A lot of controversy surrounds the use of supplements.
Some people you speak to will swear by the use of supplements and if you shake them you can almost hear them rattling, whereas other people will be so anti-supplement that they will lecture you about them being a waste of time and money.
To me, using supplements is like trying to fix a sinking wooden boat with golden nails.
No matter how many golden nails you bang into a boat it won’t make a difference until you start patching up the holes first.
The same goes for the body.
There is not point trying to correct a problem until you have found the cause of the problem.
Personally, I think supplements have a place and can be extremely beneficial.
Reasons Not To Use Supplements
1. You Will Just End Up Flushing Them Down The Toilet
Certain supplements are not very well absorbed and will end up being excreted through your urine or stool.
Water soluble vitamins such as Vitamin C
2. You Can Get All The Vitamins And Minerals You Need Through Diet.
In theory this is true.
In reality you can’t.
With today’s farming methods, transportation of food and preparation methods, by the time food goes from the soil to your mouth, the level of nutrients in that food have drastically fallen.
Not only have the nutrients fallen, but we very rarely eat enough nutritious food to begin with (especially now that the latest guidelines suggest we should be eating 10 fruit and veg a day).
3. You Don’t Know If You Need Supplements
Many people will go to the supplement store and either buy supplements based on their own research or the advice of the sales assistant.
Neither of you know enough to know if your body needs that supplement or not, or what medical conditions you currently have and how the supplements will respond.
Without doing a mineral test, or establishing what processes in the body you are trying to help, you do not know what supplements will really help.
4. Supplements Are Not Treating The Cause Of The Problem
Just because you might have some difficulty sleeping doesn’t mean you need a supplement to help you sleep.
Or if you are constantly fatigued, doesn’t mean you need something to boost your energy.
Both of the above examples could be caused from a whole host of problems such as, chronic emotional stress, malabsorption of nutrients in the gut, an Omega 3 deficiency, blood sugar regulation issues from eating the wrong foods and so on.
5. Supplements Are Not Created Equally
When it comes to supplements, it really is worth spending money on them.
Buying cheap supplements will only get you poor quality supplements.
In my experience, high street supplement stores selling their own brand of supplements are poorly made and of poor quality.
Think about it… If they were selling quality supplements, how can they afford to to be selling them in such high quantities for such little price?
Because the actual quantity of active ingredients in the supplement are minimal.
6. Supplements Can Cause You More Harm Than Good
Generally speaking, most supplements are safe.
However, some supplements may interfere with medication you are on causing your medication to be less effective.
Or some supplements may become toxic in large quantities in those people who think more is better. It’s not.
Lastly, by taking one supplement, you may be causing problems for yourself further down the line. For example, by taking a Calcium supplement to help “strengthen your bones” you may end up displacing other minerals (such as Potassium and Magnesium).
This can lead to a build up of Calcium in the body which could lead to increased muscular tension and cramps, increased calcium deposition around the body or heart arrhythmias.
So… Are There Any Reasons For Taking Supplements?
As I mentioned earlier, I believe in supplements and I think they have a place in most people’s health programmes.
1. They Provide Nutrients That We Are Not Getting From Food.
The food you buy in the supermarket these days is not what it used to be.
Nutrient levels in the food is far lower than it should be due to poor quality soil and degradation of nutrients during the transport and storage of these foods.
Therefore in order to fully get a complete balance of nutrients we usually need to top ourselves up with supplements.
However, before using any supplements it is worth doing a mineral analysis to check what levels you are currently at and what you need more of.
2. Supplements Support Metabolic Pathways
Every process in the body requires derivatives of vitamins and minerals, known as cofactors, in order to go from Step A, to Step B.
Without the presence of cofactors these processes may be severely impaired.
An example of this would be in the production of energy during a process known as the Citric Acid Cycle.
During this process numerous B Vitamins are needed and without sufficient quantities energy production may be impaired resulting in clinical manifestations.
3. Supplements Can Re-Balance The Body
On occasions I will send my clients for tests.
Some of those tests might include mineral analysis to show me what vitamins, minerals and metals the body is high or low in.
Usually these tests will show high levels of certain minerals, vitamins or metals.
The most common substances being high are Sodium, Calcium and Mercury.
Every mineral has a competing mineral. This means that every mineral will have another mineral that can stop it being absorbed just by being present in larger quantities.
For example, a high Calcium reading will often show a low Magnesium result.
So to displace calcium in very simple terms we may need to increase the amount of magnesium consumed and the easiest way to do this is through supplementation.
4. Your Ability To Absorb Nutrients Decreases As You Age
As we age our body finds it increasingly more difficult to absorb nutrients, especially if we are taking certain medications or if we have any digestive issues such as acid reflux or irritable bowel syndrome.
Of course eating more food is a possibility but this would only increase the amount of calories consumed and could drastically increase the cost of food shops.
5. Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits and Stress Can Increase Nutrient Needs
Late nights, smoking, drinking and going to bed late are all bad habits we know we shouldn’t do but are sometimes unavoidable.
Quite often stress and late nights put an increased stress on the body lead to poor food choices.
Both of these lead to an increased need for beneficial nutrients in the body.
In times like these, supplements may help give your body that much needed boost.
Action Steps For You To Take Right Now
Firstly before taking any supplements you should get yourself tested to find out what you’re low in or have too much of.
We can run a simple Trace Mineral Hair Analysis Test which will show you how your body has been over the last few months.
It is a super simple test and only costs £69.
Secondly, once you have your test results, discuss them with your practitioner who can advise you more appropriately based on your present and past medical history.
Don’t take advice or buy supplements from people in high street supplement franchises. They are simply not qualified enough to know what you need based on you walking in to their shop.
Seek professional advice.
Lastly, buy top quality supplements.
They may be more expensive initially but you will get a much better clinical benefit and overall you will need less than a cheaper alternative.
Work With Me
If you have chronic health issues that you just can’t improve and you are frustrated by not knowing what to do then email or call me and we can arrange a free, no obligation consultation to discuss how to get you feeling better again.
Email me at info@precisionwellbeing.co.uk,
Or call 0203 356 7060.
Speak soon,
Ashley Ridout