When Do We Need to Supplement?
“Should I be taking supplements or not?” This question came up as I was talking with a friend. They asked whether or not they should supplement whey protein in their health shake. My typical answer to this is, “Only supplement when you don’t get enough of something or have an increased need for it.”
My personal opinion is that most of us get enough protein and this in not a necessary supplement. On the other hand I know there is research to show that supplementing with whey protein can be beneficial. Now, this blog post is not about whey protein but this conversation got me thinking. Maybe it is beneficial to supplement whey protein because it completes an empty loop left by the heavy consumption of casein, the other main milk protein.
Just a little background: whey protein is the by-product of cheese making. The whey is removed and the casein is concentrated. Considering cheese consumption has quadrupled in the last 6o years it got me thinking that maybe the imbalance that eating to much cheese may go beyond the excess it creates. What about the imbalance that is created because of what is missing?
Why Do We Need to Supplement?
In my understanding, why we need supplementation is usually because we’ve removed something that was originally there to begin with. Throw into the mix bad food choices, nutrient depleting farming methods, and increased toxicity…you get a fuller picture of why we need supplementation.
One problem I see with using supplementation as the fix for the removal of nutrients during food processing is that I don’t believe we have a full handle on all the things that are being removed. The depth of what food has to offer is still being explored. New nutrients like polyphenols, anthocynadins, and ellagic acid are just some of the beneficial chemicals that have been discovered in food in just the last few years.
To think that taking in isolated nutrients through supplements, and fully replace what we’re missing, is short-sighted. Isolated nutrients are the beginnings of realizing what we are missing when we alter food from its original state. Isolated nutrients may be just a start, but I think they are necessary to patch of some of the damage caused by the modern food system.
So to go back to my original thoughts about whey protein, I don’t think supplementing it will overcome our excessive consumption of cheese. Our best bet it to consume far less cheese.
So what about the other supplements? Should I take something to make up for what I do not get in my diet?
What Should I Be Supplementing?
I believe there are three main areas that Americans fall short on in their diets. Then, they need supplements to compensate. These areas are: a multivitamin mineral, omega 3 fatty acids, and probiotic nutrients.
First and foremost, consider a good multivitamin mineral supplement. It is best to get a whole food form with plenty of magnesium.
Secondly, I recommend a good omega 3 supplement. This fat is destroyed or removed from most processed foods because it is so volitile, or unstable. Since it is unstable and breaks down easily during processing and preparation, I recommend you get flax oil from a good company that is kept in the fridge. Even better yet buy some flax seeds and grind them yourself with a coffee grinder. Add this to oatmeal, pancakes, over salad, or mix it right into dinner. Add raw walnuts and extra virgin olive oil to your day and you have a good start to meeting this need.
Thirdly, I recommend a good probiotic supplement. Since we’ve become a germaphobic society, we generally kill off good bacteria (probiotics) in food processing. Pasteurization of milk is a good example of a source that would have supplied lots of good bacteria, but we destroy them during processing. Add antibiotics to this equation, which kill good and bad bacteria, and now you have created an overwhelming need. I think many people would benefit from daily probiotic supplementation. Once you have a better balance of good bacteria you can probably go down to a one month supply every 3 months.
Supplementation should have a specific purpose. If you are not aware of the reason why you take a supplement make sure to ask a qualified person for advice. Dietary supplements can also help us regain and maintain our health. Supplementation for medicinal purposes is way beyond the scope of this article.