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Should We Take Supplements?

March 3, 2014 by KimiHarris 18 Comments

Thanks for stopping by! If you're interested in healthy eating check out my free gifts! and subscribe to get regular email updates. *Some links may be affiliate.*
Thanks for stopping by! If you're interested in healthy eating check out my free gifts! and subscribe to get regular email updates. *Some links may be affiliate.*

The Pros and cons of taking supplements
Whether you should take a multi-vitamin or one of the many supplements available is a controversial topic. It’s also a confusing one. I am asked on a very frequent basis what my thoughts are on this topic, especially by those trying hard to eat a nourishing diet, so I thought it was finally time to take the plunge and share some of the pros and cons to supplementation. My hope is that it gives you helpful information so that you can make a thoughtful decision for yourself. And stay tuned for some non-synthetic ways to super-boost your body’s nutrient intake too!

Disclaimer: I am offering you information today. I am not your doctor. Your health decisions are up to you, and getting advice from a trusted health care provider is always a good idea when sorting through these decisions. This post is not comprehensive, but tries to hit some of the main pros and cons. I’d love for you to add more information and opinions in the comment section. And finally, there are some affiliate links in this post. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Why taking supplements could be a good idea

Most people are deficient in one or more nutrients

While it’s always preferable to get nutrients from food, many don’t get enough because of inadequate diets, the lack of nutrients in the soil our food was grown from, or the inability to absorb vitamins efficiently. It may take years to get deficient through eating habits, and it could take years again to rebuild solely through food. Supplements can help supercharge that rebuilding process.

Supplementing can have great results when done correctly

I’ve taken some really high quality supplements given to me by my doctor that helped me overcome my tendency to catch every cold that went around last year. He’s also helped to diagnose and then rebuild certain deficiencies that I had (such as iron), through proper supplementation. I have to say that when working with a really knowledge doctor doing proper lab work, proper supplementation has been incredibly helpful for me. A previous naturopath I worked with helped me overcome a terrible UTI using strong herbs. I have a lot of respect for how helpful supplementation, in it’s various forms, can be. I know that clinically certain supplements are used to help with detoxing, treating certain illnesses and diseases, or to help compensate for genetic issues. Folic Acid supplementation has been shown helpful in reducing certain birth defects.

But there are concerns.

The concern with supplements

Some supplements are really low quality

If you decide that you would benefit from supplementation, realize that not all are equal. Mercola points out that selenium in it’s non-organic form is actually toxic instead of healthful, yet it can be found in some supplements. And is just one of many examples of the horrors that could be in your supplement capsule. When you buy a supplement, you are generally putting a blind trust in the company’s quality control, which is pretty sketch for some companies. There can be everything from poor vitamin balancing in multi-vitamins, to toxic ingredients, to added ingredients that are just not helpful long term for health.

There can be side effects to supplements

Mercola also mentions that while folate has been shown helpful for reducing birth defects, getting too much of it may actually increase your risk for certain types of cancers. I really admire and respect the work of Julia Ross, who uses amino acids as well as food to help people get to a healthy weight, recover from depression and addictions, and more. But, as she notes in her books, you do need to be aware of some of the side effects certain amino acids could have. Just because an amino acid works well for someone’s journey in recovering his or her health, does not mean that it would be appropriate for everyone. Just because a supplement can be helpful sometimes doesn’t mean that it is helpful at all times for all people. Herbs can be a wonderful way to boost the immune system, but you also need to understand any contradictions they have before using.

Supplementation could lead to imbalances of nutrients in the body

We kind of have this black and white thinking to nutrients and, really, food in general. Sweets = bad; Vitamin B = good. But it’s a lot more complex than that. For good health, we need to respect the complexities of what food has to offer us that an isolated nutrient can’t compare to. It’s become clearer and clearer that nutrients work in a well-balanced dance – a dance that can be disrupted when we consume isolated nutrients. This is true whether you are getting too much copper through a multi-vitamin, take calcium without regard to the many co-factors it needs to be used by the body, and for the many links and connections between nutrients still left unexplored and undiscovered.

Supplements can harm you

If that’s not enough, there are other studies that throw supplementation in a dark light. Calcium supplements have been linked to an increase of heart attacks. While low-calcium diets have been shown to be harmful in a variety of ways, taking supplements to combat that problem may not always be good idea. Going back to folic acid, supplementation by those at risk of colon cancer was shown to increase the risk of developing multiple or more serious polyps instead of helping prevent future problems. Herbal supplements have been shown to have illegally high pesticide amounts, and toxins like lead and mercury. 

Chris shares some other negative results of supplementation, including that many trials showed no positive effect on chronic disease by supplementing the B vitamins, that beta-carotene had no evidence of helping smokers, but could harm them instead, and that high doses of vitamin E increased the risk of death. In fact, supplementation of beta-carotene, Vitamin A and E were all found to increase death rates.

So what are we to do?

The most important take-away from this discussion is not whether or not you should take supplements, but rather that eating a nutrient-dense, well balanced diet is by far your best bet for a nourished, healthy body. Nutrient deficiencies are real and have real consequences, but correcting our diet should always be our first step.

Also, taking “real food” supplements in proper doses can be an excellent way to add to the nutrient-density to your diet, such as in the forms of fermented cod liver oil, and liver pills. Instead of isolated nutrients, these are especially nutritious food items taken in “supplement” form.

One way to find pure supplements

When researching for this post, I came across information from both my personal M.D./N.D and other naturally minded doctors that good companies will have their products tested by independent labs to analyze it for purity (and potency) and that they will also be willing to share those reports with you. I am curious if companies will be as willing to share these lab results with someone who doesn’t have “M.D.” behind their name, but I am hoping it will help me in the future. If you have had success in having lab results sent to you by supplement companies, I’d love to hear from you!

Where I’m personally at:

I remain quite cautious towards much of supplementation, however I do use a variety of supplements (somewhat under protest, under doctor’s orders). For example, I am currently using a whole food supplement, where the nutrients are from food, instead of synthetic form. (I also give my kids this one). As a disclaimer, while this brand is generally considered a good choice by many in the health community, I haven’t followed through with seeing if they would be wiling to share independent purity test results with me yet.

I also will sometimes use a multi-vitamin recommended by my doctor (another brand only available through a professional). Because I had such low iron, I have also been on Floradix (a more naturally sourced iron supplement that in my opinion is a much better iron supplement than most), and we are adding some vitamin A and D to my cod liver oil dose to help get my levels more optimal (but they won’t be permanent supplements). Because too high of some of these nutrients can be toxic, it has been important for me to be working with a doctor and getting myself tested during this period of rebuilding certain levels. (I share this not to say that everyone should do something similar, just to be open about where I am at personally. This is for my specific situation.)

As a side note, as many of you know, I buy certain supplements, such as my iron supplement and multi-vitamins, here. I am able to save about ten dollars a bottle on my iron that way! I also have been buying certain supplement from PureFormulas.com (I really like many of the high quality brands they carry, and I bought my liver pills and liver powder from them. I like that they don’t just carry any brand, but more carefully select the brands they carry. They also carry some of the brands recommended to me by my doctors, which has been helpful.)

Do you take any type of supplements? Why or why not? If so, what do you take. 

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KimiHarris

I love beautiful and simple food that is nourishing to the body and the soul. I wrote Fresh: Nourishing Salads for All Seasons and Ladled: Nourishing Soups for All Seasons as another outlet of sharing this love of mine. I also love sharing practical tips on how to make a real food diet work on a real life budget. Find me online elsewhere by clicking on the icons below!

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Filed Under: Health Tagged With: Folic Acid, Multivitamin, Vitamin

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer

    March 4, 2014 at 4:49 am

    Thank you for this article. You’re right about there being an assumption that supplementation is all good. Many of us are unaware of the dangers.
    I was interested to see what it is that you give your kids, but the link wasn’t working. Would you please repost it in a comment?
    Think you. Have a great day!

    Reply
    • KimiHarris

      March 4, 2014 at 9:22 am

      Jennifer,

      Sorry the link isn’t working for you! Try it again here: http://bit.ly/1q1pYAj

      🙂

      Reply
  2. Sarah L

    March 4, 2014 at 8:52 am

    Thank you for the thoughtful post on supplements. My experience with supplements began after I had been a vegetarian for about 7 years, I became vitamin B anemic, and taking B’s was the only way to stop continual yeast infections. I tried all the natural methods under the care of a ND, before discovering that the B’s cleared it up. I think they can be helpful for turning around a condition, but clearly my “healthy” vegetarian diet was not supplying all I needed.I do take cod liver oil, and a few others for specific issues. I think they can be helpful for turning around a condition.

    People who are under multiple stresses are good candidates for vitamin supplements, as dealing with stress demands extra nutrients from our bodies. Look at levels of stress you can eliminate or lessen. For me that is coffee. I recently cut wheat out of my diet as well, and yes, the sinuses are clearer, so finding and eliminating your personal sources of stress can make a difference, without adding any supplements.

    Reply
    • KimiHarris

      March 4, 2014 at 9:28 am

      Sarah,

      What an great experience! So glad you shared. I haven’t had as dramatic of a story, but I have found that taking a B vitamin complex after a time of great stress was helpful in rebuilding my energy.

      And I agree that stressors can deplete you. In my life that also included food items that my body wasn’t handling well (eggs were the biggest). Sometimes food intolerances can lead to being low in certain vitamins.

      Reply
  3. Sandra Steed

    March 4, 2014 at 3:07 pm

    Kimi,

    My daughter, her husband and two little girls just moved in with me. We have just started using doTERRA Essential Oils for our well-being, but also take supplements from Standard Process! Standard Process is an exceptional Company out of Wisconsin. My daughter is a Veterinarian and prescribes them for her clients animals if needed. She has also toured their facility and loved what they are doing!

    I love your posts!

    Reply
  4. Tara

    March 4, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    Kimi, I looked on the Pure Formulas website for liver pills, but I am mostly seeing alot of liver support formulas, rather than actual liver pills. Could you specify which brand/product you use? I have used the desiccated liver from Radiant Life; have you tried that one? Just wondering how you think it compares, if you have used it.

    Reply
    • KimiHarris

      March 4, 2014 at 9:07 pm

      Tara,

      Nutricology is the brand I bought from them (search nutricology liver, and it will come up) They say this about it, ” Our natural glandular material is derived from government-inspected‚ range-fed animals‚
      raised in New Zealand and Australia‚ whose animal husbandry regulations are among the strictest in the world.
      The material is lyophilized‚ which means it is immediately frozen‚ then subjected to a high vacuum that vaporizes
      moisture directly from the solid state.”

      I just noticed that both the liver pills and the liver powder is at a great price right now there!

      Reply
    • KimiHarris

      March 4, 2014 at 9:09 pm

      Also, I think that this is a very comparable product to Radiant Life (often these companies are even getting them from the same source). It’s a lot cheaper right now from PureFormulas, which is why I bought it there. 🙂

      Reply
  5. allegro21

    March 4, 2014 at 8:56 pm

    I take a wide range of supplements based on my body’s specific needs as determined via electromagnetic testing for the purpose of rebuilding my nutritional profile and maintaining good health while breast feeding. I only take supplements manufactured by a company called Standard Process for all the reasons you mentioned above but mostly because they are all whole food supplements. I feel well and I live better because I found a nutritionist who has taught me to not just buy the oil-based supps at the grocery and then throw them at my body to see what sticks, Siri speak. Thank you for the candid article.

    Reply
    • KimiHarris

      March 4, 2014 at 9:11 pm

      I have used Standard Process as well! (They are one of the brands I like that are available through Pure Formulas, which I appreciate.)

      Reply
  6. Ivy

    March 5, 2014 at 4:33 am

    Hi – what are your thoughts on theses brands
    Pure encapsulations – I use the vit b complex and liquid 12
    Nordic naturals- I use the ultra omega
    Designs for Heath I use vit d senergy (k2 included)

    Reply
  7. John Dupree

    March 5, 2014 at 6:22 pm

    I have been using Moringa Oleiferia. I get my products through Zija International. Moringa Oleiferia is such an amazing botanical. If you are not familiar with it you should take a look at it. Try searching on pubmed.gov

    Reply
  8. cirelo

    March 6, 2014 at 11:06 pm

    Any experiences with a good prenatal vitamin? Would Garden of life’s be recommended? I’ve never used a prenatal with my previous pregnancies but I’m currently in a place where I can’t ensure a complete diet and I’m stuck looking at them now but feeling baffled. I’m also curious if anyone here has just used individual supplements rather than a comprehensive prenatal and what they might have taken? Thanks!

    Reply
    • KimiHarris

      March 7, 2014 at 8:29 am

      I personally have taken Garden of Life’s prenatals, and liked them. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Ji

    March 12, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    About calcium and heart attacks.

    Too much calcium, any form, that is, liquid or pills… Powder etc. Will cause imbalances that is for sure.

    You need calcium to enter the heart muscle in order for it to contract… But you also need Na+ ions during the depolarization/repolarization process.. And well at that point, maybe you will not follow me anyway.. Especially if I get to the part where you need K+ ions to open channels… And then bring about the rest potential of the cells membrane… Etc. LOL.

    I am a health professionnal… If you want to talk more, email me.

    All I am saying, is that what you get from food, and what flows in your blood, are two distinct things, even if they bare the same name. I see a lot of cognitive distorsions in that post and it may simply be from lack of academic knowledge.

    There are indeed not a lot of people who go to the doctor in order to fix vitamins and minerals imbalance. As for those who do, well, much can be said about it, but who I am to judge hm?

    If you want to clear things out, email me.

    Reply
  10. Hana

    April 1, 2014 at 3:33 am

    I’ve been taking supplements for the last 15 years and they have helped me lot in sustaining my energy and I’d like to think, my over-all health. Having read your blog though, has now made me more conscious of the different ingredients that go into the kind of supplements I take.

    Reply
  11. Sarah L

    April 2, 2014 at 2:45 pm

    I find myself going more and more to foods instead of supplements. Food based minerals have a better chance of being absorbed or at least being in the right form. Have you read “Healing with whole foods. Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition” by Paul Pitchford. I like the philosophy of using foods to optimize the diet. I blends western and Asian ideas of food balance and health.

    Reply
  12. Jimmy

    June 17, 2014 at 4:32 pm

    I would not go a day without taking my supplements. I think no matter how good you think your diet is you always will be lacking in vitamins and minerals. Great post!

    Reply

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The information you find here at The Nourishing Gourmet is meant to help you become a better cook! This site is primarily for sharing family friendly recipes. It's not meant to give medical advice or to make any health claims on the prevention or curing of diseases.This site is only for informational and educational purposes. Please discuss with your own, qualified health care provider before adding in supplements or making any changes in your diet. Also, any links to sponsors or affiliates (including Amazon) may give me a percentage of the sale or a pay per click. Thank you for supporting this site.

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