Nutritional Supplements––Stick to the Basics

Nutritional Supplements––Stick to the Basics

There’s a great debate about taking nutritional supplements. I imagine you’ve heard the expression, “vitamin-takers have expensive urine,” since many of the tablets just pass through. In my many years as a wellness coach, my clients asked: “Should I take supplements?”

If this question nags you, perhaps these points may help you make an informed decision:

• Corporate farming practices greatly deplete nutrient values in the soil that adversely diminish soil quality, often reducing crop quality and yield. This potentially threatens the security and sustainability of food crops globally.

• Nutritional value reports done by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) shows a dramatic decline from 1975 to 2005 (when printed reports were phased out in favor of digital reporting) :

Apples - Vitamin A reduced by 41%

Sweet Peppers - Vitamin C reduced by 31%

Broccoli - Calcium and Vitamin A reduced by 50%

Cauliflower - Vitamin C reduced by 45%, Vitamin B1 reduced by 48%, Vitamin B2 reduced by 47%

Collard Greens - Vitamin A reduced by 45%, Potassium reduced by 60%, Magnesium reduced by 85%

• Modern hybrid-forms of fruits and vegetables are created more for their appearance (shape, color, shelf life) rather than their nutritional values––and sometimes flavor.

• Many fresh produce type foods are transported from other countries, causing a loss of nutrient values during shipping and storage. Most “fresh” produce in the market is already 10-days old.

• Americans eat out. . . a lot, thus reducing the intake of their recommended dietary needs.

• Many home cooked meals are prepared from canned or prepackaged foods rather than fresh.

• Most Americans do not eat the recommended dietary allowances of fruits and vegetables.

• Most Americans take some form of acid-blocker that depletes nutrients.

• Most Americans take a prescription medication that depletes several nutrients.

• Today’s shopper finds it challenging to find non-GMO, locally grown and seasonal foods in the marketplace. Backyard and community gardens are becoming more popular, but those do not feed the masses.

So, the question of supplementing with vitamins and minerals becomes a reasonable concern. Where does one begin? There are so many choices. As with everything else in our world that improves over time, nutritional supplements have greatly evolved from the earliest formulations in the early nineteenth century.

Synthetic forms of vitamins became more common and affordable in the 1940-50s as “health- food” stores became more popular. These supplements were usually formulated into compressed tablets, which could be difficult to completely “digest” and be absorbed into the body.

As discoveries and technologies advanced, flavonoids came onto the scene, offering higher concentrations of nutrients with greater potency. Advancements continued and the market began to see “super-food” supplementation like exotic acai, goji, mangosteen and noni presented as juices rather than tablets. These became the new era health tonic.

As the popularity of nutritional supplementation grew, so did the financial backing into research, discovery and development. Now the consumer could fact-check the medical-claims, clinical- trials, and pharmaceutical standards of a desired nutritional supplement and the manufacturer.

Improved technologies opened many doors in the nutritional supplement world as well in the understanding of the human body, its functions and nutritional requirements. As plant compounds became more widely researched and used, most consumers no longer wanted synthetic forms of supplements. Now, reputable supplement companies offered quality products backed by science. Vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, micro-nutrients, pro and pre-biotics and more all work together to supplement what we are not getting from our food sources.

Today it is common for consumers to ask where their supplements are sourced from. Does the company grow their own plant-based ingredients? Are they GMO-free, organic and sustainably farmed? How are the company’s reviews managed? In-house or by an independent review board? Today’s savvy consumer wants their money’s worth, but more importantly, they want a product that delivers the nutritional values it promises. They want to feel the difference!

So back to the question: “Where to begin?” There is no one size fits all. We are all the same, yet so very different when it comes to our nutritional needs. Your self-evaluation should include recent health check results, including any blood draw reports, current medications you may be taking, your age and gender (for daily dosages). Also, consider a supplement’s absorption quality. Additional ingredients, such as binders, fillers, sugars, coloring, bulking agents, excipients, hinder absorption. Bioavailability is important because varying forms of a compound perform differently (example: magnesium chloride/gluconate/glycinate/ lactate/malate/citrate/etc).

Personally, I do not believe any one company provides the best in all areas of nutritional supplementation. My choices come from a variety of manufacturers, depending on each ones specialty area. I do believe we get what we pay for so I choose the highest quality I can possibly find to support my nutritional needs. I also believe many people over supplement––as I did for many years––and that’s not a wise, healthy choice.

When a quality supplement is taken, you know you are getting what you believe you are getting and your improved health will show that. You may also need to take less, since the quality of the compound is more highly absorbable. It is tempting to take supplements from a discount-source (cheap), but your health may not benefit and you will truly excrete expensive urine!

I’ve attached a general guide to help you get started with supplementation. This questionnaire may direct you in the supplements to begin your wellness program. Get it here - Supplement Quiz

An excellent resource I recently watched is the nine-part docu-series, SupplementsRevealed.com Leading experts in the industry share the facts––good and bad––of this exciting and growing science.

If you’ve not read my previous blogs on the ways in which we become nutrient deficient, those posts may help you better understand your body’s need for nutrition supplementation.

I wish you well. You deserve life’s best!