In the current world of obsessive optimization its not hard to find yourself ordering loads of supplements, each one lauded as the next super ant-oxidant or life extension compound. Taking all the advice of Andrew Huberman, Rhonda Patrick and Ben Greenfield I would need to work extra hours each week to just to afford the pills…where would I find the time to add the daily sunlight, sauna, cold plunge, meditation, breath work, skin tapping, workout, meal prep, yoga, grounding and whatever else these health gurus suggest I need to make time for. Not that these sup’ pushers don’t dole out great advice on health and wellness, they do but things have really taken a turn towards what most nutrition experts call disordered eating (if you consider supplements as eating).
To be fair, I have spent a good portion of my 15 year career in this industry doing a ton of self experimentation on different diets, workout regimes, biohacks and supplementation and then writing about it all. So I have at times been guilty of the same disordered behaviour. But for the last few years, as the industry has been ramping up I have found my personal tendencies and advice to clients to be minimizing. The longer you spend looking at nutrition research the clearer it gets that it is near impossible to make direct conclusions from it. So it becomes a waiting game – waiting for the accumulation of proof – because a few studies won’t cut it. I want a mountain of evidence before I add anything new to my regimen.
Almost everything I do with regards to health and wellness is now filtered through the Pareto principle – 80% of the consequences come from 20% of the causes. It’s true for nutrition and its true for fitness. My workouts are incredibly simple. The parameters evolve depending on my goals or how my body feels but the movements are pretty much the same and have been for years. its basic bitch workouts all day every day. I do have different types of workouts that are cycled throughout the month so there is some moments of change. My clients get a lot more variety because they have more specialized circumstances and they would often get bored otherwise. Variety may be the spice of life but it is not the foundation of it.
So using the 80/20 principle when talking about supplements, what does that look like?
It might look like taking a simple multivitamin or it may be several individual compounds, it really depends on your age, bloodwork, nutrition and activity level. Obviously this is impossible for me to know for whoever is reading this, I only mention it because these are some of the elements I look at with my nutrition coaching clients. It is imperative to have some data before choosing supplements otherwise it is just pure guessing. That said, there are population deficiency averages and highly active, safe and beneficial supplements that can help. The following list is what my best advice is to you and all the ding dongs that corner me at party’s trying to get nutrition advice – Its not sexy but it is tried and true and what I use myself.
Vitamin D3 – between 70-97% of Canadians are vitamin D deficient. This is no bueno. In children this can mean developmental issues, including deformities in joints and bent bones. In adults repercussions can be all over the place, including bone pain, fatigue, depression, muscle aches, tingling in hands and feet, and many others. You can get vitamin D3 in foods like salmon, eggs, sardines and beef liver. If you are vegan or vegetarian you will need to choose fortified foods as plant based sources are very low in vitamin D. You can try eating a barrel of mushrooms but it might be more cost efficient to supplement. Your dose will be deficiency dependent but it is a very safe supplement to take in relatively high dose. I usually recommend 3000 IU for the average person without sever deficiency. Adding Vitamin K2 is important for absorption. Some brands have a mixed blend.
Omega 3 – A recent study showed that Omega 3 deficiency is worse for your health than smoking. This might seem absurd but if you know how truly systemic these fatty acids are then you know how crucial they are. Omega 3s are part of the make up of every cell in your body. They contribute to cell membrane function, allowing the transportation of nutrients in and waste out. They also play a big role in eye and brain development and maintenance. Children who are deficient have a much higher rate of cognitive impairment. This isn’t a poopoo on vegans article, but this is another food compound that is found almost solely in animal sources, like; salmon, cod liver, mackerel, sardines, oysters and eggs. You can get a different version of fatty acids from flax seeds, walnuts and chia seeds but this kind of fatty acid, ALA, is not very absorbable by our digestive tract. A small portion of the population can absorb it a bit better but not to any comparable level to EPA and DHA (animal sourced Omega 3s). So I would advise vegans and vegetarians to supplement with algae based EPA/DHA sources. When supplementing Omega 3s do a bit of research and find sustainably sourced, toxin free brands. For those of you who eat seafood rarely, I would suggest taking 2g a day. Thats usually about 2-3 capsules.
Magnesium – About one third of all Canadians are deficient in magnesium which means we are actually doing well compared to the global rate of 90%. One study in 2018 (1) suggested that magnesium deficiency may be one of the driving forces of cardiovascular disease. Magnesium is a cofactor in over 300 biochemical reactions in the human body including blood glucose management and blood pressure. Not having enough of it can and will mess with almost every system we have. Symptoms are varied and include, loss of appetite, fatigue, muscle twitches, apathy, anxiety, osteoporosis, asthma and many others. For this reason, I prioritize magnesium level blood tests with clients, especially those with blood pressure or cholesterol/lipoprotein issues. Different kinds of magnesium do different things and so I often try and find a magnesium complex supplement. Your best food sources are nuts, legumes, seeds and fatty fish. Dosage should be about 350mg for women and 420mg for men.
Multivitamin – I really wish we were all better at getting our vitamins and minerals from whole foods and if you are a client of mine, we do our best to get there, slowly but surely It is an evolving path towards optimal health for all of us, there is no such thing as static health and so, in may of the stages of evolution we may need to cover our bases. Multivitamins are great for this you just need to find a source that is third party tested. Luckily for us Canadians, our laws make it easier to trust most brands. But I still do some digging into which ones are better. Vitality is a perfectly decent, low cost option. I have no affiliation to the brand.
To be honest, when filtering through the pareto principle, my list for the average person stops here, The vast majority of the health benefits you get from supplementation are covered here. This is assuming a basic foundation of decent nutrition. If you are eating predominantly processed foods and drinking sugary drinks or a lot of alcohol, then there may be other things I could suggest, but they would mostly be temporary additions while we introduce more whole foods and slowly lower some of the bad seeds. Adding at the beginning of a nutrition plan is very useful rather than focusing on taking away. So this is one of the few times I add to the list of supplements.
Personally, I don’t take a multivitamin but that is because I take special care to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and some clean animal products. I also only take magnesium if there seems to be a deficiency after a blood test but that hasn’t happened in years. I do take a few extra things to bolster skin and hair health, optimize energy transfer and maximize performance for a very active lifestyle. This is specific to my needs and my age. I do think that a preventative approach might be useful for those of you who care more about skin and hair and might be taxing your body significantly with workouts and/or long days using your noodle (I mean brain…get your mind outta the gutter).
For those of you who are interested here is what I add
- Hydrolized collagen peptides (something I only recently changed my mind about due to new science) – The right peptides have been shown to increase elasticity and hydration of skin cells. More so than just supplementing with protein. Still not sure about its benefits on tendon or ligament healing.
- Creatine – 5g.day has been shown to boost athletic performance and aid in gaining and maintaining muscle mass. Something that is increasingly important as you age, an unfortunate concern of mine as I near the half century mark! I only take this about 4-5 months per year so far.
- Acetyl L Carnitine – Has some decent science behind its ability to prevent and treat brain degenerative diseases. It is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and helps with sleep and energy production. It is also useful in mobilizing fat for energy use and increases muscle gaining ability. Developing science suggests this compound is capable of improving vision as well. I cycle through this – 3 months on 3 months off.
- Sulforaphane – Though I don’t take this every day, I do take it most days. This compound, also found in broccoli sprouts has some impressive benefits and several randomized control studies behind it. Sulforaphane has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers (TNF1 & CRP), triglycerides and cancer risk. Through a detoxification pathway, it seems to help excrete benzenes – a known carcinogen. Sulforaphane has also been shown to reduce oxidative stress and LDL markers.
This is my entire “regular” daily dose list. I will cycle through a few other things depending on my energy level or if I am having any sleep or digestive issues. But I try to limit it to the above mentioned items.
It is very tempting to run out and get a bunch of supplements when someone of high repute lists something they take that is supposed to shave years off of your life, or make you look younger or have a stronger libido. And it is very daunting to do the research yourself. Most people end up finding websites for companies selling the products or some guys blog…..like this one! How can you trust any of it? You can’t. Your best bet is to find blogs that point towards research. A great site is examine.com, they provide all the relevant research for supplements and they also grade the level of research and potential benefits. There is a time and a place for many supplements out there. Indeed, many of them can be great alternatives to medications that have too many side effects but the vast majority of supplements do not need to be taken regularly. Your best bet is to ask a nutrition expert (not a doctor, they are not trained in nutrition) to see if what you are considering is useful.
I hope this is helpful and saves you some time and money. If you have any questions on supplements or how to eat so that you don’t need them, please contact us for a consult! We would be happy to help.
Kindest regards
Joey