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November 2009 Newsletter From Dr. Jared Hanson ND, LAc

What Supplements Should You Take?

If you are healthy and want to stay that way, you don’t need to take a bucket full of supplements. The judicious use of a handful of key nutrients will reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases and life-threatening conditions, as well as minor inconveniences such as colds and digestive trouble. There are four supplements I recommend healthy people take: a multivitamin, fish oil, probiotics and vitamin D.

Why take supplements at all? Unfortunately, modern practices in agriculture, shipping and storage, and food processing all contribute to a lower nutritional content in our foods.

In addition, diligently calculating the nutritional content of your food to make sure you are getting adequate amounts of everything would be very time-consuming and stressful (stress itself is a major threat to health) and encourages an unhealthy relationship to food. While nutritional supplementation cannot replace eating well, it’s better to cover the potential gaps in your food supply with supplements than to face the health risks that might accompany long-term low levels of important nutrients.

Multivitamin

The single most important supplement to cover potential gaps in dietary intake is the multivitamin. High levels of minerals can be dangerous, but many water soluble vitamins are nontoxic and beneficial in higher doses. When choosing a multi, look for mineral (e.g. zinc, chromium, molybdenum) levels near 100% of the daily value, but much higher levels of antioxidant vitamins, like vitamins C and E, and B vitamins (such as thiamine, riboflavin and niacin and B12).

A good multivitamin comes in capsules, this may mean you will take several pills, but you will absorb more. A good multivitamin also does not contain magnesium stearate or stearic acid in the inactive ingredients, these can significantly reduce absorption. Vitamins and minerals are available in many chemical forms, and some forms are better than others. For example, look for B12 in the form of methylcobalamin, selenium as selenomethionine, and vitamin E as mixed tocopherols. Take your multi with food to improve absorption, particularly of fat soluble vitamins like A, D and K.

Fish oil

Inflammation is now thought to underlie our two most common causes of death (heart disease and cancer) and many of our chronic diseases. The prevalence of inflammatory conditions in modern America is largely due to a nutritional deficiency, namely a lack of omega-3 fatty acids. Animal products such as meat and dairy are very proinflammatory due to a substance they contain called arachadonic acid. In nature, this inflammatory aspect is balanced by omega-3 fatty acids generally absorbed from grasses, but modern livestock aren’t fed grasses, they eat corn instead. Corn doesn’t contain omega-3s (instead it contains omega-6s which are also proinflammatory).

Omega-3 fatty acids are potent anti-inflammatory supplements, and fish oil is the most readily available form of omega-3s. Fish oils reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke by lowering blood pressure, reducing triglycerides and reducing the “stickiness” of the blood (and therefore the likelihood of clotting). The general anti-inflammatory effects of fish oil also means that it helps wounds heal quicker and there is some evidence that omega-3s can reduces the risk of developing cancer. A standard dose of fish oil is 3 grams of EPA and DHA.

Probiotics

Probiotics are the good bacteria that live in your gut. As I pointed out last month, they are important for immunity and can protect you from colds and flus. Stress, poor dietary choices and many common medications and environmental toxins can upset the balance of microorganisms living in the gut and tip the scales towards less friendly occupants such as yeast (Candida).

What do good bacteria do for you? Not only do they protect you from upper respiratory infections, but they protect you from gastrointestinal infection as well by actually killing unfriendly bacteria you may ingest. They are an integral part of digestion, helping you get the most from your food, and they are vitally important for detoxification by preventing the absorption and reabsorption of toxic material in your gut.

Taking probiotics regularly with meals maintains a healthy balance in your gut. Look for a dose of 10 billion organisms and remember that a probiotic supplement with several different strains of good bacteria is preferable to a supplement with only a single type of bacteria. Probiotics are alive so look for brands that have been refrigerated.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is normally produced in the skin upon exposure to sunlight. As I pointed out last month, vitamin D is of vital importance to our immune systems. It is also integral to our ability to build bone and bone mass. We’ve all heard the importance of calcium in preventing osteoporosis, but the body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium from our food and build bones optimally.

Vitamin D is also one of our most potent cancer-fighting supplements. Many types of cancers occur less frequently in sunnier countries and patients receiving surgery or treatment for cancer during the summer have better survival rates than those who receive them during the winter. Adequate amounts of vitamin D significantly reduce the risk of developing colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer.

If that wasn’t enough, low levels of vitamin D have been found to be related to chronic pain, depression, high blood pressure and increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Do not assume that you get enough vitamin D because you spend a lot of time outdoors: one study found that, among a group of Hawaiians that spent about four hours a day in the sun, half were deficient in vitamin D. Play it safe and supplement.

Vitamin D is best taken as vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). There may be some in your multivitamin, but probably not ideal amounts. I usually recommend 2000 IUs per day, although up to 5000 per day may be necessary. Vitamin D is fat soluble, so take your D with the fattiest meal of the day to maximize absorption.