Even traditionally trained physicians have come to recognize that everyone needs to take a vitamin supplement. Eating a perfect diet consisting of healthy, organic foods is not the way the average American eats.

And even if your diet consists primarily of fruits and vegetables, our soil has been so depleted of minerals and nutrients that much of its nutritional value is lost. While we do need supplements, walking into a health food store can be overwhelming and expensive.

Often we add a new supplement because of something we read in a magazine or hear on the news, and with the best of intentions, we rush out to buy a bottle of this vitamin or herb. Since (as of now) the FDA does not regulate vitamins or herbs, we are free to buy and use supplements as much as we want.

While I am not suggesting that the FDA step in and regulate supplement use, I do think we would do well to learn more about proper supplementation before spending unnecessary money on supplements or worse, instead of improving our health, we harm without we figure out. he.

Supplementation doesn’t have to be complicated. If you are not already taking a vitamin/mineral supplement, you can start by looking for one that is derived from food and not chemicals. Synthetic vitamins (made in a laboratory) are not absorbed properly since your cells are smart enough to know the difference between what to allow (food) and what to avoid (chemicals).

Purchase Guidelines

• You are wasting your money if you buy cheap synthetic vitamins at your local Walgreen’s or Costco: the liver can even become toxic due to the buildup of residual vitamin residues.
• Always take a liquid over a tablet to ensure absorption.
• Consider Sea Aloe – Contains vitamins, minerals, amino acids and trace elements and is derived from sea vegetables.
• Aloe vera and pau d’arco (purple lapacho, usually in the form of tea bags or loose leaves) have healing properties.
• Always take a quality fish oil — buy cheap fish oil and you risk mercury contamination.
• Vitamin D3 is essential and can be easily obtained from your diet by including foods such as oily fish, ie salmon, trout or mackerel. Note: It is essential to monitor your vitamin D level.
• The benefits of vitamin C are well known.

It’s also crucial to remember that while supplements, whether vitamins or herbs, are easily considered “natural,” that doesn’t mean they’re benign. Safe supplementation requires due diligence: supplements can cause dangerous interactions with certain medications, or even each other.

A friend of mine was taking Ultram (a frequently prescribed pain reliever), then added melatonin along with 5HTP (both available at health food stores) to help him sleep. Taken individually, each of these would have been safe, but when taken in combination with Ultram, they caused a life-threatening condition known as Serotonin Syndrome.

Therefore, of course, supplement, but supplement safely. Google Sloan Kettering (MSKCC), the famous center for cancer research and treatment. Through their website, you can search for information on vitamins and herbs and their potential drug interactions.