You want to start supplementing your diet, but everything written on supplements is greek to you. You’ve got no idea of the International Unit (IU) thing and how much of what should you take.
Good news: you don’t have to know what exactly which vitamin or mineral does to your body. What you must know is how much of what your body requires. You also want to make sure that you aren’t taking anything in excess either.
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Read on to learn about six supplements that are recommended for everyone to take.
Vitamin D
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin D is 2,000 to 5,000 IU a day.
So you know that you need to consume between 2,000 and 5,000 IU to make sure that you don’t suffer a deficiency or an excess.
Vitamin D can be produced under skin via exposure to sun and is essential for many body functions. A deficiency can lead to a myriad of symptoms, which require a vast range of medications to treat and control.
The immune system, the digestive system and the nervous system all require vitamin D for specific crucial functions.
A deficiency of this nutrient can lead to osteoporosis in adults and rickets in children, characterized by weak, porous bones.
Adequate consumption of Vitamin D reduces risks of developing asthma, heart disease, and cancer.
Magnesium
RDA: 200-400 mg/day
Being low on magnesium can have devastating effects on your mental health, sleep patterns, and your mood.
Magnesium is a key foundational micro-nutrient for hormone pathways, detoxification and neurotransmitter regulation. Adequate amounts of this mineral also helps the body relax and improve muscle function.
You definitely wouldn’t want to go without it, given the stressful lives we live.
Since it is a mineral and is an important component of everything in the body, a deficiency can lead to a variety of symptoms like hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, as well as neural and cardiac challenges.
Probiotics
RDA: 20-50 billion CFUs/day
I like to say that there’s a living world inside each of us, whether or not we are pregnant. Our bodies have to feed and grow the organisms inside us. There are hundreds of thousands of microbial colonies in our gut. These microbes – dominated by bacteria – play vital roles in the body’s defense systems and digestive systems. We need to keep them alive because if under any circumstances a specific microbe disappears (read: dies) or reduce in number, the body will suffer. A lot!
The immune and digestive systems will fail, and a number of other unfortunate things will happen too.
Probiotics, which themselves are living microorganisms, supplement the already existing organisms in their functions. They are measured in colony-forming units, or CFUs.
Prebiotics
Dosage: Varies from person to person
Prebiotics nourish probiotics/gut microbiome. They help them grow healthy and live longer. The dosage varies from person to person. Talk to a physician to know what amount suits you the best.
Combining pre- with pro- biotics is a great idea.
Omegas
RDA: 2-3 g/day
Omegas are kinds of fatty acids. I want you to focus on the anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids, which also play a vital role in brain function.
Our ‘modern’ lifestyles have given us the luxury of loading up our bodies with omega 6 fatty acids, which are inflammatory and have roles contrary to omega 3 acids. But our body requires both of these compounds to be present in 1:1 ratio to achieve what is considered a healthy body.
Omega supplements can help you achieve that healthy ratio. But it also doesn’t replace plant-based diets and adequate sleep.
Vegan Protein Powder
Dosage: 1 scoop/day
Your daily dose of supplements can be rounded off with a vegan protein powder. It can fill any unintentional nutritional gaps in your diet. Any product with 20-25 grams of plant-based protein should be suitable.
You can take this as a booster in your smoothie, or a post-workout bar.
