The Scoop on Supplements

As the sources of information have expanded over the years – there has been increasing confusion regarding nutritional supplements.

“What supplements should I be taking?”
“I heard that multivitamins are useless”
“What about Vitamin D, how many IUs are right for me?”
“I read an article about this miracle herb, it’s supposed to cure everything!”

These are some common things that we hear in our office. In the age of SO much information, a lot of which is coming from little to no research – it is really hard to know what exactly you SHOULD be taking, how much, and what supplement brands you can trust.  We have come up with a little cheat sheet to get you started:

WHAT:

Supplementing with vitamins and minerals

WHY:

Vitamins and minerals are essential elements that facilitate EVERY chemical reaction in your body.  Dr. O’Keefe has been testing people for a long time for nutrient levels – and has found that pretty much EVERYONE is deficient in something. Even in the light of a great diet – most of us are not perfect 100% of the time resulting in less than optimal levels and/or absorbency. Simply put, when you are deficient in any particular vitamin or mineral – there are pathways that are not functioning optimally. Pathways that are not functioning eventually leads to symptoms and disease. The point of supplementation is just that: Supplementing your diet with the nuts and bolts to keep you functioning and head-off developing dis-ease.

HOW:

In an ideal world – you work with a functional medicine doctor that can test you specifically for what you need and how much.  That way you are also getting sourced with supplement brands that are reputable and trusted.

Can you be more specific?

Yes! A really good place to start if you can’t get into to get tested right away:

1. A high quality multi-vitamin
2. An Omega-3 fat supplement
3. Vitamin D3 (be sure to be tested eventually – too high of levels can be toxic).

WHEN:

A great time to start is now! Contact us at the office to make a Clinical Nutrition appointment to get started or just to ask some general questions.  We are more than happy to help!