I take some supplements each day. Do you? What are they?
Being an Acupuncturist I get asked all the time if I take any vitamins or supplements. Folks already know I use Chinese Herb Formulas when I need them for illnesses or other conditions because I prescribe them in my practice. You'd be amazed at how many different medicinal herbal formulas there are for a very wide range of problems.
My answer is yes when asked about taking daily supplements. The reason I do is because I want my body working the best it can. Vitamins and minerals are coenzymes. Inside your cells enzymes (which are proteins plus a coenzyme) run everything that happens. They are made from chains of amino acids plus a coenzyme which is either a vitamin or a mineral. Without the coenzyme the enzyme just doesn't work right if at all. In other words your cells might be only working 75% of their potential, just to choose a number. Why not give my cells everything they could possibly need to work at 100% efficiency?
I take vitamins and minerals that come from plants. It's important to understand our bodies are made to get vitamins and minerals from what we eat. This is because they are bio-available due to being already attached to an organic compound. We are not made to get minerals from eating rocks or dirt. Most typical mineral supplements get them from non-organic sources. For instance, if you see that iron is in your daily vitamin tablet (Fe++), it likely comes from rust (yep) and not from a plant or animal source. This means most of it will just pass through you. In the case of iron, it will likely make you more prone to constipation.
There are very good reasons to eat your fruits and veggies, esp. leafy greens. Plants are capable of taking minerals directly from soil and transforming them into organic compounds that animal then eat. The organic compounds are what we need and expect to get. If you eat meat obviously that animal ate plants or other animals thus giving you organic compounds as well.
Below are pics of the supplements I take, though I don't do them every day, but that's just a personal choice of mine...or I forget. I know plenty of people will tell you taking supplements is like flushing money down the toilet. Well, if you don't get all the micronutrients you need for your cells to work optimally, you'll feel sluggish or worse you will become biologically sick. Your body will take what it needs and let the rest go. So if you are lacking something your body will snap it up. It you don't need it your body will let it pass. The supplements I take are in capsule or tablet form. I take them with meals to increase absorption and I take them several times a day (2 tablets or two capsules with each meal) so I don't just overload myself with them and piss them out.
Companies like Pure Encapsulations, Garden of Life, Health Concerns and Source Naturals are absolutely top quality which is very important in my opinion. Some of these products are a bit pricey but worth every penny.
Ultranutrient has everything in it including the kitchen sink. All things in it come from organic sources and in amounts that are what you want. Besides all the vitamins and minerals out there, it has a ton of other things too such as alpha lipoic acid and inositol. Since it comes from natural sources you can take up to six capsules per day. I normally do three.
Raw Green Super Food is made from juiced veggies, sprouts, seeds and grasses. It also includes raw probiotics and digestive enzymes (lipase, cellulase, lactase, amylase, peptidase, protease, etc.) Fresh juice is freeze dried to assure top potency. It's done by spraying fine mists of the juice into a freezing cold space which causes it to instantly freeze in the air into a freeze dried powder. After that they add the digestive enzymes and probiotics prior to putting it in capsules.
Vitamin D is really essential for so many things including bones, immune system and a healthy colon. I take one or two 5000 iu tiny capsules at a time. I don't take it every day unless lots of people are sick with colds or the flu.
Ecliptex is a great Chinese Herb Formula with Milk Thistle added for liver support. I don't know anyone who can't stand some liver support. This I do NOT take with meals because I don't want to dilute the formula doing what it does.
SAMe and DMAE are for brain health including cognition and mood support. They really do work. Most people can feel the effects after a few days. SAMe is also good for liver support and joint pains as well. Both of these I also do NOT take with meals. I find it best to take in the morning prior to breakfast.
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