What basic nutritional supplements should I be taking, if any?

Nutritional Supplements

Many people ask me, “do I need to take nutritional supplements or can I get all the nutrients I need from my food? Are there supplements I should be taking and what are they?”

Firstly, I believe it is best to get as much nutrition from food as possible and that no supplement will beat eating well. It is vital to eat foods that are right for you as an individual before you even consider taking supplements. Perhaps you should look back on my “Top 5 tips to a more health life” which I wrote in February. This will give you some ideas.

I know that nobody likes taking pills but sadly, because our soils are becoming more and more depleted in nutrients and our world is increasingly toxic, we may need to supplement. It is important to remember, though, that everybody is individual and has different deficiencies and nutrient needs.

Here are my recommendations:

Probiotics

Probiotics are another name for beneficial bacteria living in your digestive tract. These are essential for digesting your food, making vitamins and essential fatty acids, increasing your immunity, breaking down harmful bacteria and toxins, and helping protect against certain cancers. Most of us have low levels due to antibiotic and/or other drug use, as well as not eating fermented food and drinks as our ancestors ate. If you could only afford one supplement, this would be the one I would recommend.

Fermented Cod Liver Oil

Many of us are deficient in our beneficial fats and vitamin D. Not only does cod liver oil contain these fats but it also high in vitamin D and A. Many of us struggle to absorb vitamin A. These nutrients needed to keep every cell and hormone in our body and brains healthy. Again, our ancestor’s used to ferment fish liver because they did not have fridges. You may remember the older generations taking cod liver oil every day. Fermented cod liver oil contains nutrients in their natural form so our bodies find it easy to use.

Iodine

Not only are our soils are massively depleted of iodine but fluoride in our drinking water stops our bodies from absorbing it. Iodine is essential for many functions in our body including making thyroid hormones and our detoxification system. I have written several of blogs about iodine.

Magnesium

Again, our soils are massively depleted of magnesium. Fluoride also prevents our bodies absorbing magnesium. Our bodies use up magnesium when we are stress, drink caffeine, eat sugar and processed food, and drink alcohol. Magnesium is essential for proper hormone function, healthy bones and healthy heart. Please see my blog on magnesium if you would like to read more.