2 Supplements You Can’t Get Enough of and Can't Afford to Go Without

If you could only afford just one or two supplements for optimal health which ones should you choose? With the economy being like it is this is an important question as we cut back on spending and look to spend money as wisely as possible. Here are two supplements you should keep taking or start if you aren’t.

Dr. Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD the director of nutrition as the LaValle Metabolic Institute recommends Vitamin D. Vitamin D is not only necessary for healthy bones recent research show it plays an important role in protecting us from cancer, heart disease and autoimmune disease. Vitamin D may be the most important nutrient you can’t get enough of.

The new research of the disease-preventing benefits of vitamin D suggests that the Daily Recommended Intake or DRI should be raised from 400 IUs to at least 1000 IUs. Concerns about toxicity from getting too much Vitamin D has been replaced with focusing on making sure you are getting enough.

Vitamin D is produced in your skin when cholesterol is exposed to sunlight. For your body to make enough Vitamin D you need from 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure during the time when the sun is strongest, between 10AM and 3PM. You need to get this sun exposure a minimum of two times a week on your face, arms, legs or back. And you must not use any sunscreen.

However getting enough Vitamin D from the sun in this manner is only effective if you live below 42 degrees latitude. In the US that line runs from Northern California to Boston.

Even if you live in a sunny climate like Hawaii and get plenty of sun you still may not be getting enough Vitamin D. A study done by the University of Wisconsin tested students living in Hawaii who were getting plenty of sun and found 51% of them had low serum levels of Vitamin D.

Many of us don’t live in sunny climates year-round and even if we do we spend most of our time working and living indoors. So what should you do?

The examples of the Japanese and Swedes can give us some ideas. The Japanese who have a limited exposure to sunlight and enjoy a very low incidence of cancer (one of the benefits of getting enough Vitamin D) eat a diet high in fatty fish, which just so happens to be an excellent source of Vitamin D.

In Sweden a study of middle-aged and elderly women found those that took vitamin D supplements and ate 2 to 3 servings of fatty fish per week increased their vitamin D levels by 45%.

The best fish fat source of Vitamin D is cod liver oil. There was a lot of wisdom in the practice of giving kids a spoonful of cod liver oil in times past. Other good sources are oily fish such as wild salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines. Fortified dairy products are also a source.

Here is a list of various Vitamin D sources and yields:

See the National Institute of Health Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D for more information. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp#h3

If you are concerned about the risks of sun exposure and mercury in fish, studies show moderate amounts of sun exposure and eating a couple of servings of fish per week has far more health benefits than risks.

Speaking of fatty fish leads to the second supplement you should be taking-fish oil. Daniel G. Amen, MD, founder of the Amen Clinics which specializes in brain health and lectures on ways to make our brains healthy says getting enough omega-3 is one of the best ways to take care of your brain. He also points out the health benefits of the omega-3s found in fish oil are not limited to brain (which by the way has 60% of it’s fat content comprising of omega-3 fat).

Dr. Bill is William Thomas Stillwell, MD, a board certified orthopedic surgical specialist, agrees. He is a big proponent of using fish oil to relieve joint pain.

In fact fish oil is so effective at preventing inflammation that it can relieve the pain of rheumatoid arthritis in many cases, studies show. One study showed high doses of fish oil (6 grams per day) reduced morning stiffness and joint tenderness and increased the effectiveness of NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc.) in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.

In an Australian study fish oil was shown to reduce the use of NSAIDS by 75% in rheumatoid arthritis patients and reduced the inflammation-causing chemicals in their systems by as much as 41%.

Combine the brain enhancing and inflammation reducing benefits of fish oil with it’s other well known benefits like lowering triglycerides, reducing the risk of blood clots, and improving heart health, makes it another must have supplement that you need to make sure you get enough of.

High doses of fish oil have another less well known benefit—it has a significant impact on sex drive and in high enough doses (typically 1600 to 2000 mg of EPA and 1000 1200mg of DHA) can really boost the libido, especially a woman’s. (By-the-way sunlight exposure also has libido boosting effects in women as it causes a slight increase in testosterone as well as Vitamin D production.)

When taking fish oil supplements ignore the recommended one or two capsules listed on the bottle. Instead take enough each day so you get at least 1600 mg of EPA. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is one of the omega-3 oils found in fish oil. Taking a minimum of 1600 mg of EPA will also make sure you are getting plenty of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), another important omega-3 (DHA is the one that is good for your brain) as most fish oil supplements contain both.

Sunlight, vitamin D, fatty fish and fish oil are the health supplements you can’t do without. No matter what the economy is like. It’s a matter of your health. It’s a matter of your quality of life.

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Supplements & Vitamins

Supplements & Vitamins