a multi-vitamin/mineral?

I know it can be so frustrating trying to figure it all out.  I always recommend turning to food first for your good dose of vitamins and minerals. Whole, real food is the best source of nutrition.  A balanced diet should provide all the macro/micronutrients your body requires.  But I do know that is not always so simple to do.  You may be following a strict diet or have food allergies which means you are missing out on some nutrients.  Whatever the reason, nutritional supplements are not a replacement for real food but they can help fill the gap between the nutrients you consume and the nutrients your body needs! 

Not all supplements are created equal though!  I always have my clients bring in their supplements of what they are taking so I can read the ingredients with a fine tooth comb.  It’s amazing all the stuff that’s in them.  And at the same time, I’ll have my clients tell me how bloated they are or the heartburn they get or the gas they have.  It’s because of what is in these supplements.  Ugh.  I know they think they’re doing a good thing taking these supplements but not all are made equal.

Here is a list of what to look out for.  They don’t show up in the part where they list the vitamins and minerals, they put them towards the bottom where it usually says “other ingredients.”  Sneaky….

  • Artificial Colors like FD&C with colors and numbers listed are considered neurotoxins.
  • Hydrogenated oils.
  • Magnesium Stearate (unless it’s a vegetable source).
  • Titanium Dioxide
  • Maltodextrin
  • Citric Acid
  • Dextrose
  • Soybean oil

I’m sure there are others out there and new ones making their way in that I’ve missed!

The best nutritional supplements are the ones that are plant based.  There is a difference between nutrients naturally found in food and ones that are synthetically produced in a lab.  I only recommend food sourced supplements by reputable brands and who are transparent about how they are made, their methods, and who adhere to the highest industry standards.

If the mineral in your multi-vitamin/mineral is bound to glycinate, citrate, or aspartate, it is more likely to be well absorbed and used by your body.

Some mineral compounds to AVOID:

  • Calcium Carbonate
  • Calcium Phosphate
  • Iron Sulphate
  • Magnesium Carbonate
  • Magnesium Oxide
  • Magnesium Phosphate
  • Magnesium Sulphate
  • Zinc Sulphate

Mineral compounds to look for:

  • Calcium citrate
  • Calcium glycinate
  • Iron glycinate
  • Magnesium amino acid chelate
  • Magnesium aspartate
  • Magnesium citrate
  • Magnesium glycinate
  • Zinc glycinate

In reality, plants are designed to ingest and break-down minerals, humans are not.  That is why companies don’t put in 100% daily values in the pills for minerals, only vitamins, as it can lead to toxicity concerns.  Foods do not naturally contain minerals bound to substances such as carbonates, oxides, phosphates, etc.  So when supplementing, only supplement with ones made from food, not synthetic versions.

Calcium for instance should be mainly from food.  Studies have shown that calcium supplementation has lead to heart attacks due to too much in the blood stream floating around.  The chemical elements that build our body must be in biochemical, life-producing form.  They must come to us as food, grown from the soils of the earth.  No one ever just lacks one element.  We don’t have a food that contains only one element!  Calcium and other minerals need help being absorbed and real, whole food helps to provide the helpers that calcium and other minerals need.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about the supplements you are taking or are thinking of taking!

To your health~

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