Having said the above over the years there has been a significant emphasis on the need for micronutrient supplementation, even though our food, drink, and sunshine is the natural provider. While supplementation may be useful in some individuals, if you are not managing your calories and macronutrients effectively and not eating mainly a whole food diet. Then focusing on micronutrient supplementation is not the starting point for you.
There should always be a priority order when looking at optimising one’s nutrition. Supplementation is what it says it is to supplement and should never see as a replacement. Food can provide the calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients required by the body for good health. Within specific populations, such as people with specific genetic variations, athletic populations, people with pre-existing diseases, symptoms, deficiencies, and insufficiencies supplementation, can be of any use.
I remember learning from Paul Chek in the late ’90s he mentioned an analogy that stuck with me when considering when to introduce supplementation.
“You can’t build a strong boat out of rotten wood and golden nails”
Your wood is your nutrition and lifestyle and the golden nails the supplements. Let’s also consider that not all supplements are created equal in fact, most supplements on the market I would consider being more harmful than helpful to human health.
Research has and will always provide varying results when it comes to supplementing use. This is because we all have individual needs; different studies will use different forms of nutrients that all have varying effects and absorption levels. And they will typically use a variety of dosages within studies.
Most studies are also looking at clear, one pill for one ill therapeutic effect. Nutrients are known to work with one another for a combined effect, hence why food is your foundation.
High dose nutrient therapy can cause imbalances elsewhere in the body if not done correctly. My recommendation is that supplementation with nutrients. It would be typically something you should gain professional advice, by someone with a strong understanding of biochemistry and physiology education and an understanding of nutrients. If you are already taking medications, this would mean you must work with your GP or a qualified nutrition professional to avoid drug-nutrient interaction. That might impact your health or the effectiveness of your medication.
Vitamins and Minerals Summary
- Eat a varied diet, choosing wholefood the large majority of the time.
- Eating adequate calories and balanced macronutrients will likely cover your micronutrient intake without much thought.
- A largely plant-based diet supplemented with varying levels of animal protein dependant on demands, I have found to be physiologically optimal. However, your personal preference may not be to eat animal-based foods, and therefore you may have to consider appropriate supplementation where necessary.
- Certain individuals may have to emphasis certain nutrients and sometimes supplementation with micronutrients can be useful.
- If you want to use nutritional supplementation, then get professional advice and consider lab testing to guide your choices and dosages.