Sometimes clients come to me complaining that they’re taking a bag full of supplements but have seen no change.
If there’s one supplement you should be taking, it’s a high-quality multivitamin.
Nutrient Depletion
Most of us are nutrient malnourished because:
- We evolved eating wild foods that contained dramatically higher levels of all vitamins, minerals, and essential fats
- The soil quality is depleted due to industrial farming and the use of pesticides and herbicides
- Processed factory-made foods have no nutrients
- The burden of environmental toxins, lack of sunlight, and chronic stress all lead to higher nutritional needs.
Remember that taking supplements without cleaning up your diet is futile. Supplements are not a replacement for a nutrient-packed, anti-inflammatory diet. The most important step is to first clean up your diet, then supplement where necessary with herbs and vitamins and minerals.
Given that supplements are not regulated by the FDA, the quality really ranges from harmful to helpful. Here are some things to consider before buying your next multivitamin.
Multivitamin Guide
- You want folate and not folic acid. Folic acid is synthetic and ineffective due to its poor absorption.
- Magnesium. The most absorbable forms of magnesium are glycinate (high absorption, non-laxative, sleep, calm, for neural inflammation, for muscle inflammation), orotate, citrate (high absorption, sleep, calm, laxative effect), and taurate (to calm and restore the nervous system). Magnesium helps glucose enter the cells and turn those calories into energy for your body.
- Vitamin B12 methylcobalamin. This is the active form of Vitamin B12. Steer clear of cyanocobalamin which is synthetic. Taking methylcobalamin has often led to improved sleep quality, increased daytime alertness and concentration, and improved mood.
- Free of junk. Your supplements should be clean. There’s no point in taking a multivitamin to do good for your body and, at the same time, introducing toxins to your body. Your supplements should gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, corn-free, nut-free, with no artificial colors, additives, preservatives, binders, fillers, and made with non-GMO ingredients.
- Price. Quality ingredients will help you heal. This is not the time to go for the cheapest brand on the shelf or a knock-off. Your health is worth investing in.
This is where you start. So go out and get yourself a high-quality multivitamin to boost your nutrient intake!