Should I supplement?
Should I supplement?
To supplement or not to supplement...
It's a question we are asked alot by our patients. It really depends on how nutritional your diet is.
There are some vitamins that we do find difficult to get at high enough doses. These are the ones that we recommend you take as supplements.
Or, if in the example of vitamin D you are not getting enough sun exposure. It's certainly tricky to do that in the UK!
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. We get it from exposure to the sun. Unfortunately there is not a lot of year that we can make vitamin D in the UK which means a lot of us do not get enough vitamin D.
If you don't get enough vitamin D it can lead to muscle aches and pains and joint stiffness, tiredness and fatigue and can affect your mood making you feel a bit down or lacking in motivation.
Vitamin D facts and figures
87%
of the UK population are Vitamin D deficient or insufficient. This means they have a Vitamin D blood level under 75 nmol/L in the winter
60%
of the UK population are Vitamin D deficient or insufficient. This means they have a Vitamin D blood level under 75 nmol/L in the winter
30 minutes
in strong sun is enough exposure for adequate vitamin D. This must be between 11am and 4pm, when the sun is high in the sky, during spring summer: April to September
K2
Add in Vitamin K2 to ensure the calcium you absorb with the help of vitamin D, goes into your bones.
The B Vitamins
The B vitamins are a group of vitamins that work together like a symphony. They help create energy from food, produce blood cells, and maintain healthy skin, among other functions.
B vitamins are found in oily fish, meat, full fat dairy, eggs and shiitake mushrooms.
A lack of B vitamins leads to mouth ulcers, pins and needles, numbness, dizziness and balance problems, fatigue, brain fog and mood problems such as depression.
If you have a vegetarian or vegan diet it's important that you supplement with B vitamins. Certain medication and some digestive problems can also affect how well you absorb B vitamins in your diet.
Vitamin B is found in:
Oily fish
Meat
Full fat dairy
Eggs
Shiitake Mushrooms
Where to get supplements?
They are many suppliers of supplements. The important thing about choosing one is to make sure they are reputable and have a standardised doseage of each vitamin in the supplement you are taking.
The supplements I take and the one I recommend are InHealth Supplements.
You can order from them direct and they will be delivered to your home.
If you have any questions do let me know.