Q: what are supplements and can't I get what I need from Food? Part 1

The views of those who don’t use supplements generally fall within one of several categories: “I don’t take supplements because I prefer to do things naturally”, “I eat a healthy diet, I get all the nutrients I need from food”, “supplements don’t work, the industry is simply selling lies”, “supplements? Isn’t that for athletes, I don’t need to take them right?” and “I’m new to this whole supplement thing, I wouldn’t know where to begin”. If you fall into one of those categories, this article will hopefully shed some light on the importance of supplementation in our daily lives…whether we are physically active or not.

What are supplements exactly?

For those who are already familiar, feel free to skip this part. For those who think they know, but are unable to clearly explain it to a beginner, an inability to simplify this concept may mean you’re not totally understanding of what a supplement is yourself. For those of you who believe all supplements are ‘artificial’ and therefore somehow harmful or unnatural to your body, this will hopefully open your mind.

In short: the purpose of supplementation is to supplement your diet with the necessary tools to promote better health, reduce the chances of dysfunction/malnourishment/disease and to support an active lifestyle. They are essentially concentrated amounts of nutrients/minerals that are already found in our food supply or they are herbal extracts, some of which originate from centuries old healing practices (ex- Chinese medicine). Some nutrients/extracts are synthetically created for the purpose of availability and ease of manufacture. The synthetic creation of supplements however is currently a hot topic with the FDA as that is deemed to cross the line from a food supplement to a drug, even if it is a duplicate of what is already occurring in nature.

"...the purpose of supplementation is to supplement your diet with the necessary tools to promote better health, reduce the chances of dysfunction/malnourishment/disease and to support an active lifestyle."

While ‘naturalists’ will point to this synthetic creation as being a source of concern, the true issue is not always the way in which the supplement was created but rather the potency. Life is about moderation and taking too much of anything good can eventually be a bad thing. The same goes for supplements that are deemed ‘safe’, herbal products can have toxicity levels that when not used according to the directions can be harmful. So the synthetic versions of herbal extracts can be quite potent and this is what creates the safety issue, not the ‘synthetic-ness’ of the ingredient itself. So it’s using a supplement as directed that is the major concern, not so much the witch hunt for how the ingredients were created (assuming you are already buying from a reputable brand and what is on the label is in the product).

Our Food isn’t what it used to be

‘I prefer to do it naturally, I get what I need from my diet’, is a phrase I’ve heard often. But let’s put things into perspective…many nutritionists, physicians and experts like Dr. Tieraona Low Dog (yes it’s a Native American name) believe that the FDA’s daily value recommendations are too low. The FDA has responded by rolling out increased recommendations and new recommendations for nutrient intake that won’t hit nutrition labels until 2018. Despite this response, the fact is that even with today’s undervalued recommendations for vitamins and minerals, 85% of Americans still don’t hit the daily value requirements according to the FDA. Many nutritionists see statistics like 75% of Americans don’t consume enough vitamin D (2009 study Archives of Internal medicine) and respond by saying that we have a malnourishment issue in this country and we’re not even a 3rd world country. So if you plan to get what you need from food, do you a.) truly know what you need based on a doctor’s recommendation or a physical activity you’re involved in and b.) how sure are you that the foods you’re eating will be enough to get you there? Could you tell me how much calcium you had today?

"85% of Americans still don’t hit the daily value requirements according to the FDA"

The issue for many Americans is not just our choices for the food we eat, but the quality of the food we eat. Our grown food isn’t as wholesome and as nutrient dense as it used to be. Peer reviewed scientific journals like ‘Environmental Monitoring and Assessment’ are tracking the rates of soil erosion in the United States as the quality of our soil continues to since production, not conservation, is prioritized. It’s no secret that the FDA has allowed for basic items like bread, milk and cereal to be fortified with vitamins to counter the loss in nutrients in our basic foods. So if we don’t get as much of what we need from food anymore and our choice of foods is poor to begin with, then how do we get what we need from our diets? Answer: we don’t.

It’s not just vitamins that keep us healthy either, many people forget the wealth of other nutrients found in food that support our day to day health and can also benefit athlete’s in concentrated amounts as well. For example: when you were young you were always told to eat your broccoli because it made you strong. Then when you got older you found out that broccoli was just fiber and water and it was protein that made you strong…so you stopped eating broccoli right? Well: Broccoli contains Diindolylmethane (DIM for short) which helps to promote a healthy balance of estrogen. It also contains sulforaphane which has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. So if you’re a lifter, you better still be eating your broccoli!

So now that you know it’s bigger than just vitamins, now enters supplements to the rescue, the ones providing vitamins and the ones providing additional nutrients found in food. Let it be known that no article can replace a doctor’s advice, so it’s recommended that you talk to your physician about what your nutrient deficiencies might be and what you should be taking. Drugs are like ‘reactive’ treatments, something is already wrong and your doctor prescribes you a drug to mask or patch the problem (possibly leading to a reliance on said drug), whereas supplements are ‘preventative’ courses of action. They can in no way be used to treat a disease but they are proven to lower your level of risk and hopefully reduce your number of trips to the doctor. Let’s take a look at some basic suggestions for healthy living below:

"Broccoli contains Diindolylmethane (DIM for short) which helps to promote a healthy balance of estrogen. It also contains sulforaphane which has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. So if you’re a lifter, you better still be eating your broccoli!"

Vitamin D- Supplement with 1,000IU to 5,000 IU’s a day. This is well above the current daily value (400IU) but that number is going up according to the FDA. If you don’t get much sunlight or live in an area up north where sun is hard to come by during the winter time, you better be supplementing with vitamin D.

Calcium & Vitamin K-2- many of you already know about calcium already and its benefits for bone health. But there are concerns among physicians about high amounts of calcium supplementation (do not supplement with more than 400-500mg/day) leading to calcification or calcium buildup in places you don’t want (smooth muscle tissue, kidneys, etc.). Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption, but the lesser known fat soluble vitamin K-2 helps to ensure calcium is transported to the right place.

Omega 3’s- a necessity for promoting cardiovascular health but it is often left out of many American diets. Supplementing with at least 1,200 IU’s per day is recommended.

Potassium & Magnesium- sodium tends to be a major part of our diets, but your recommended intake of potassium is twice that of sodium (2,400mg to be exact), it is necessary for proper muscle function and it’s an electrolyte that is important for hydration. Magnesium is another electrolyte that is involved in many of the body’s metabolic activities and it can also promote relaxation to help you get to sleep faster when taken at night (supplement with 400mg/day).

Vitamin B’s- vitamin B’s have less of a risk factor when it comes to supplementation since they are water soluble and can pass through the body (whereas vitamin D and vitamin K-2 are fat soluble). They are involved in cell metabolism and are especially beneficial for athletes.

Zinc- zinc is essential for everyone but supplementing with at least 25mg a day is a must for athletes. It supports immunity, hormone balance, supports lean mass and nutrient absorption.