In an ideal world, you should be able to get all the nutrients that your body needs from the food and drinks that you consume. But the real world is often far removed from what should be ideal.
For one, the nutrients in the soils in major farmlands have been severely depleted. And you get what you put in. Simply put, if the soil has fewer nutrients, then the crops, in turn, have fewer nutrients for the end consumer – you.
And most likely, you have a busy schedule that you have little time to spare to buy nutritious ingredients and prepare healthy meals.
How then can you get the vital nutrients that your body needs to perform optimally? The answer: supplements.
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Ditch your multivitamins
When it comes to supplementation, there are a few schools of thought.
On one extreme, you have people who dismiss supplements as unnatural and won’t even touch those with a ten-foot pole. On the other extreme, you have people who believe that supplements can compensate for a bad diet and unhealthy living.
And there’s the middle ground where adherents believe thatsupplements do work. But one major caveat that you need to know is that multivitamins don’t work. Why?
The formulation
Quite simply, the formulation of most multivitamins is not balanced. Some vitamins and minerals are too much while others are lacking. This can result in an overdose of some nutrients on the one hand and severe deprivation of the others.
The quality
As with multivitamins as with other things in life, you get what you pay for. Some multivitamins contain the wrong form of nutrients which can end up detrimental for your health. And more often than not, cheaper supplements are loaded with fillers that provide no benefit for you.
One size fits all
Multivitamins are formulated to suit the broadest possible audience. Often, the manufacturers do not take into account your age, gender, level of physical activity, and others. In short, you can end up depriving yourself of the nutrients that fit your individual needs.
Supplementing the right way
If multivitamins aren’t good for you, which supplements should you take then?
Before adding supplements to your diet, your main focus should be consuminghealthy food and drinks. Overhaul your dietary habits and try to consume more nutritious food. Often, the best supplements pale in comparison to freshly prepared dishes.
The most important reason behind that is because nutrients found in food are bioavailable, which means that your body easily and readily absorbs these compared to synthetic nutrients. In fact, taking large doses of synthetic nutrients can pose serious health risks.
Furthermore, nutrients in food tend to work better when taken together. Compare that to multivitamins that have been simply lumped together.
One thing that you should also avoid when choosing supplements is to fall for the natural trap – that all things natural are good for you. Remember, the dose is the poison. Even the healthiest ingredients can turn poisonous when taken in the wrong dosages.
When it comes to supplementation, there is no one size fits all solution. An athlete’s nutritional needs will differ vastly from those of a full-time mom. However, there are a few essential nutrients that almost everyone needs. Here are what you may call foundational supplements.
- Vitamins A, C, D, and K2
- Magnesium
- Iodine
- Krill oil
- L-Tyrosine
- Zinc and copper
- Methyl B12 and Methyl Folate.
By no means are these vitamins and minerals guaranteed complete. Depending on your own personal circumstances and even your goals (improving cognition or sleep, for example), you can add more supplements and/or tweak the dosages.
And the best way to determine which supplements you should add to these is to seek the help of qualified professionals who have a thorough understanding of nutrition and proper supplementation. These professionals can give you solid advice on how to optimize your energy levels based on your lifestyle and goals.
AUTHOR BIO
Dave Asprey is the creator of the widely popular Bulletproof Coffee, host of the #1 health podcast, Bulletproof Radio, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, “The Bulletproof Diet.” Through his work, the Silicon Valley investor and technology entrepreneur provides information, techniques and keys to taking control of and improving your biochemistry, your body and your mind so they work in unison, helping you execute at levels far beyond what you’d expect, without burning out, getting sick, or allowing stress to control your decisions.
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