Are you getting these 5 nutrients in your diet? (Part 2)
Whether or not you need supplements should be assessed based on a thorough health history, symptoms, genetic background and dependent on current diet, lifestyle and environmental factors. However, there are certain nutrients that come up again and again for many clients. This is usually due to certain key foods missing in the diet, and so, as before, we start by ensuring they at least begin to consider adding these key foods into their diets before we go down a regular supplementation route.
Because I’m so adamant about sorting out your diet first, I’m not going to give any recommendations on brand or dosage, but I will give sensible food sources for them.
My Top 5 Nutrients
Probiotics
It’s not an exaggeration to say that our gut holds the key to good health. More specifically, the bacteria in our gut holds the key. We all have some bacteria in our guts — in fact no two persons have an identical gut bacteria profile. We ingest bacteria all the time — they are all around us. However, for the best immune health, brain health, gut health, skin health, basically everything health, we need a good amount of certain good guys in us. Signs that you could need a boost of probiotics include frequent colds or coughs, bloating, constpiatioin, diarrhea and other gut-related issues. Sauerkraut, kimchi, live yoghurt, aged cheese, kefir, kombucha and kvass are fermented food and drink sources we should be consuming on a daily basis, preferably 2 or 3 times a day. Incidentally, the positive effects of probiotic supplements on healthy individuals is not completely clear — anecdotally many people find a benefit from supplementation, but a regular consumption of fermented food has been shown to be more beneficial. There is likely to be much more than simply the bacteria in the fermented food that is helping!
2. Omega 3
Omega 3 is a form of fat that is absolutely essential in our diets. We cannot manufacture it for ourselves and so we must source it from elsewhere. It is believed that our ancestors had an Omega 6:omega 3 ratio of something like 1:1 (omega 6 is another essential fat); the standard western diet has a dietary intake that is skewed heavily in favour of omega 6, sometimes at 15 or 20:1. This is thought to cause higher levels of inflammation, which is likely to be the mechanism underlying many, many chronic health issues. Signs you could be low include skin issues (e.g. dry skin, eczema, psoriasis) and brain fog or difficulty remembering basic things (like where you put your keys). Omega 3 is best sourced from small cold water oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, anchovies (although you’d need to eat a lot of them!), salmon and trout, and I deally we should be eating these oily fish three times a week. Omega 3 supplementation can be beneficial for a variety of conditions, especially brain health, gut problems and skin conditions as these fats are critical components of the brain and the membranes of all cells in the body, as well as in pregnancy for the developing foetal brain. However, getting your oily fish in three times a week gives a healthy person as good a dose of omega 3 as supplementation, plus a dose of other nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals.
3. Vitamin D
There’s been a lot of hype recently about vitamin D so this is likely not going to be particularly controversial. However, there is such a thing as too much vitamin D supplementation. This can play havoc on vitamin K2 and calcium levels, so too high a vitamin D supplementation on a regular basis may not be the best thing. However, if you live in a country that experiences winter and low sunlight levels for half the year, then you likely need some vitamin D supplementation through the winter months. In summer, make sure you get sunlight exposure for at least 20 minutes between 11am and 3pm — don’t be too quick to slap on the sunscreen! Obviously exercise caution and once those 20 minutes are up, seek shade and cover up. Signs that you might be low in vitamin D include frequent colds and coughs, especially in the winter, depression and anxiety, especially in the winter, difficulty falling asleep or feeling unrefreshed on waking up. Food sources of vitamin D are relatively poor; although you can bump up vitamin D in mushrooms by exposing them to sunlight for a few hours. I regularly test vitamin D levels on myself (about twice a year) and my clients as I think it’s worth knowing what your starting point is to ensure you get the right dosage. Choose a a liquid supplement preferably as these are usually oil-based, and preferably choose one that also has vitamin K2 in it.
4. Vitamin K2
We’ve know for a long time that K1 is important for clotting factors, but K2 is a relative newbie on the scene. Research has shown K2 to be vital for correct laying down of calcium on the bone and teeth; if we have low levels of K2, calcium ends ups not going where it should go and instead accumulates in the blood, potentially causing arterial blockages. K2 is found in some fermented food, especially natto, a fermented soya bean, organ meats and some hard cheeses. You would need to eat these foods on a daily basis to get a decent quota to prevent disease, and for many people, supplementing may be the best option. Having said that, challenge yourself to eat more fermented food and organ meats first.
5. Magnesium
Magnesium is one of those minerals that most of us are likely to be low in. In theory it should be relatively easy to get from the diet as it’s quite ubiquitous in plant food, although some suggest that the levels of magnesium in our soil is so much lower than 50 years ago and so levels in the plant themselves are correspondingly lower. In addition, magnesium levels in the body is affected by stress, alcohol, exercise, toxic burden and. medications; very few of us are not affected by one or other of these on a daily basis! Magnesium is needed for a good functioning nervous and musculoskeletal system. Signs that you may be low include fatigue, difficulty falling asleep, anxiety and feeling jittery, headaches, muscle crams or twitches, poor recovery from exercise, and constipation. Dark chocolate is a good source of magnesium — 1 square gets you halfway to your recommended allowance! Green leafy vegetables, avocados and bananas are also stand-out choices. Magnesium is a relatively safe nutrient to supplement — your body lets you know very quickly when you’ve had too much (you get very loose bowels!).
What Not to Supplement (without guidance)
These 5 nutrients come up again and again in clinic, and with proper understanding of health history and a specific goal and end point in mind that includes diet and lifestyle changes, supplementing with these and other nutrients can be beneficial. However there are are a few words of caution.
Just because something is natural or herbal or a nutrient commonly found in food, doesn’t mean it’s completely benign. Many supplements can interact adversely with medication — vitamin K could decrease the effect of warfarin (vitamin K is needed for blood clotting while warfarin is a blood thinner); conversely, omega 3 and warfarin could cause uncontrollable bleeding (omega 3 is also blood thinner).
Likewise, I don’t recommend taking any herbal supplements without support from an experienced practitioner. I am not a herbalist so would rarely suggest taking herbal medicine as I don’t have the training. Similar to some nutrients, many herbs can interact with medication or could cause adverse health effects — for example if you take St Johns Wort prior to an operation, you may experience excessive bleeding.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that herbs and supplements are natural and are therefore more benign than medication. Don’t forget some herbs are poisons too!
In addition, some supplements shouldn’t be taken without adequate testing beforehand. Iron, B12 and vitamin D are three nutrients I would always test for before recommending supplements, and will review their use regularly.
So should you supplement? The short answer is — it depends. First ask yourself ‘is my diet as nutrient-dense and well-rounded as it can be, with an emphasis on vegetables and regular fermented food and organ meats?’ If the answer is no, then work on that for a month or so. After that time, ideally work with a practitioner to determine which supplements you could benefit best from. Also ask yourself whether you’re feeling X symptom because of a lifestyle issue — maybe you’re tired because you’re simply not getting enough sleep! Or maybe you’re feeling sluggish and low because you’re not exercising. Again, working with a nutritional therapist will help identify aspects of your lifestyle that need to be worked on first.