5 Must-Take Supplements: A Doctor Explains

You’ve probably got a bathroom cabinet or kitchen cupboard full of them. If you’re like most people, studies prove you love, love, love supplements. In 2015 alone, Americans spent over $20 billion on vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients in a bottle.

Don’t shoot the messenger, but you’re probably spending hard-earned money on empty claims, unsubstantiated promises, inferior quality products and too many products!

Even if you do take the right products (professional-quality supplements are usually perfectly legit), you probably don’t need to take 40 or 50 supplements, despite that “burn 10 pounds by this weekend” ad or what your best friend says.

That said, you should take them. Foundational supplements provide therapeutic amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients you might not be – OK, probably aren’t – getting in your diet.

Even if you eat a totally organic, fresh-from-the-garden diet, numerous factors, including topsoil depletion, pesticides, and transit time (those strawberries you’re eating might have grown weeks ago and shipped cross-country) mean you aren’t getting optimal nutrients.

But let's be honest: I’m not always eating a stellar diet, and probably neither are you.

You also might be stressed out, not sleeping great, taking pharmaceutical drugs, or using or overusing things like caffeine and alcohol. All those things further deplete nutrients.

That’s where a few foundational supplements can fill in nutrient gaps. Less is more, so ditch those gargantuan supplement bags and streamline to these 5 essentials.

When my patients take them they feel better, look better, have more energy, and find weight loss easier. And you probably will too.

1. Multivitamin-mineral. A quality multi contains optimal vitamins and minerals in their most absorbable form in the correct ratios. That’s a mouthful, so if you’re in doubt, splurge on the best professional-brand multi your healthcare professional or online vendor sells. Even then, you’re probably spending far less than you would on a designer coffee daily. Among their many benefits, studies show a daily multi can help prevent cancer and osteoporosis. Sorry, most one-a-day multis don’t cut it. To get therapeutic amounts of nutrients (not “minimal wage nutrition” as many contain), you might need to take 3 - 6, or more, capsules per day.

2. Fish oil. Inflammation plays a role in nearly every disease on the planet, including obesity. Essential fatty acids – meaning your body cannot make them – fall into 2 categories: Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. The former are mostly anti-inflammatory, the latter usually inflammatory (with a few exceptions). Our hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed about an equal ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, but today we consume up to 50 times more inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids. A fish oil supplement delivers therapeutic amounts of the omega 3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that reduce inflammation and protect your heart, brain, and more. Like with multis, quality matters a lot. Skip the bargain-basement fish oils, which might be rancid and contaminated with mercury or other junk.

3. Vitamin D. Researchers estimate about half the world population has vitamin D deficiencies. [Researchers link those deficiencies to many chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. That’s unfortunate since vitamin D is a very inexpensive vitamin, but more is definitely not better here. Ask your doctor for a 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Test. Even if you eat vitamin-D rich foods or get optimal sun, you might be deficient. You’ll want to take a 10,000-IU daily supplement until you hit an ideal range, and then shift back to 2,000 – 5,000 IUs daily.

4. Probiotic. The number one health complaint and reason folks visit a doctor is gut issues. A healthy gut regulates brain function, digestion, nutrient absorption, immune function, and overall health. Antibiotics overuse, GMOs, environmental toxicity, and chronic stress deplete good gut flora, making a quality probiotic beneficial. Look for one that has billions – not millions – of microorganisms with several bacterial strains.

5. Magnesium. Over 300 enzymatic reactions require this underrated mineral that upwards of 80% of Americans are deficient in. Besides not eating enough magnesium-rich foods (nuts, seeds, and leafy greens are good sources), things like chronic stress and caffeine deplete this mineral. Look for a chelated magnesium supplement or powder, start with about 300 mg daily, and increase gradually till you hit 600 mg - 1,200 mg. Too much at once might leave you running to the bathroom.

Consider these inexpensive ways to cover your nutrient bases for vibrant, amazing health. For just about everyone, these 5 essential foundation supplements cover many of your nutrient bases.

What must-take supplement would you add here? Do you see any specific benefits, like more energy, when you supplement? Share your thoughts below or on my Facebook page.