This blog post is sponsored by MegaFood®. I’m one of their blogger ambassadors. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Recently, there’s been some debate surrounding supplements and whether they can actually benefit your health. Navigating the supplement aisle can often be overwhelming and confusing for many consumers, including myself! Today, we debunk a few supplement myths. We’ll also answer a question many consumers have about supplements – do you need to take them?
When I was studying nutrition in college, I wasn’t a fan of supplements – I thought it was a cop-out to eating healthy and nourishing foods. I specifically remember having a very heated debate with my husband’s roommate, who religiously consumed protein powder on a regular basis – I couldn’t understand why he chose a supplement over real, healthy foods! Of course, at that age, I thought I already knew everything.
Fast-forward 10 years later and my view has changed dramatically. While I’m still a proponent of eating healthy foods, supplementation has greatly improved my health and quality of life. While everyone’s health journey is different, I learned through blood work that I was actually deficient in many nutrients, even though I was doing everything “right” – I was eating well, exercising and eating all my veggies.
Realizing the power that supplements can have on our bodies was eye-opening. Today on the podcast, I interview Erin Stokes, ND and Medical Director at MegaFood. Listen as we take a deeper dive into supplementation and answer the question “do you need supplements?”.
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What You Need To Know
It’s important to first understand what a supplement is. A supplement is a vitamin, mineral or herb intended to supplement your existing healthy diet and lifestyle. They can be beneficial in helping to fill the gaps of what may be missing in your diet. As Chris Kresser states in his article, The Healthy Skeptic, “we are only as strong as our weakest link.” This means that if we are deficient in just one nutrient it can throw the entire biological network out of whack. This results in the dysfunction of various signals, enzymes, and hormones. In many cases, you may not initially feel the effects of this deficiency, but over time it could cause a great deal of harm to the body.
In this case, supplementation can be a great support tool to help replenish and fill in the gaps.
Do you need a supplement?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. There isn’t a blanket response to this subject because each person has different nutrient needs and deficiencies.
As discussed in today’s podcast, the declining soil and food quality combined with the increasing presence of chemicals can block and alter the nutrient absorption. This can make it almost impossible to get everything we need from our food.
The best way to determine if you are suffering from a deficiency is to get your blood tested by a physician. Then continue to track your levels to prevent toxicity. Another option is to supplement with a high-quality multivitamin to complement your nutrition. Or pick a few of the most vital supplements that work synergistically together to prevent decline.
Here are a few supplements I recommend for nearly everyone:
A multivitamin
A solid multivitamin helps fill in the nutrition gaps in your diet. By picking a gender-specific multivitamin like MegaFood® Multi for Women, you can give your body a mixture of vitamins and minerals to support each stage of life*.
Vitamin D3
Every cell in the body has a receptor for vitamin D. Not to mention it has the ability to affect up to 2,000 genes inside the body*. Vitamin D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin responsible for immune regulation, absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and the maintenance of healthy bones*.
It’s been estimated that 100 million Americans are deficient in this vital nutrient, so it is a good idea to supplement with a quality vitamin like MegaFood® Vitamin D3 1000 IU.
magnesium
Some call magnesium the “miracle mineral” and for good reason. Magnesium happens to be a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme reactions. It helps the body regulate diverse biochemical reactions*, including:
- protein synthesis*
- muscle and nerve function*
- blood-sugar control*
- REM sleep*
- blood pressure regulation*
- synthesis of DNA and RNA*
- increase the antioxidant glutathione which boosts our immune system*
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s one of my favorite supplements I take and I believe it to be a supplement that most people should be taking. You can take it in a pill form (I recommend MegaFood® Magnesium) or you can even use magnesium salts in a warm bath or create a magnesium spray.
probiotics
It is estimated that 80 percent of our immune system is located in our gut. Our microbiota, or gut bacteria, are responsible for many metabolic and immune processes including the secretion of regulatory T cells, IgG and IgA and the production of butyrate vitamin K2 and vitamin B12.
Unfortunately, our gut bacteria is under a lot of strain these days. The excess chemicals in our foods and medicines, stress, sugar and a lack of prebiotics are all various factors that are causing our gut bacteria to die at alarming rates.
Taking a good probiotic supplement, like MegaFood® MegaFlora®, can help restore and maintain the balance of healthy probiotics*.
my brand of choice
Not all supplements are created equal. The most important thing is to know the source of the product. Just like food, supplements can be tainted throughout the production process. That’s why I like to stick to high-quality brands that are transparent and use third-party testing in the form of certification to further validate the trusted ingredients they use and the product effectiveness. If you’re on the search for supplements, I would recommend MegaFood®.
MegaFood® is taking the concept of “keeping it real” to the next level by building trust with the consumer {us} with their 24/7 live facility cams. They also work with a network of farmers to obtain the whole foods they use in their high-quality supplements.
So if you’re looking for a good supplement company that you can trust, MegaFood® is one I stand by for quality. And get this…MegaFood® is the first supplement brand to have its entire line of vitamins and supplements Certified Glyphosate Residue Free by The Detox Project {amazing!} and they recently became certified B Corp which means they are committed to higher standards of transparency and accountability in their products as well as being a force for social good in the community.
If you want to learn more about the l brands you already use, make sure you ask yourself these questions about quality:
- Where is it coming from?
- Am I taking the right form?
- Is this bio-available in your body?
- Does it oxidize or go rancid?
If you don’t know, dig around on the companies website. Look up the information and make sure they are disclosing all ingredients. A little extra time spent researching the company is always a valuable tool in fighting confusion.
trouble swallowing a pill
You’re not alone. I thought it was just me until Erin Stokes shared on the podcast that 40 percent of American adults have trouble swallowing pills {1}.
Thankfully MegaFood® came to the rescue yet again – the brand recently launched a line of adult gummy vitamins so all my friends who also struggle taking pills can rejoice.
I’ve personally been taking the new MegaFood® gummy vitamins for a while and have to say I rarely miss a day. In fact, I look forward to my daily gummy!, They taste delicious and really showcase the fresh flavor from the whole fruits and veggies MegaFood® uses in their products.
supplements I take
Of course, there are countless other vitamins and minerals out there you could take. I definitely take a slew of other vitamins and minerals to continue healing from my sickness. While I won’t share all of them here I will list a few other common ones I believe are practical for anyone:
- Vitamin C – I love these delicious MegaFood® C Defense gummy vitamins.
- Turmeric – You can use fresh turmeric but I like to add MegaFood® Daily Turmeric Nutrient Booster Powder™ to my smoothies and warm drinks daily.
- Adaptogens like ashwagandha, maca, and rhodiola to help reduce stress and allow the body to adapt in the individualized way it needs*.
But I want to know, what are your favorite supplements? And what are your most pressing supplement questions? This is a big subject that is controversial and confusing. I hope this helped break down the basics but please leave comments below if you have any other questions.
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*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
- Source: 1) 2015 Harris Interactive Nationwide Survey.
