I’m 50 years old and I’m not on any prescription medications. So far.

I self prescribe an array of preventative, holistic, and natural medicines and therapies such as:

• fresh vegetables and fruit
• movement through out the day such as walking and stretching
• activity/fitness such as yoga, low impact aerobics, hiking, and short bouts of jogging (when my body is up to it)
• being mindful how much I spend on recreational screen time
• being present in nature
• Resting and recharging when my energy is low and not feeling good.
• Saying yes more to things that bring me joy

Nutrients from food are best. For instance, there are hundreds, if not thousands of antioxidants and other beneficial compounds found in plant foods that you don’t get in a pill. Supplements aren’t a replacement for wholesome, nutritious foods. But sometimes you need a boost.

I take these dietary supplements:

Iron 

My periods have become very heavy during peri menopause and I’m prone to iron deficiency anemia. I take it in the form of ferrous gluconate since it’s easier on my gut.

I get my hemoglobin checked regularly at the doctor’s office and adjust my dose accordingly.

Vitamin D 

Vitamin D is a hot topic. An extensive article could be written on this essential nutrient that acts both as a vitamin and a hormone. There have been thousands of studies published on vitamin D. Vitamin D has an important role in the upkeep of all the systems in the body.

Most people in North America (especially in the northern hemisphere) don’t get enough vitamin D from their diet or from the sun. There are also many factors that affect the absorption of vitamin D such as skin color (darker skin absorbs less vitamin D from the sun than lighter skin), weight and health conditions such as malabsorption disorders, liver disease, and kidney disease.

There isn’t a fast and inexpensive blood test to check individual vitamin D levels. It’s not routinely included in lab tests. And that’s an issue. If most people are deficient in Vitamin D, healthcare providers don’t have a baseline to recommend the amount of supplemental vitamin D and duration to correct the deficiency.

Recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for essential nutrients, set by the federal government, are only for healthy individuals to maintain their level of nutrients. Another downfall is that the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D was determined by how much vitamin D was needed to prevent rickets. This recommended daily amount is the bare minimum to prevent overt malnutrition, not for optimal health.

As mentioned, the majority of people are deficient in vitamin D. And secondly, most people are not healthy.

I personally take a total of 2,000 IU daily vitamin D all year (not just in the winter), which is more than the RDA of 600 IU for adults but still under the upper tolerable limit of 4,000 IU. Taking too much supplemental vitamin D can lead to excessive and harmful blood levels of calcium. I would like to get a blood test for vitamin D so I’m not guessing how much I should take as a daily supplement.

Omega 3’s 

Another essential nutrient that many people don’t get enough from their diet are Omega 3’s. A whopping 90% of North Americans don’t get enough of this underrated nutrient.

Most adults need about 1,000 mg of omega 3’s daily.

If you are looking for an omega 3 supplement, read the nutrition label to see how much of the omega 3’s, EPA and DHA it has per capsule. The front packaging can be misleading on some products. You don’t want a supplement if the front packaging says it has 1,000 mg fish oils but when you look at the nutrition label it only contains a total of 200 mg of EPA and DHA per capsule. In this case, you would need to take five capsules per day to get 1,000 mg of omega 3’s, EPA and DHA.

Ignore the front packaging on how how much fish oils it has and always look at the nutrition label for how much EPA and DHA it contains per capsule.

Omega 3’s from animal sources (EPA and DHA) are superior to omega 3’s from plant sources (ALA). I only occasionally eat animal based foods that are high in omega 3’s such as salmon. I have self determined that I’m deficient in this nutrient.

I take 2 capsules of Jamieson ™ Omega 3 Select ™ daily. Each soft gel capsule contains 300 mg EPA and 200 mg DHA - for a total of 1,000 mg Omega 3’s. Like vitamin D, blood levels of omega 3’s aren’t routinely included in lab tests and therefore I don’t know how much I should be taking as a dietary supplement to bring my blood levels up to normal. Again, I’m estimating. 

Probiotics 

I take Align probiotics since it has the right strains and amount of microbes for my IBS symptoms.

There are many different type of probiotics used for different reasons. It’s best to talk with a healthcare provider knowledgeable in this area for personalized recommendations.

Multivitamin 

Why? I say why not. I can afford them and they’re extra insurance when I’m not eating perfectly (which is never!). 

I look to see how much Iron and vitamin D are in my multivitamin and adjust my dietary supplements of these nutrients according to how much I want to take daily.

For example, if I want to take a a total of 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily and my multivitamin has 1,000 IU of vitamin D, I would only need an extra 1,000 IU daily vitamin D supplement. 

Take home message

The two dietary supplements I would encourage you to research, discuss with your healthcare team and consider taking if appropriate are vitamin D and omega 3’s. Most people are deficient in both nutrients.

Vitamin D supplements are inexpensive. One 1,000 IU vitamin D supplement cost merely pennies, between $0.03 - $0.06.

Omega 3’s are more costly. I found a deal at a store for 50% off for the brand I buy and stocked up for two years. I bought an amount corresponding to how many I take per day and the expiry date. I store them in the basement where it’s dark and cooler.

Canned sardines are a high source of omega 3’s, inexpensive and are not contaminated with mercury. They are also a good source of vitamin D. If you don’t eat fish regularly and you can’t afford taking supplemental omega 3’s every day, you can take an omega 3 supplement two to three times a week. 

I have a motto that I tell myself all the time, “something is better than nothing.” 

Further information:

Dr. Eric Berg on YouTube has short information videos on a variety of health topics including vitamin D.

Probiotic chart: Probiotic Chart

Disclaimers: 

This is general information only and does not replace individual, personalized advice from a healthcare provider.

I’m not affiliated with any businesses mentioned in this post. I did not receive financial payment or gifts for this post.