Nourish
B3 BREAKDOWN: WHICH VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU REALLY NEED?
Have you ever found yourself standing in the vitamin section at the store, paralyzed by the vast array of options? Multi-vitamins, age-specific vitamins, vitamins for every letter in the alphabet, supplements to alleviate inflammation, stress, insomnia, tinctures for everything that ails you.
How much of this stuff do we really need? And when we do buy something, how do we know which version to choose? Unfortunately, those aren’t always easy questions to answer. The FDA doesn’t regulate supplements the same way that they do food, so labeling can be misleading or confusing. And the information that’s on the labels might not mean anything to us—what’s an RDA anyway? Plus, experts like the nutrition team at Harvard recommend that we aim to cover our nutritional needs through our diets first and foremost since it’s the easiest way to ingest nutrients that our bodies can absorb.
To help clarify the issue, we reached out to Shannan Monson, the registered dietician behind Nutrition Simply, for advice on which vitamins and supplements we should be taking regularly, how to choose them, and how she uses them in her own life.
B3: Generally speaking, do you think that most of us should be taking supplements?
Shannan: It’s always better to get your nutrients from fresh food. But with a busy lifestyle and the way we farm our food, it can be hard to get all the vitamins and minerals you need from food alone. I always recommend a high-quality multivitamin to cover your bases, and I recommend cooking regularly with superfoods and dark leafy greens that are loaded with essential nutrients your body needs.
B3: Are there specific ones that you recommend, even if we’re eating a whole-foods based diet?
SM: Eating a well-balanced diet is amazing, and always the first place you should start. The core nutrients most people don’t get enough of are Vitamin D, calcium and magnesium (best taken together), and Omega 3s (fish oil). Taking those core supplements is usually a good place to start.
B3: What do you look for when buying one?
SM: Always look for the GMP stamp–basically that just means the supplement follows the highest standards for Good Manufacturing Practices and what’s on the label is what’s in the bottle. Refrigerated supplements are usually a little higher in nutrients and last a bit longer as well, so those are the two things I’d look for when purchasing supplements.
B3: Anything specifically to steer clear of?
SM: If you’re on any medications at all, you definitely need to talk with your doctor or dietitian about which supplements you’re taking. If you’re taking anything really specific or a high dosage of something, you want to make sure you’ve done testing beforehand and are really intentional about what your blood levels are in relation to your supplement routine.
B3: Should we feel any different when we start taking a supplement (as in, is there anyway to know if they’re actually working/being absorbed)?
SM: Most people can tell a difference within 24-48 hours. Definitely pay attention to things like your digestion, your energy, your mood, and look for changes within a day or two. Your body is incredibly receptive to change, so if you tolerate your supplements well, you should notice an improvement very quickly!
B3: What’s the deal with some supplements having 500% of the RDA?
SM: Our bodies can’t absorb and digest supplements as well as they can absorb nutrients from food, so even if a supplement has X amount of something, you won’t be absorbing the full amount. Plus, if you’re severely depleted in something, say Vitamin D for example, you need a super-high dose to get back to normal. So that’s why some supplements have 500% of the RDA. It’s also important to note that the RDA is just a recommended daily allowance for the average person; those numbers could be fairly irrelevant to you personally, which is why it’s important to do testing and work closely with a practitioner on your supplement routine.
B3: If you don’t mind our asking, could you share what you take and why?
SM: I take a Pure Encaps daily multivitamin, Blue Ice fermented cod liver oil for Omega 3 fatty acids, and Pure B-complex vitamin to help with my mild anemia. I also love adding superfoods like chia seeds, hemp seeds, spirulina, and maca powder to my morning smoothies for an extra boost throughout the day as well.
Have you ever found yourself standing in the vitamin section at the store, paralyzed by the vast array of options? Multi-vitamins, age-specific vitamins, vitamins for every letter in the alphabet, supplements to alleviate inflammation, stress, insomnia, tinctures for everything that ails you.
How much of this stuff do we really need? And when we do buy something, how do we know which version to choose? Unfortunately, those aren’t always easy questions to answer. The FDA doesn’t regulate supplements the same way that they do food, so labeling can be misleading or confusing. And the information that’s on the labels might not mean anything to us—what’s an RDA anyway? Plus, experts like the nutrition team at Harvard recommend that we aim to cover our nutritional needs through our diets first and foremost since it’s the easiest way to ingest nutrients that our bodies can absorb.
To help clarify the issue, we reached out to Shannan Monson, the registered dietician behind Nutrition Simply, for advice on which vitamins and supplements we should be taking regularly, how to choose them, and how she uses them in her own life.
B3: Generally speaking, do you think that most of us should be taking supplements?
Shannan: It’s always better to get your nutrients from fresh food. But with a busy lifestyle and the way we farm our food, it can be hard to get all the vitamins and minerals you need from food alone. I always recommend a high-quality multivitamin to cover your bases, and I recommend cooking regularly with superfoods and dark leafy greens that are loaded with essential nutrients your body needs.
B3: Are there specific ones that you recommend, even if we’re eating a whole-foods based diet?
SM: Eating a well-balanced diet is amazing, and always the first place you should start. The core nutrients most people don’t get enough of are Vitamin D, calcium and magnesium (best taken together), and Omega 3s (fish oil). Taking those core supplements is usually a good place to start.
B3: What do you look for when buying one?
SM: Always look for the GMP stamp–basically that just means the supplement follows the highest standards for Good Manufacturing Practices and what’s on the label is what’s in the bottle. Refrigerated supplements are usually a little higher in nutrients and last a bit longer as well, so those are the two things I’d look for when purchasing supplements.
B3: Anything specifically to steer clear of?
SM: If you’re on any medications at all, you definitely need to talk with your doctor or dietitian about which supplements you’re taking. If you’re taking anything really specific or a high dosage of something, you want to make sure you’ve done testing beforehand and are really intentional about what your blood levels are in relation to your supplement routine.
B3: Should we feel any different when we start taking a supplement (as in, is there anyway to know if they’re actually working/being absorbed)?
SM: Most people can tell a difference within 24-48 hours. Definitely pay attention to things like your digestion, your energy, your mood, and look for changes within a day or two. Your body is incredibly receptive to change, so if you tolerate your supplements well, you should notice an improvement very quickly!
B3: What’s the deal with some supplements having 500% of the RDA?
SM: Our bodies can’t absorb and digest supplements as well as they can absorb nutrients from food, so even if a supplement has X amount of something, you won’t be absorbing the full amount. Plus, if you’re severely depleted in something, say Vitamin D for example, you need a super-high dose to get back to normal. So that’s why some supplements have 500% of the RDA. It’s also important to note that the RDA is just a recommended daily allowance for the average person; those numbers could be fairly irrelevant to you personally, which is why it’s important to do testing and work closely with a practitioner on your supplement routine.
B3: If you don’t mind our asking, could you share what you take and why?
SM: I take a Pure Encaps daily multivitamin, Blue Ice fermented cod liver oil for Omega 3 fatty acids, and Pure B-complex vitamin to help with my mild anemia. I also love adding superfoods like chia seeds, hemp seeds, spirulina, and maca powder to my morning smoothies for an extra boost throughout the day as well.
