Nutrition supplements

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Nutritional supplements are consumed by the shopping basket-full by some people and shunned as expensive urine by others. It is a topic that I discussed with co-guests Patrick Holford and Nicola Bentley on the Real Health TV programme a few weeks ago. Now-a-days, with compromised soil qualities, mass commercialisation of farming, huge road miles that produce has to travel, and the increased stress and toxicity that people face on a daily basis, I no longer believe that it is a case of “do we or don’t we”; it is more an issue of “what and how much?”

In my mind, there are four or more large areas of focus when it comes to supplementation:

- Firstly, what is your diet giving you in terms of nutrient density and nutrient variety?
- Secondly, how well is your body absorbing these nutrients; this very much comes down to the health and capabilities of your digestive tract.
- Thirdly, what are the environmental pressures on your body - how much do you exercise (too little, too much, or just enough), what are your daily stress levels (which are very depleting to our nutrient reserves), what is your environmental pollution exposure (which uses up valuable nutrients in the need to detoxify these toxins), and how much do you sleep (not enough means insufficient physiological restoration).
- Fourthly, what are your genetic predispositions? In order for every function in your body to perform correctly, it needs a number of biochemical steps to work. For example, to make brain chemicals (neurotransmitters), which help us to focus, relax or be creative, we need certain biochemical steps to proceed. The same applies to energy production and many many other essential body functions. Most of these biochemical steps require ‘co-factors’, which are powered by nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. The enzymes for these biochemical steps don’t work so well in some individuals, so from a genetic perspective, it makes sense to give that person a very bespoke blend of nutrients to help them to maintain their health.

I will provide an example of an essential bodily function that both myself and Patrick Holford discussed on the Real Health show - methylation. This is a process that helps DNA to replicate correctly, certain detox pathways to proceed, our blood vessels and nerves to stay healthy and notably, to prevent nasty cardiovascular and neurodegeneration diseases over time. Some people are naturally poor methylators, but the solution is pretty simple - B-vitamins! With the genetic knowledge of poor methylation, just by taking some quality B-vits every day (especially folic acid, B6 and B12), we can help to keep our bodies healthy for much longer in life.

Vitamins and mineral are just the start for supplementation - they are termed ‘essential’ nutrients, which means that in most cases, the body can’t make them. We need to be eating a large variety of high-quality nutritious foods (without excluding food groups), plus carefully using nutritional supplements. Additionally, we can choose to supplement our life with herbs, homeopathic remedies, amino acids, fatty acids, probiotics, prebiotics, nucleotides, and a whole host of interesting remedies, including the more recent inclusion of real food extracts, including superfoods, as discussed by Nicola Bentley. In most cases, I would advise you to consult with a nutrition or health practitioner who is qualified and experienced in the use of supplementation.

See Chapter 11 in our book Wholesome Nutrition for a more detailed discussion of supplements.

Click here and then select Video 11 on the homepage to view my supplements discussion on the Real Health TV channel.