The 5 Supplements I Take Almost Every Day

And the one I almost forgot!

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My hand, my supplements, my dog (Jake Reno).

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Kansas City folks! I’m speaking on Saturday (tomorrow), March 29, as part of the Food for Health Summit & Market. It’s a farmers’ market and a speaker summit. I’m part of a lineup of speakers discussing the connection between healthy soil, healthy humans, and a healthy KC food system. Here’s a link to see the speaker lineup and program. The market goes from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, and the speakers start at 9:30 am. It’s at HJ’s Community Center in Brookside. I hope to see some of you there!

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Onto the newsletter…

Growing up, I remember seeing my mom open her supplement drawer every evening, take out each bottle from its assigned place, fish out 1 or 2 capsules, and down them with a glass of water. I didn’t think much of it when I was younger, but after I began studying nutrition in college, I started giving her hell about the supplements she took religiously. She wouldn’t need any of those if she just ate a healthy, “balanced” diet.

In both undergrad and grad school, our professors weren’t necessarily direct about it, but we were essentially taught to be skeptical of supplements—I’d even say we were trained to fear them. We learned to ask patients which supplements they were taking, but if we advised them to do anything, we were more likely to tell them to stop taking a supplement than to start taking one. We weren’t trained to know when someone might benefit from a supplement.

So, after finishing my master’s research in an integrative medicine clinic, I ended up working in that same clinic and found a new perspective on the (safe and judicious) use of supplements. I saw firsthand how they influenced patients’ symptoms and lab results. During my time there, I also worked on my PhD, where I continued to deepen my understanding of the roles and functions of these nutrients in the human body.

While I change the dose and frequency of my supplements, there are a few that I’ve taken consistently for the last 10 or so years. I’ll share the ones I take and why I take them. I’m not suggesting that you take them, but with all the crazy information on social media about supplements, why not provide information as someone who knows at least a little about them?

Caveats:

• Start with a solid foundation of a whole foods-based diet before supplementing with pills or powders.

• Keep in mind that I have both clinical and research training in nutrition. I have worked with thousands of individuals to help personalize their care. Suppose I share that I take a supplement for a certain reason (e.g., increasing energy). In that case, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will improve your energy because fatigue or low energy has countless causative factors (energy intake, vitamin and mineral needs, thyroid status, chronic inflammation, chronic stress, blood sugar dysregulation, depression, etc.).

• This is what I’m taking right now, but it might not be what I’ll be taking in 6 months or a year, and this isn’t exactly what I was taking last year. Maybe I’ll have to do this as a regular update so you can see how supplements can (and should) be adjusted and monitored over time.

I’ve decided to offer access to my supplement platform (with a discount). After seeing so many clients and friends purchase low-quality supplements from influencers or on Amazon with zero assurance of quality, at least if you do decide to purchase a supplement, you’re more likely to get one that’s better quality.

My current supplements:

I often take these daily, but some weeks, I skip days because I forget or decide not to take them. Throughout an average year, I probably take most of these 4-5 days per week.

Cod Liver Oil (or another omega 3):

• Why it’s “healthy”: (“Healthy” is in quotation marks because it’s a subjective term.):

  • Cod liver oil contains a couple of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) and micronutrients (vitamins A and D). I choose to take cod liver oil instead of a general fish oil or a plant-based (often algae-based) omega-3 supplement because I like getting the other nutrients in addition to the DHA and EPA.

  • Omega 3s provide anti-inflammatory activity (they help the body clean up inflammation). Taking enough fatty acids from fish oil can help lower triglyceride levels (part of your annual cholesterol panel) and improve symptoms of depression, among other benefits. Omega 3 fatty acids are essential (like a vitamin or mineral) because our bodies can’t make them, so we must consume them. They’re particularly important during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as it benefits both mother and baby (preventing preterm labor, baby’s brain development, and enhanced vagal tone—suggesting increased heart rate variability).

• Why I take it: I don’t eat fish as frequently in Kansas City (point to the middle of the US, and you’ll find KC) as I would if I lived on a coast, so I need to supplement omega 3s because they’re essential fats. Essential means that our bodies can’t make them (like our bodies can make cholesterol), so we must consume them. I also notice it helps with skin dryness and itching. My skin is less itchy when I’m consistent with my cod liver oil.

• Cod liver oil side note: I’m hardcore and take a liquid form. I do this because I get more for my money vs. taking capsules. I will warn you that cod liver oil off a spoon is not for the faint of heart, but it’s much more doable when it’s lemon flavored. You’ve been officially warned.

B-Complex (and/or High Quality Multi/prenatal vitamin)

• Why it’s “healthy”: B-vitamins serve countless functions in the body, from energy production to rapid cell division (think repairing tissue or a developing fetus).

• Why I take it: I experience a noticeable increase in my energy when I take a B-complex, so I’ve stayed consistent with taking one for years. It’s probably the nutrient I notice, energy-wise, the most. HOWEVER, a B-complex is one I would provide a word of caution about. For some people, the type of B-complex that I take (“active” or “methylated”) makes them feel edgy, jittery, or just “weird.” I’ve found these are often folks with chronic allergies.

Vitamin D3/K2

• Why it’s “healthy”: Vitamin D serves many jobs in the body: it influences calcium absorption and bone development and remodeling, lowers and controls inflammation, and regulates gene expression. In pregnancy, there’s a higher risk of depression with lower levels of vitamin D.

• Why I take it: I’ve had vitamin D deficiency in the past. Living at our latitude in Kansas City, we can only make vitamin D from sun exposure from around mid-May to mid-October. Remember, you have to have skin exposed to make vitamin D, so if you go outside with sunscreen and/or full clothing (long sleeves and pants), you’re blocking vitamin D production through your skin. Even if you get outside during a nicer January afternoon, you’re not getting vitamin D from the sun. Check out this map to see about vitamin D and sun exposure where you live.

Creatine

• Why it’s “healthy”: Creatine is found naturally in meat and fish, so vegetarians and vegans are at higher risk for deficiency. Creatine helps the body make energy by providing phosphate groups to ADP to form ATP (the body's primary energy currency). Creatine has been well-studied regarding athletic performance. It improves high-intensity exercise, memory, attention time, and information processing speed. A smaller amount of evidence suggests that it may improve mental fatigue.

• Why I take it: As I’ve entered perimenopausal age (between late-30s to early/mid-50s—you’ll have to guess how old I am!), I’ve started to look at my diet, supplementation, physical activity, and overall health a little (lot!) differently. Women have lower stores of creatine, and evidence suggests that creatine may improve cognition and mood. I’ve tried it for the last few months (5 g with my electrolytes). I haven’t noticed major changes in how I feel, but I also don’t do high-intensity exercise more than 1 or 2 times a week. I’m going to stick with it, but it’s something that I may keep on hand as I increase the intensity of my physical activity and/or as I get older and may experience more benefits with age.

Electrolytes

• Why they’re “healthy”: I often call electrolytes the “spark plugs of the body” because they’re charged compounds. Remember the periodic table of elements? The one at that link shows the various charges of each element. The primary electrolytes or minerals are sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. They are involved in so many processes in the body that I don’t have time to get into. If you studied anything in the biological sciences, you know (or probably learned once) the sodium-potassium pump. It impacts the function of organs you may have heard of: the heart, kidneys, and nerves. Magnesium is a mineral most Americans don’t get enough of (found in green things and some protein sources). Magnesium and calcium are both involved in muscle contraction (calcium) and relaxation (magnesium), among other important functions.

• Why I take them: I feel better when I take electrolytes. I feel more hydrated and energized. This is one that I take 3-4 days a week. When I was pregnant, I took them more regularly (6-7 days a week).

Link to supplement platform:

Here’s Fullscript, where I purchase supplements and offer a discount to clients (and you, if you’re not already my client). I know and trust many of the companies on this platform. I have a “favorites” list of supplements I often recommend. If you do make a purchase using the link (now or anytime), you’ll receive a 15% discount, and I will earn a commission on the purchase.

P.S. I forgot until just this moment as I grabbed my supplements for the day. I also take Iron because I had a severe deficiency during pregnancy (my ferritin was 4!), so I continue to take a low dose every other day and monitor my levels every year to adjust my dose over time. Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin, which delivers oxygen to our tissues. It also plays a key role in growth and development, muscle function, and hormone production.