Taking a multiple vitamin, fish oil, and vitamin D3 daily are what I consider to be the most basic supplements we should all take. Keep in mind that this is my opinion based on positive feedback and results from patients over the years. Patients who supplement vitamins, these three vitamins in particular, at the proper dose will seem to respond better to care and feel better as a general rule. From my own personal experience I feel I respond much better to life’s challenges and get sick much less. When I couple proper diet and exercise into the equation I feel like I am on top of the world.
I supplement these three vitamins daily and will share with you what I believe to be safe and effective doses for each. If we all ate a perfect diet and received adequate amounts of sunlight then one could argue that supplementation would not be necessary. The problem is, we as Americans eat far from adequate diets and so we need to supplement just to meet the minimum nutrient needs our bodies require.
Multiple Vitamin:
It is always better to get our nutrients through real food. I would like to be very clear that supplementation is not a substitute for a healthy, clean diet and adequate sunlight. According to the Nutrition Journal 2007 (1.) : “This group of long-term multiple dietary supplement users consumed a broad array of vitamin/mineral, herbal, and condition-specific dietary supplements on a daily basis. They were more likely to have optimal concentrations of chronic disease-related biomarkers, and less likely to have suboptimal blood nutrient concentrations, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes compared to non-users and multivitamin/mineral users. These findings should be confirmed by studying the dietary supplement usage patterns, health, and nutritional status of other groups of heavy users of dietary supplements.”
My interpretation of this is that one or two multiple vitamins a day should be safe and effective in reducing nutrient deficiencies and the likelihood of some disease processes. I take two Metagenics Brand Multigenics vitamins per day. (see store for link)
Vitamin D3:
Vitamin D is a very popular topic right now. What we know is that the further we are from the equator, the less sunlight we get. Our primary source of vitamin D is sunlight. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and along with vitamins A,E, and K you can take too much. Medical doctors are doing blood work to monitor patients’ levels and administer high doses of Vitamin D with seemingly positive results. I believe that all of us here in Minnesota are essentially a bit deficient and taking 2000IUs of Vitamin D3 per day seems to be a safe and effective dose for the average adult. I believe anything higher should be monitored with blood work.
Michael F. Holick states:
“The discovery that most tissues and cells in the body have a vitamin D receptor and that several possess the enzymatic machinery to convert the primary circulating form of vitamin D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, to the active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, has provided new insights into the function of this vitamin. Of great interest is the role it can play in decreasing the risk of many chronic illnesses, including common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular disease. In this review I consider the nature of vitamin D deficiency, discuss its role in skeletal and non-skeletal health, and suggest strategies for its prevention and treatment.” (2.)
He further goes on to recommend 800IUs of vitamin D per day at the very least.
Bottom line is start taking a dose in the area of 800 to 2000IUs per day and if you want to be very accurate and safe get your blood levels checked at your local clinic. I take 1 Metagenics Iso-D3 2000IU tablet per day.
Fish Oil:
Research shows the positive effects that supplementation of fish oil capsules (omega-3 fatty acids) may play on inflammation in our bodies. It just so happens that inflammation is the new plague of our times and is a major factor in allergies, asthma, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, fibromyalgia, diabetes, bowel disease, lupus, osteoporosis, overweight/obesity, and depression.
A typical dose is anywhere from 1000mg to 8000mg per day. The average adult should take 1–8 1000mg capsules per day. It is important to buy a reputable version of fish oil due to high levels of mercury found in fish. The mercury is deposited in the fish fat and thus it is extracted with the oil. The company that manufactures the fish oil capsules needs to put the oil through an expensive process to extract the mercury out while still leaving the oil in a viable state. **If you are taking prescription blood thinners you should consult with your medical doctor as fish oil capsules will thin your blood.**
I tend to be a strong believer in fish oil and since my body seems to have a propensity to inflammation I take a high dose of fish oil a day. I take 5 Metagenics EPA/DHA 720 pills per day. This is equal to 12 regular strength fish oil pills. I feel it helps my concentration as well as helping to reduce my body aches and pains.
As with any health related information it is always important to educate yourself and then discuss the information with a trusted physician to make sure that you make the right choices for you. No one person is the same and we all have slightly different requirements and circumstances. These are simply my opinions based on experience and personal choices which I share with you to discuss with your own personal doctor.
Sources:
1. http://www.nutritionj.com/content/6/1/30/abstract
Nutrition Journal 2007, 6:30doi:10.1186/1475-2891-6-30
Published:
24 October 2007
2. Vitamin D, NEJM 2007
Volume 357:266-281July 19, 2007Number 3NextVitamin D Deficiency
Michael F. Holick, M.D., Ph.D.