One of the most common questions I get asked is what supplements should I be taking for this condition? I get asked this question daily and most of the time my answer is the same no matter what the condition. When a certain part of the body is having problems due to adaptations to the stresses we put it under does it make sense to treat that part of the body and hope that it rectifies the situation or is the solution to strengthen the body. There are 4 main supplements I recommend to every patient, they are not for your heart, although they are good for your heart. They are not for your joints, although they are good for your joints. They are not for you_______, although they are good for your _______, you fill in the blank. They are the basic things that are not in our diet that if we were to take would decrease the amount of stress that the body is under thus soothing the effected organs that are causing whatever symptoms that are ailing the patient.
First is fish oil. I always have patients ask is there anything more that I could be taking to help with _____, my first response is always, well, are you taking your fish oil. More times than not they are not taking it. Fish oil is the most important supplement you can take, my children have taken it every day of their life. If you Google “benefits of fish oil” it will be so broad spectrum you will swear it is a magic pill. It helps with blood pressure, pain, inflammation, depression, joints, arthritis and the list goes on and on. The second thing about fish oil is that not all fish oils are the same. The big thing right now with the health gurus is the krill oil. Krill are little shrimp like creatures that eat phytoplankton; the phytoplankton is where all the good stuff comes from. I will not debate with the gurus as to whether or not fish oil is as good as krill oil but I will say that I have tried krill oil and did not notice a difference between that and a high quality fish oil. The krill oil is also much more expensive. The key to fish oil is making sure that you get the highest quality. I like to compare fish oil to boots. I love to hike up in the mountains and one of the most important pieces of equipment is your boots. High quality boots save your feet and ankles and allow you to hike farther and harder than say walmart boots. Fish oil is the same way; never buy your fish oil from a big chain like that. Fish oil is very delicate oil it must be processed correctly and it must be packaged and shipped correctly, skipping any of these steps is a big mistake. Also many of the cheaper fish oils are processed from farm raised fish that have not been able to eat the krill so they don’t have the good things in them. Moral of the story buy a high quality fish oil with a good reputation. Carlson’s is a good brand that can be found in health food stores and there are other great brands that only sell through doctors.
Second on the list are greens. At our clinic we take nanogreens it is a powder you put in water that has 10 servings of vegetables in it and has the right ones. What are the right ones? The two most important ones are chlorella and spirulina; they are sea veggies and are both among the true super foods on our planet. I don’t care which greens you take just make sure it is a good one and make sure it has those two super foods.
Third Magnesium. Magnesium is involved as a precursor to over 300 enzymatic processes in the body and 90% of Americans are found to be magnesium deficient. The magnesium you take is kind of like the fish oil, you have to be very careful about which one you buy, but for totally different reasons. Most magnesium that you will find will be in a synthetic form that your body can not use and will just lead to loose bowls. They best magnesium is a citrate. One again you can find it thru a good health food store or through a good nutritionally minded doctor.
Forth, is probiotics. Hippocrates said that disease begins in the gut. Likewise health begins in the gut. Proper gastrointestinal health is essential to every function and system in the body. Probiotic are good bacteria that aid in digestion, and protect the GI tract from foreign invaders and infections.
Now you know some of the most basic things about nutrition so the next time you run into someone who is having a problem with_____. Tell them not to worry about ______, and to strengthen their body thru proper nutrition, a healthy spine and nervous system, and a great attitude.
Hope you enjoyed this one, get healthy get happy and tell a friend
Dr T