Supplements .... expensive nonsense or nurturing nutrients?

I’m often asked about the validity of taking nutritional supplements … are they an unnecessary strain on a tight budget which end up being excreted anyway, or do they really serve their purpose and improve health and wellbeing?

The answer is not simple, and, to my mind, is individual-specific. If your diet is lacking in certain vitamins and minerals, then your body probably is too. Or if you need more of a specific nutrient than the ‘average’ person, it’s often tough to meet these requirements through food alone, and this is where supplements play a part in staying healthy.

Case in point, recent tests have shown that I have a mutation to a gene which is associated with folic acid metabolism … my doctor has prescribed me a supplement which includes 3mg of the active form of this vitamin (among others). In order to get this from my food, I would have to eat 11 ½ cups of cooked spinach. DAILY. And this assumes that it’s being cooked appropriately to maintain the maximum amount of nutrients. Now, while I am definitely a ‘food first’ practitioner, this would be extreme, even for me! Bring on the little purple pill. Sorry, liver.

As proven here, there is no ‘one-formula-fits-all’ approach with regards to supplements. What is enough for one person, is quite possibly too much for another. That said, one of the most common supplements taken in today’s age is a calcium supplement, so I thought I’d write a quick spiel on how best to approach this supplement if you are one of the many individuals who has a need for more than his or her diet can provide (think: dairy-intolerance, familial osteoporosis, leg-cramps at night, facial (including eye) twitches, brittle nails … among others).

There is a general debate about whether Calcium Citrate or Calcium Carbonate are the best forms of supplement and this is worthy of another blog. In a nutshell, the main thing to look at is the amount of ‘elemental Calcium’ in the supplement. This is not the total content, and varies with supplement brand and content. If you are taking Calcium Citrate, it can be taken at any time during the day. If you are taking Calcium Carbonate, it is better absorbed when taken after food or an acidic drink at the very least (such as orange juice). Vitamin D is very important to calcium absorption so they are best taken together, and taking no more than 500mg of Calcium at any one time is key to maximizing your absorption of this mineral.

In addition, it’s worthy to note that sugar is thought to increase Calcium excretion (so think twice before pairing that ‘milk and cookies’ combo!), and absorption is impaired by foods which contain oxalates: nuts, berries, leafy greens (kale, collard greens, spinach etc), parsley, amaranth, beets and chocolate/cocoa so try and take your supplement a couple of hours before or 3 hours after eating these foods.

I am consciously not recommending a particular ‘level’ of Calcium supplementation because again, it depends on the individual’s needs and diet … if you need more personal advice, please feel free to contact me directly.

In general, I recommend a varied, colorful, fresh and ‘clean’ diet, with lots of fiber and water. However, as in the case of your truly(!), there are individuals who are unable to meet their unique needs through diet alone, and need supplementation to maintain optimal health. In these cases, make sure you are educated about your needs and as a general rule of thumb, do not supplement with single nutrients alone …. they are symbiotic by nature, as shown by the lack of ‘vitamin C trees’ growing out there …bring on the oranges and lemons …