Prescribing specific vitamins for everyone to take is a bit like prescribing the same shoe size for everyone. It’s important to understand that different people have different genetics, different body compositions, different diets, exercise habits, sleep schedules, stress levels, occupations, hobbies and so on. To make specific recommendations for everyone would be a severe and tragic oversimplification.
That being said, the question what vitamins should I take? needn’t be unnecessarily complicated either. Of course, If you have a specific condition, you’ll need to see a medical professional to get it sorted out. But given that most of us who suffer from health problems have similar issues at the core, it’s reasonable to make some general, research-based recommendations for supplementation.
So What Vitamins Should I Take?
The following is a short list of supplements that virtually everyone can stand to benefit from taking. It is not, however, applicable to everyone, and by the same token, there are many, many other supplements that will be beneficial to specific people. Again, this is intended to be a list of vitamins and supplements that will be helpful for almost anyone, not a comprehensive overview of all potentially-beneficial supplements.
1. Vitamin D3
Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the developed world. An abundance of nutrient-barren foods and lack of sun exposure has led to deficiency rates estimated to be as high as 50 percent. That means, according to research, one in every two people are deficient in vitamin D. Moreover, many doctors and researchers believe that the USDA’s guidelines for vitamin D intake are unusually low, meaning that perhaps even more people aren’t getting enough vitamin D. According to scientist Paul Jaminet, it’s possible that as much as 80 percent of Americans are getting less than optimal levels of vitamin D.
The most important consideration when purchasing vitamin D supplements is the difference between vitamin D3 and vitamin D2. Vitamin D3 is the form produced by vertebrates and the form humans can use most efficiently. Cheaper supplements often use vitamin D2, which is more difficult for humans to use and less effective for addressing deficiency.
As a general guideline, I suggest taking between 2000 and 4000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. Stay closer to 2000 if you get a decent amount of sun exposure and closer to 4000 if you’re rarely out in the sun. If you live in a hot climate and you’re outside often, you may not need to supplement.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important for maintaining proper function within cells and various others processes in the body. Without vitamin C, the body quickly degenerates and succumbs to various health problems.
As highlighted in another Vitamin Source article on Vitamin C, vitamin C deficiency is very common, especially among people eating poor diets and people eating very low carb or ketogenic diets. Deficiency often results in a host of symptoms including joint pain, bleeding gums and muscle loss. Extreme deficiency can lead to scurvy and even death.
While it’s certainly possible to get sufficient vitamin C intake from eating large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, very few people reach optimal levels of intake. Furthermore, studies suggest that even people who are reaching the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C may benefit from supplementation. Several multi-million dollar studies have found that vitamin C supplementation seems to reduce risk for heart disease and reduced risk of mortality.
If you do supplement vitamin C, I recommend taking between 500 and 1000 mg of vitamin C per day depending on body size and how regularly you eat fruits and vegetables. Favor supplements that don’t contain too added sugar or artificial flavorings (many vitamin C tablets are chewable).
3. Fish Oil
As mentioned in the post Benefits of Fish Oil Supplementation, fish oil is one of the few supplements that is consistently supported by the research. As detailed further in the post, the health benefits of fish oil likely stem from it’s omega-3 content. Quality fish oils contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to remedy the negative effects of our excessive omega-6 intake from unhealthy grain-fed animals and vegetable oils.
Krill oil and cod liver oil are some healthy alternatives to fish oil, and there is some controversy over which provides the most health benefits. All three, however, have been shown to have positive effects on health, and in most cases the source and quality of the oil is the most important factor. Whether you choose cod liver oil, krill oil or conventional fish oil, it’s important to find a product with high nutrient content and low toxicity levels, as fish products often show signs of contamination. Furthermore, some lower-quality fish oils, especially when sold in large quantities, have been known to go rancid after a period of time. When supplementing gel capsules, make sure to bite into one of the capsules every once in a while to make sure the oil hasn’t gone rancid, as rancidity is dangerous to health.
When choosing a fish oil supplement, look to buy from a brand you trust, or follow recommendations from authorities you trust.
4. Probiotics
One of the largest changes to society in the last few hundred years has been modern sanitation. These days, everything is sterile. Everything is clean. For the most part this is enormously beneficial, since many diseases can be avoided as a result. However, one pitfall is that we no longer ingest the good bacteria that our guts need to properly break down food.
Our stomachs typically contain trillions of different bacteria that help with digestion and fighting off illness. However, since everything we eat today is thoroughly cleaned, we often don’t get enough healthy bacteria in our system.
In general, these good bacteria will multiply by themselves and remain at a healthy level in your stomach. However, when you get sick or take antibiotics, the number of good bacteria in your stomach is often greatly reduced.
Probiotics aren’t a supplement that needs to be taken every day, but it’s a good idea to take them on occasion, or after getting sick or taking antibiotics. Fermented foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut are also good for building healthy levels of friendly gut bacteria.
5. Multivitamins
Multivitamins occupy somewhat of a gray area, as people eating optimal diets (especially young people) generally don’t need them. However, few people choose to eat optimal diets, and still fewer actually get it right. That being the case, multivitamins function as a sort of insurance policy. If your diet is lacking, a high-quality multivitamin will be incredibly helpful in compensating for nutrient deficiencies. And even if you think your diet is perfect, there’s a good chance you’re still missing something.
How to eat to maintain perfect health is still a controversial and frustratingly dogmatic subject. Much like religion, everyone is convinced they’re right. Spiritual beliefs aside, as far as diet goes, it’s important to realize that you may not having a perfect understanding of what makes a healthy diet. Even the top scientists and doctors are still learning in this area.
So even if you are eating healthy, taking a high-quality multivitamin may be a good idea to make sure you have all your bases covered.
When choosing a multivitamin, quality is very important. Many multivitamins are low-quality and will do virtually nothing to improve your health. The chief considerations should be the bioavailability and appropriate balance of the nutrients.
The bioavailability of a nutrient basically describes the extent to which it can be utilized by the body. Vitamin D3, for example, is the form of vitamin D present in nature and can be utilized by the body much more easily than vitamin D2, a form which is not produced by vertebrates or land-based plants. The nutrient ratio is important, because you want to get all nutrients in the quantities that your body needs, rather than getting unnecessarily high doses of some and insufficient amounts of others.
Determining the quality of a multivitamin can be rather difficult, but perhaps the best indicator for the average buyer is the form of each nutrient that is used. For example, higher quality multivitamins should contain vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin and not cyanocobalamin, and have various mixed carotenes, rather than just one, like the commonly known beta-carotene.
Other Considerations: Which Vitamins Should I Actually Take?
As I mentioned before, this is by no means a definitive list of all useful supplements, nor are these supplements necessary for everyone. Moreover, for the most part, the more vitamins and minerals you can get from your diet rather than supplements, the better.
That being said, most people stand to benefit in one way or another from taking the above supplements. Do your best to find quality products, try different things, and see how you feel. The human body is quite adept at telling you what’s working and what isn’t, so try it out and see what works best for you.