Hello there!
Today I just wanted to talk about supplements. As a naturopath we learn a lot about supplementation and nutrients. Normally we recommend getting vitamins, minerals and nutrients via good quality food. There is a synergistic way that food works that you can’t replicate in synthetic nutrients. However, the supplements we use, meaning good quality ones, are still excellent substitutes.
Naturopaths usually prescribe practitioner only ranges which incorporate herbs and micronutrients and the reason why they do is because these products are highly researched and are consisting of high-quality constituents with correct dosages. Some are blends and are specific to certain conditions and are pure in ingredients.
There is nothing wrong with supplements on the market that you get at your chemist or supermarket but basically, in my own opinion, you get what you pay for. Some of the cheaper supplements have not so nice excipients. These can create issues in reactions to them. For example, I bought a supplement from my supermarket and I found that I had cramps after taking them. I feel the excipients (ie. The filler substances that bulk up the tablets) were disagreeable to my tummy. So, I ceased taking them and recovered.
I am not knocking this brand, but I realise that it works for some but not for others. Some forms of supplements such as magnesium come in different forms and depending on which form, they are more absorbable. So, this ensures that you don’t eliminate most of the nutrients in your urine. That it is transported to every cell in the body.
There are awesome supplements, though, that are on the shelves at the chemist. I think its just doing your homework before you buy them. We, as health practitioners, are trained to understand contraindications and most lay people may not be aware of this. Even with supplements and supplements with herbs in. For example, you may be on antidepressants but hear that St. John’s Wort can help with depression. However, the herb can interact with your normal medicines. So you really need to go down the right path of investigation and prescription in order to switch to something you would like to try herbs. It is scientific and technical how SJW can interact and is valid. So, to dismiss it as ‘just an herb what can it hurt?’ can be a bit of a risk.
So, my intention of discussing supplements is just to educate. To show you that we naturopaths are not just ‘quacks’. That we train for years on natural health and there’s a method to the madness. We work holistically, and this has so much more of an impact on someone if we educate them on how to be well. We are passionate peeps and love to help. Hope this has been an interesting topic for you and if so drop me a line and let me know what you think.
Lisa
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