Is more better?
I have a lot of patients come in on a laundry list of supplements & I am always looking to help people pare back!
I truly believe more IS NOT better! Think about it, is there anything that occurs naturally that we can compare to a supplement? No not really. So what leads us to believe they are better than using the naturally produced sources?
One thing I hear all of the time is that our soil is now so bad that our foods aren't as packed with vitamins and minerals. I get this and to some extent that is true... however, eating broccoli is STILL and always will provide more nutrients than any other types of processed food. And just because our soil isn't as great as it USED to be doesn't mean it isn't still pretty darn good.
So my first question I always consider: Can you get what you’re taking as a supplement from food sources reliably?
If the answer is yes, I will direct you to those food choices each and every time! Because the way that foods naturally pair vitamins and minerals is INTELLIGENT! Plant intelligence is very commonly overlooked but maybe we should tune in and stop extracting pieces out and use the whole plant? Just food for thought. *wink*
Another question I ask myself when looking at your supplement list or considering a supplement for you; How long will you supplement?
Will this be a long period of time, a season to achieve a certain goal, or will we use it periodically. Often times I see people on the same products for YEARS! Our bodies love variety so it's important to mix it up in order to get the most out of our products!
Here is a tricky question: What value does it add to your life and can you achieve that outcome without it?
If you can't answer this question, you do not need it. If you are taking a supplement and you have no idea what it is doing for you and you didn't notice anything after being on it for at least a month or two, it probably isn't what you actually need (** few exceptions here). So perhaps it is time to reconsider that one.
Another question that is important to consider but you may not know the answer. This is where a professional will come in handy. Here we go: Are you getting the therapeutic dose in the product you chose?
This is tricky because a great product may not be the right dosage for the reason you are choosing the product! For example, riboflavin is a great preventative for migraines! Multivitamins all over the world have riboflavin in them but NOT at the right dose to prevent migraines. The dose you need to achieve migraine prevention is 400mg per day.... VERY different from what you'll find in your multivitamin.
Okay and finally the biggest question of them all!!!
Is it a quality product?
Well friends, this is not an easy answer, that is for certain. It is important to evaluate different aspects of the product before you can come to a conclusion. For more about this I will kindly encourage you to check out the next blog because it requires its own!
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