Most people do not eat a perfectly balanced diet and much of our food supply is processed, and travels far to get to us, so our diet is not as nutritious as it could. Supplements can be helpful in bridging gaps in our diet.
The world of supplements can be very confusing. There are hundreds, if not thousands of different supplements out there. Here are some basics to get you started on the right road to a good supplement routine.
Multivitamin-
Most healthy people can benefit from and should take a multivitamin. While it is not a substitute for a healthy diet, it is insurance for when your not eating as healthy as you should. Look for a vitamin with one hundred percent RDA (recommended daily allowance) on most vitamins. Take most of your calcium separate from your multivitamin, because it will inhibit the absorption of other minerals.
Your multivitamin does not need to have one hundred percent of your daily minerals. Generally, minerals do not degrade very much in foods, especially fresh, whole foods, so you should get plenty of minerals from your diet. Only supplement iron if your doctor recommends it.
Tip: Taking your multivitamins with food will help with absorption.
Omega threes (Fish oil)
Omega threes reduces inflammation (the number one cause of aging), helps the heart, and can help with mild depression. The World Health Organization recommends .03 to .05 grams of omega threes a day. Most people's diets are usually pretty rich in omega six oils but, are tragically low in omega threes. Unless you eat fish often, it is a good idea to take omega threes in the form of fish oil. Look for a high quality brand and the words “odor free” or “burp free”. Otherwise you could end up burping fish all day. Vegetarians can take flax oil instead of fish oil.
Tip: When buying fish oil, read the label carefully on the back. Look for the amount of omega threes that are in the capsules not just how much oil is in it total, to ensure you are getting the proper amount of omega threes.
Calcium
Calcium citrate is the best type of calcium to take. The recommended daily amount for calcium you should get is about 1500mg a day. Before supplementing calcium it is a good idea to track how much you are getting in your diet and only supplement what you are not getting. Take your calcium supplement at a different time than you are taking your multivitamin. Make sure your multivitamin has magnesium in it to aid in the absorption of your calcium. If not, find calcium that has magnesium in it.
Tip: Exercise is equally important in building bones as taking calcium.
Get a little sun everyday.
Vitamin D is important to calcium absorption. You can make sure you get some vitamin D in your supplements or you can just get a little sun. Where your sunscreen, but do not be afraid of the sun, it is really good for you.
It is important to talk to your doctor about the supplements you are taking. There are many other supplements out there that can be very beneficial. It is important to start small, and do allot of research before adding anything to your daily supplement routine.
