Supplements I Take

I have never been a huge fan of nutritional supplements.  A lot of people assume that as long as they take their multivitamin, they do not need to worry about what they eat: this is not true. In fact, the majority of research indicates that for the average person,  a daily multivitamin has no benefit. Thats not to say that some people do not benefit from it- like people with extremely poor diets or absorption issues.  However, for the typical healthy person, it is much more important that they eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, protein, milk, and whole grains.  

That being said, there are a few supplements that I take or have taken.  

1. Vitamin D: Being from the Northwest, I can assume that I need to take a Vitamin D supplement.   Human skin generates Vitamin D when it is exposed to the sun, but I only see the sun for about 9 months of the year.  Very few foods contain high amounts of Vitamin D ( fortified milk, eggs, fish, mushrooms).  Vitamin D is important for bone health, the immune system, cancer prevention, and cardiovascular disease prevention. I take gummy Vitamin D, because I like the way it tastes :)

 

2. Fish Oil

. This is the newest supplement that I have discovered.  I recently attended the William Connor Symposium at OHSU, who was a researcher at OHSU who did a lot of work with omega 3 and fish oil.  I was blown away. Fish Oil is crazy good for you. Watch this Video to learn more. 

 To sum it up, research indicates that omega 3 (the fat in fish oil) may greatly reduce one's risk of cardiovascular disease.  Omega 3 is naturally found in fish, such as salmon. It has been shown to lower triglyceride levels,  reduces LDL levels (bad cholesterol), inhibits platelet aggregation, among other things. For example, having high blood omega 3 levels can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death by 90%.  Therefore, I have begun taking fish oil from costco

There are also some supplements that I have taken/ would take depending upon my life condition

3. Iron- occasionally I take iron due to problems with anemia

4.  If I were planning on having kids anytime soon I would take a prenatal Vitamin

5. I used to take Calcium, until I had a bone density test, indicating that my calcium levels were above average