by Nicole Gould, RD, LD
I’m often asked if I had to take only 1 supplement what would it be?
While this varies depending on the individual and their diet, there are a few supplements that I think are important foundations to good health. Here are my top three:
1. Omega-3/Fish oil
You may know that omega-6 and omega-3 are beneficial fatty acids that are essential to our health. However, did you know that Americans get very little omega-3? In fact, some sources say we eat 20 times the amount of omega-6 to omega-3. Omega-3 has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other inflammatory problems, as well as certain skin ailments.
If you aren’t eating sources of Omega-3 such as wild salmon, walnuts and olive oil then you should be supplementing with it. If you eat these things on occasion, then it’s OK to skip the supplement for that day. Remember, supplements are designed to replace nutrients you may not be getting enough of in your diet.
Product Suggestions: New Chapter makes a product called Wholemega and it’s the next best thing to eating Wild Alaskan Salmon! It’s a rich source of omega-3 and actually provides a natural balance of 16 Omegas including 5,6,7 and 9. Unlike processed “purified” fish oils, the gentle extraction process used for Wholemega preserves beneficial compounds such as the antioxidant Astaxanthin as well as Vitamin D.
2. Probiotics
Probiotics are also known as the “good” bacteria and include strains such as Acidophilus and Bifidus. If you have ever taken an antibiotic, you may be lacking these beneficial bacteria. Though antibiotics are important in warding off the “bad” bacteria, they also kill the beneficial bacteria or probiotics.
Probiotics act as our bodies defense system and overwhelming evidence suggests they have a positive effect on the immune system as well as benefits on overall health including:
• inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria and yeast
• synthesizing B vitamins
• enhancing the bioavailability of nutrients
• decreasing lactose intolerance
• boosting immune response
• decreasing the prevalence of allergies
• improving serum cholesterol levels; and
• decreasing the risk of certain cancers
Product Suggestions:
MegaFood makes a great probiotic called MegaFlora that I personally take and love! It contains 14 different strains of beneficial probiotics and comes in different strengths including 20 billion and 50 billion. MegaFlora does need to be taken on an empty stomach. If this is a concern another great probiotic is specialaly made so that you csan take it anytime called Ultimate Flora. Utimate Flora also comes in different strengths for adults and kids.
3. Vitamin D
While almost every other vitamin can be obtained from food, Vitamin D has very few food sources. Really the best way to get Vitamin D is from the sun, which is why so many of us in Ohio are deficient. I know I’m not getting very much sunlight between October and April! Infact, data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), USA found that 9% (7.6 million) of children across the USA, was vitamin D deficient (defined as less than 15 ng/mL of blood), while another 61 percent, or 50.8 million, was vitamin D insufficient (15 to 29 ng/mL).
Vitamin D has countless benefits including
· aiding in the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous
· acting as an immune system regulator
· supporting brain function
· reducing the risk of some cancers
Product Suggestions:
One of my favorite D supplements is Megafood’s D-3. When purchasing a D supplement, make sure it says D3 or cholicalciferol.
Now I know what you’re thinking, what about a multi-vitamin?
Even though we may not be eating the perfectly balanced diet, we are still getting vitamins and minerals to some extent in the foods we eat. So yes, multivitamins do provide a baseline of nutrients, but I feel that there are more important supplements that we may be missing all together.
This information is provided for Educational Purposes only and has not been designed to diagnose, treat or cure any health conditions.
