In the sea of Vitamins available. What do you choose?

Supplementing with vitamins has been a bit of a craze the last few years, whether to aid in muscle building or for nutritional and other health benefits. With so many brands out in the market place how do you know which supplements are effective, safe, and which are just plain bad for you?

Firstly you should remember that supplements are designed to supplement your intake for a deficiency in your regular diet, they are not a replacement. Whole foods are the best sources of the vitamins and minerals contained in supplements.

What brand should I buy? Supplements found in most chemists are generally the cheaper, less tested brands and may only contain 50% of your needs or may in fact just be a sugar pill. You want to try to avoid these supplements and try to stick to Practitioner only brands like Bioceuticals or Metagenics, as these are Practitioner brands they come backed with a lot of research. They also tend to avoid those hidden nasties like fillers and additives that are so often found in cheap brands. So what supplements should I take?

There are a few supplements out there that you could consider taking on a regular level. 1. Fish Oils. Something that you could take daily as it gives you the essential fatty acids that your body cannot produce on its own. These essential fatty acids are important for a healthy brain and cardiovascular function.

Natural food sources: Fatty fish (tuna, mackerel, salmon) & Shellfish, Seaweed, flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil 2. Vitamin D. This helps you utilise calcium and phosphorus in the body. We tend to be lacking Vitamin D due to the more sedentary lifestyle we see surrounding video games and technology.

Natural food Sources: Fatty Fish (tuna, mackerel, salmon), Cheese, Egg yolks 3, Probiotics. In order for to maintain a healthy digestive system we need to ensure that we have lots of good bacteria, which can help improve digestion, infections and regulate your immune system, in particularly bad cases Digestive enzymes may also be used. 4. Magnesium. A high proportion of people are not getting enough magnesium in their diet. Magnesium supports healthy muscle contraction and relaxation and alongside B6 are involved in a healthy nervous system.

Natural food Sources: Dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, beans & lentils, avocado, brown rice, bananas.

Before your start

It is important to have someone look over your diet to correct any short term issues and how this can potentially be altered to make sure you are getting all the nutrients and vitamins you need.

Final word You can make the most of you health investment by remembering to take your supplements consistently. Often clients start on a particular supplement and don't reap the full benefit as they forget to take them regularly! Getting into the habit of taking them at the same time of the day or with the same meal if require is the best way to get maximum health benefits. At Well By Design Chiropractic we stock the Metagenic's essentials, a trusted brand we use ourselves and also recommend to your clients.