Benefits of Taking Supplements

You know, there was a time when our food supplies were so healthy that we didn’t need to even manufacture supplements, let alone take them! Those times, unfortunately, are long gone. 

With the ushering in of the industrial revolution especially, this had both good and bad effects. Food became much more abundantly available on a widespread basis. However, preserving of foods had to happen due to food being shipped to other places farther away and the food would not stay fresh that long.  

So, companies started using chemical additives, pesticides, herbicides, etc., and began to invent ways to create calories using not only chemicals, but also other heavily processed foods like wheat and sugar. In fact, some food became so nutritionally deficient, that vitamin C had to be added back in to prevent scurvy, and vitamin B to prevent pellagra. After stripping these foods of their nutrients, the ones added back in were negligible in terms of their ability to create health. In other words, it was enough to prevent certain diseases, but otherwise very nutrient deficient.

Even foods grown locally today as well as organically are not quite as nutrient dense as they once were, although it’s gotten a lot better! Making crucial lifestyle changes in our diets is about ¾ the battle of regaining robust health, and taking supplements helps this endeavor even further.

As today’s lifestyles are busy and hectic and we multi-task all the time, juggling work, pleasure, kids, parents, social life, etc. – it is certainly challenging enough to get even sufficient nutrients into our diets. Remember, too, that stress eats up our nutrients faster in our bodies. 

So, working on improving the quality of our diets and even more, learning what our individual bodies need at any given time, is a great first step (I can give you tips on how to do this, too), but adding targeted supplements which your body can actually absorb and use efficiently, is for sure a great added step. 

Remember, Taking Supplements Without Improving Your Diet Does Not Quite Cut It!

Some benefits of taking supplements are that you can age more healthfully, although everyone ages! We need better absorption and more nutrient density as we age, but not to worry – it’s not so hard to get that done. 

Supplements have the ability to help you reduce anxiety, stress, and depression. Usually, the B vitamins are the ones which get this job done. Red meat, which has been unfairly vilified in my opinion, is a great source of B vitamins! 

There are other supplements which are very heart healthy – yes, it’s the B vitamins again, magnesium, CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10), etc. Omega 3’s are also known to be heart healthy, and vitamin E is also good in this regard.

Your immune system can be greatly supported with supplements, like vitamins C, E, and D. Anything that gives an antioxidant effect, food or supplement-wise supports your immune system. Eating fermented foods is another good step, although some of this can also be procured by supplements, such as probiotics. 

And don’t forget to also eat prebiotics (like green bananas and a small piece of raw potato -ugh – but it works). Yogurt containing lots of live active cultures is healthy in this regard, as is certain herbs like elderberry and perhaps even some homeopathic remedies, like allium cepa, oscillococcinum, etc. 

Did you know your eyes could be improved by taking certain supplements? For example, vitamins E, C, and A, plus selenium are very helpful for eye health. So are zeaxanthin and lutein.

Of course, supplements can help keep your bones strong – something that is increasingly important as you age. Getting enough vitamin D is helpful, both from sun exposure but also by supplement, plus calcium, magnesium, and a host of others. 

In this day and age of dementia – the most prominent one being Alzheimer’s – supplements can act protectively by keeping brain function in good shape. Some recommended supplements are fish oil containing omega 3 fatty acids, resveratrol, found in the skin of purple and red fruits, such as grapes, raspberries, and blueberries.

Caffeine also stimulates the brain and central nervous system, but don’t use this as a license to overdo it! And if you’re sensitive to caffeine, don’t take it because there are plenty of other supplements to get the job done!

Well, there’s a lot more I can say on this topic – in fact, I could write a book about it and may do just that someday – LOL – but suffice it to say supplements are crucial to building health, maintaining it, and preventing disease!

Always Remember to Work With a Highly Competent Health Care Professional!

And as always, please have a happy and holistically healthy day! 

Dr. P