Sorting Out The Supplements

October 2013 - If the picture to the left looks familiar, daunting and confusing, realize that you are not alone.  You may have heard from various sources, "take this supplement for joint pain",  "take this supplement to boost metabolism", "this one will help you sleep at night", "take this one and live forever!".  Since the FDA does not regulate supplements there are many confusing stories as to who should take what and why.  This article is meant to help you make some sense of vitamin supplements as well as herbal supplements.  We will cover those most often taken from off the shelf such as multivitamins, vitamin C and calcium as well as herbal supplements that are meant to boost brain function, help you sleep and decrease joint pain. 

I'd like to start with Multivitamins.  Who should be taking them?  Everyone!  Even if you eat your daily servings of fruits and vegetables (9-11) you are not getting enough nutrients from food.  Our soil is depleted from over-farming and this decreases the nutrient density of our fruits and vegetables anywhere from 10-25%.  When shopping for a multivitamin look for 100% daily value of the 12 essential vitamins and minerals.  Do not purchase anything with 366% of any vitamin or mineral, you can over dose. Try to buy compressed tablets as opposed to capsules.  Gelatin capsules do not release evenly and you can break tablets in half to spread out your vitamin and mineral intake by taking half in the morning and half in the afternoon.  Multivitamins should be taken with food because the body can not process most vitamins without fat from food.

Calcium: Who should be taking it?  Probably nobody.  It is often believed that we need calcium for strong bones because our bones are made of calcium.  This partly true fact has been perpetuated by the dairy industry to sell more milk.  Why is this partly true?  Our bones and teeth "contain" 99% of the calcium in our bodies but our bones are made up of only 10% calcium.  The other 90% is made of collagen, a protein made up of amino-acids, which are in turn built of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Calcium supplements have also been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks in post-menopausal women.  The truth is, due to crafty advertising, the average American drinks enough milk and eats enough dairy to fulfill the body's requirements twice over.  What about those that do not consume dairy?  There are over 20 non-dairy food sources of calcium including: kale, collard greens, blackstrap molasses, broccoli and oranges.

Vitamin C: Everybody needs vitamin C but should you be getting it from an extra pill?  Let's just C.  (I made a joke.)  Vitamin C is important for the growth and repair of all major tissues in your body.  It is also an antioxidant, important for blocking the damage of free radicals that can lead to cancerous cells.  It is rare to be deficient in Vitamin C, very rare.  However smoking lowers the level of vitamin C in the body.  So smokers should be taking Vitamin C, well smokers should stop smoking but that's an article for another time.  If you are already taking a multivitamin you shouldn't need to take an extra pill.  Here's a tip: if your urine is bright yellow and looks like it could glow in the dark, you have too much vitamin C in your system.  There is no conclusive evidence that taking vitamin C supplements will help or prevent any disease or illness.

Vitamin D: Here's one that I will agree most of us need, with one caveat.  Vitamin D is important to support bone strength, reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, control diabetes and weight, fight autoimmune diseases and skin conditions.  80-90% of the vitamin D we need we get from exposure to sunlight.  A supplement is not needed for most of the year.  It is however strongly suggested to take a supplement from November-April if you live north of the 38th parallel or Atlanta, Georgia. The reason is most people do not spend as much time outside to get enough exposure to the sun during these months.  You can however avoid taking a supplement if you find a way to be outside for fifteen straight minutes in the cold.  This should keep your body producing vitamin D for two days.

Herbal Supplements fill the shelves of most stores and pharmacies as well.  With so many to choose from how do you know which one(s) you need.  Below I will list out some common health issues and the herbal supplements you need to combat them.  If you are taking any medications, talk to your doctor about any possible complications from drug interactions before taking a new herbal supplement.

High Blood Pressure: Hawthorn, an herbal supplement may be taken to lower blood pressure and is shown to lower diastolic numbers.  Valerian root is another supplement shown to reduce blood pressure by calming the nervous system.  Additionally garlic, onion, olives, cinnamon, oregano and cardamom are shown to lower blood pressure.

Arthritis and Osteoarthritis: Reducing inflammation is the key to managing arthritis.  Turmeric has been shown to reduce inflammation and can be taken in pill form as curcumin.  Ginger fights inflammation as well.  These two herbs are found a lot in Indian cooking and there is a no more delicious way to fight arthritis.  In addition boron, bromelain (think pineapple), cayenne, Devil's claw, feverfew, omega-3 fatty acids and tart cherry juice are all supplements that can be used.

Brain Function and Memory Support:  Gingko Baloba is most often taken to support brain function.  Second on the list was fish oil but new reports suggest that fish oil may not do anything for brain function.  In addition choline, folic acid, huperzine A, magnesium, vitamin B12, Vitamin C and Vitamin E all help boost brain function and memory support. 

Sleep Aids: Having trouble falling or staying asleep?  Here are the top supplements to make sure you get to dreamland quickly and stay there for a full eight hours.  Here we see tart cherry juice again.  Not only is it good for joint pain but works well as a sleep aid if taken before bedtime. Other supplements to help you sleep include: chamomile, chasteberry, 5-HTP, kava, lavender, lemon balm, magnesium, melatonin, schisandra and valerian root.

Lastly, Boosting Immune System: the best way to fight a cold or the flu is not to get it at all, and with a strong immune system, even if you do get sick it won't stick around very long. Keep your body germ free by washing your hands consistently, avoiding large crowds and touching your nose, eyes and mouth.  Boost your immune system with: arginine, cat's claw, CoQ10, echinacea, flax seed, garlic, ginseng, glutamine, glutathione, goldenseal, green tea, probiotics in yogurt and fermented foods, quercetin, selenium, spirulina, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc.

A lot of information?  Sure, but if you are looking to create a healthy, energy-filled life virtually free of illness adding any of these nutrients in food or supplement form will do the trick.  Imagine being able to make it through your day without joint pain, without feeling sleepy or foggy by midday or getting a full nights rest.  If you are not sure how to get these things vitamins and minerals into your life and are looking to improve your nutritional habits give Progressive Complete Health a call.  One call could change your life.

Jason C. Venckus CPT, PES & H.C.
Progressive Complete Health
www.goproveg.com
progressiveathleticsiht@gmail.com
Cell: 815-343-8212