Taking Nutritional Supplements Is Important, But…

Millions of people take nutritional supplements.  And while taking certain nutritional supplements can help, it’s no substitute for eating well.  I was recently speaking with my father, as he was telling me how he watched the “Dr. Oz” show, and that Dr. Oz was telling the audience to take a multi-mineral vitamin each day.  As a result of watching this, my dad went to Wal-Mart and purchased a bottle of multi-mineral supplements, and began taking them daily.

I’m not criticizing my father for doing this, as I agree that just about everybody can benefit from taking multi-mineral vitamins daily.  But many people continue to eat junk food most of the time, and then think they can make up for this by taking a multi-mineral vitamin daily, and perhaps some fatty acids as well.

Here are a few things to consider before you take your next multi-mineral vitamin:

1. The quality of the supplement is important. This may seem obvious to you, but many people take supplements which are of low quality.  My dad is a perfect example of this, as he decided to go to Wal-Mart to purchase a multi-mineral vitamin, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he got the cheapest one he could purchase.   I could advise him as to which supplements he should take, but of course he would never take advice from me.  In any case, you need to make sure that any supplements you can take are of high quality.  After all, if they don’t absorb well then you’re just throwing your hard earned money away.

2. You probably will need to take more than a single multi-mineral vitamin daily. While it’s no doubt convenient to take a single multi-mineral vitamin each day, you’re not going to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need from a single supplement.  Usually you will need to take such a supplement at least two or three times daily, ideally taken at different times throughout the day.

3. Other supplements are probably necessary. While taking a multi-mineral vitamin daily can be beneficial, other supplements are usually necessary to take for most people.  For example, many people are deficient in Vitamin D.  And while most multi-vitamin supplements will contain Vitamin D, it almost always will not be enough to correct a deficiency.  The same concept applies with other vitamins and minerals, as if you have an iodine deficiency, you will most likely need to take an iodine supplement.  If you are deficient in selenium, magnesium, or another mineral, then just taking a multi-mineral supplement won’t correct these deficiencies.

4. You need to be able to digest the supplements you consume. Even if you purchase a high quality multi-mineral supplement, if you have a digestive system that isn’t functioning optimally then you won’t be able to properly digest any supplements you take.  So it’s extremely important to make sure you have a healthy digestive system.  This is why when someone begins a natural treatment protocol, one of the main areas I focus on is their digestive system.  Obviously eating well is a big part of this.  But just changing one’s eating habits isn’t enough to restore their digestive health if it has been impaired for many years.

5. You still need to eat well. Speaking of eating well, it of course is important to eat high quality foods.  As the title of this post implies, taking nutritional supplements isn’t a substitute for eating well.  If you really are looking to achieve optimal health, then you need to eat well most of the time, and take certain nutritional supplements.

So for someone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition who is looking to restore their health back to normal, the first thing they need to do is make sure they have a properly functioning digestive system.  This obviously does take time to accomplish, and this of course involves eating well and taking certain supplements, and very well might require a purification program.  It also is frequently necessary to take digestive enzymes until the person’s digestive health improves, as this of course will allow them to digest the food they eat and the supplements they take.

In summary, just about everyone needs to take nutritional supplements.  However, even if you take high quality supplements, you still need to continue eating well.  And if you eat well and take high quality supplements, you of course need a properly functioning digestive system in order to digest the food you eat and the supplements you take.