Many people take supplements of some kind or other, especially in the United States where about half of adults take at least one supplement. If you are wondering what supplements you should take, which have been proven to be the most effective, and if there are one or two specific ingredients that everyone should try to add to their diet.
Multi-Vitamins
Multivitamins have been a staple of American life for years, and for good reason. Multivitamins exist to help “fill in” any lacking nutrients from a person’s diet. They aren’t intended to replace a healthy diet. Depending on who you ask, multivitamins are helpful, vital, or unimportant. Many doctors recommend them as they can’t hurt and may help, but studies vary as to their importance. If you have a healthy, well-rounded diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meat, and oils, you may not notice much difference from taking multivitamins.
Unfortunately, getting a rounded diet rich in nutrients is getting harder to do. Whether it’s the lure of fast food, the ease of processed foods, or the lack of time to prepare meals, modern families are finding it harder than ever to provide a rounded diet. Add to that the fact that the foods themselves, even fresh vegetables, are becoming less nutritious than they used to be, and it’s easy to see why many healthcare practitioners, both traditional doctors, alternative care providers, and dieticians, often recommend a quality multivitamin.
Bone and Joint Supplements
Bone and joint supplements are becoming very popular, especially in the middle-aged and retirement-aged populations. However, even in younger people, joint pain is a common problem. Joint supplements often contain minerals that support bone health, such as calcium, as well as muscle support, such as magnesium. Other ingredients in the best joint supplements include those naturally occurring in the body such as glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM.
Immune System Supplements
Immune system supplements are very popular. These supplements can be taken regularly for steady support, or can be taken in higher doses when the person feels an illness coming on or has been exposed to illness.
Many immune supplements contain vitamins D, C, and A, elderberry, echinacea, and more. While some of these things have proven immune system functions, especially the vitamins, the effect in people who aren’t already deficient has been debated. In addition, we do know that the vitamins we get from food are absorbed better than the ones in supplements, so the best way to support the immune system with these vitamins is to eat them.
However, this can be hard, especially with vitamin D, which is mostly gotten through sun exposure and is deficient in up to 88% of the population. This is why immune supplements that contain vitamin D make sense for much, if not all, of the population.
Probiotics and Gut Health
Probiotics are a supplement that adds to the good bacteria that live in your gut. These bacteria are vital for our health and can be depleted through poor diet, illnesses like stomach viruses, and taking antibiotics. Having a thriving and healthy colony of bacteria in the gut helps with digestion, nutrient absorption, the immune system, and general health. Probiotics can be taken in supplement form or acquired from raw fermented food, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and kombucha. As fermented foods are usually very sour, many people prefer the supplement version.
Magnesium
Magnesium is one of two nutrients that are so important they are on this list by themselves. Magnesium is such an important nutrient that it helps in over 600 body processes and magnesium deficiency is linked to weak bones, heart and blood pressure problems, blood sugar issues, anxiety and lack of stress management, irritability, and insomnia. Magnesium also helps the body absorb vitamin D, which in turn helps it absorb calcium.
And you are probably not going to be able to get enough magnesium on your own- many magnesium-rich foods of the past are no longer as good of sources of this mineral as the soil becomes depleted and more is lost during the processing of the food. Many sources estimate that 75% or more of Americans are deficient.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D has earned itself a place on this list as it is one of the nutrients Americans are commonly lacking. Don’t think you can eat your way out of this one, as it is very hard to get enough vitamin D from your diet. Most vitamin D is absorbed through sunlight, but in our modern world where people spend very little time outside, up to 88% of us are deficient.
This happens even more in the winter, as it becomes harder for the sun’s rays to penetrate the atmosphere. In the northern hemisphere, this may not happen at all during the winter months. This is why it’s important for most people in the US and other northern areas to take vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D is important for the absorption of calcium, helps to support the immune system, helps with muscle function, and blood pressure levels.