What is a Supplement? What Is a Supplement Supposed To Do?

The biggest thing to remember about supplements is that their purpose is to supplement.  Supplement what?  The nutrition we’re supposed to receive from our food.  That’s where our primary source is to come from, not supplements.

Too many begin to think they can get everything in “a” pill or tablet or some elixir.  Our best and primary source of nutrition will not currently be found in anything but whole food. Why do we need a supplement to begin with?  The short answer here is because most people will not get from our primary source (food) all that we need, even when eating organic food.  We may find ourselves deficient in a vitamin or mineral, amino acid, electrolyte, hormone or other nutrient that we need to supplement to build or maintain that level. 

We also have a deficiency in our food, even some organic foods.  Our air, soil, water, for the most part, are not what they used to be. Spinach, for example, grown in 1960, contained 50% more iron than most of what is grown today.  Even doing the best we can with organic soil and fertilizers, we will still have less than what we used to get and what we need.

It’s also hard for many to get the foods they need and/or don’t eat enough variety to maintain nutritional balance. This leaves us with a need to supplement. Here is the problem I have seen in helping thousands of people better understand nutrition; for the most part, most people do not understand the contents of what they take.  There is a lack of knowledge of label terms, purposes, the difference between chemicals made in a lab compared to natural elements found in the earth, minerals, and foods. Adding to this is the fact that many believe a chemical version of a nutrient from a lab (often using the cheapest of sources) is just as healthy as a nutrient sourced from organic whole food. Worse yet is most doctors have far too little understanding of real nutrition, receiving only weeks of classes compared to most natural physicians who go through years of nutritional training.  Most Western doctors have no true understanding of the difference between the two and therefore can’t properly give the best information to their patients.

Additionally, what I find when it comes to supplements, is many trying to get everything they perceive that pertains to their need all in one pill or formula.  And I see people not knowing what is in their formula.  Many don’t spend the time to get just what they need.  And marketing does not help.  It’s important to understand that a company that produces a product you need has no interest whatsoever in your health, only your money.  If they can give you something that has what they have to offer, spending the least amount of money, most will.  There a few exceptions but for the most part, your health is not their priority. Many are buying products because the label said it contains what they’ve learned they need (often from the ill advice of a friend or someone on social media).  But most don’t look at the back of the label to see what source it is, what else it might contain, what it is made of or even how they’re made.  And worse yet, is many of those who even get that far, don’t read the “other ingredients” that almost every product has.  By law, all ingredients are supposed to be labeled, especially when it comes to supplements. Yet, most never learn that there is a difference is some vitamins and minerals.  Vitamin C, for example, is in many vitamin and mineral supplements, yet most of what is found is ascorbic acid, a chemical version of Vitamin C but lacking the other essential parts of this vital nutrient.  And what is found in supplements like this is almost always made in a lab.  Space does not permit me to expand on how and from what, but my point here is that many are taking a chemical version that does not provide all of what they would get if it came either directly from food or from a supplement made from whole organic food. 

Thus, many suffer and often times continue in a state deficient of that nutrient.  This is more than case than not and with almost every vitamin product marketed. This also holds true with minerals.  I know, you may think “how can a mineral be anything but a mineral?” but you might be surprised. An example of that would be Magnesium.  A very popular mineral and one needed more by the body than most scientists have believed for decades. 

Many more people are now using magnesium but many are not taking the best form and there are over a dozen.  The cheapest is Magnesium Citrate.  Citrate is found in many, many products but is a substance that is really best avoided entirely.  Magnesium is found in many natural sources but some are better than others when it comes to bioavailability in the body.  And depending on what it’s produced with, can make a difference in how it reacts in the body and its degree of bioavailability.  Magnesium Citrate, for example, is used for many things but the most effective use is for constipation in that it draws water into the stool.  However, it has significant downfalls. This brings up two red flags.  One, where does the magnesium come from?  Is it being sourced from chalk, or marble, as they are the cheapest?  Or is it carbonate from one of many sources from oyster shells, eggshells, coral, or other, like algae?  Is it from sulfate (Epsom Salts)?  But then we must ask, what is it mixed with as plain magnesium is hard to absorb by itself, especially some types, but is it mixed with citrate, or an amino acid such as glycine (glycinate), malic acid (malate), aspartic acid (aspartate), etc.?  So if it’s a cheap source and a poor quality additive is used, then do we still have a suitable product that will provide what you need without introducing something unhealthy or even harmful? There are many variations between these in almost every vitamin, every mineral, and every multi-type supplement out there.  So many, that it’s mind-boggling.  And this leaves many who are taking supplements that may be doing little for what is needed and more damage than good in some cases.

Note:  Citrate is synthetic Citric Acid.  It is known to leach calcium and perhaps other minerals from the bones in order to neutralize the acidity accompanied by the strong citric acid.  This is much different than citric acid found in lemons, limes, and oranges for example in that it is concentrated, though these natural acids do the same to a lesser extent.  The average amount of citric acid in lemon juice is only about 3 to 4 percent but Citrate is pure 100% citric acid.  In addition to pulling minerals like calcium and potassium from the bones, it is also said to lead to kidney damage with long-term use and when used with calcium supplements (or when calcium is in the blood), it can create kidney stones.

What is key in acquiring the right supplement for you is first knowing exactly what you need.  If you don’t get enough of the right foods, then an organic, whole food Vitamin or Multi-Vitamin/Mineral supplement is what you need.  But it needs to be as organic and free of contaminants as possible.  It needs to be void of chemicals and anti-nutrients.  The second important part of choosing a good supplement is getting just what you need with nothing else with it, unless impossible, which is rare. Almost every nutrient found in supplement form can be obtained separately.  Then you take only what you need when and with what you know you need to add accordingly.  If what you are deficient in is a mineral, then what you want is just that mineral. 

Now, most minerals require Vitamin C to work, to be activated or aid in assimilation but this should not be found in your mineral supplement as most will not use the right form and are likely to have the dosage incorrect.  One of the other problems I’ve found is inappropriately balanced ingredients.  So what you want to buy is just the mineral you need and take it with the Vitamin C unless you already have some in your system.  But don’t buy a formula with both together if you want to assure the best quality, sourcing, processing, and dosages.

There are many additives included in many such products and some can actually be rather unhealthy.  These range from chemicals, to salts, to anti-caking agents to emulsifiers, to preservatives, to cancer-causing agents.  It is therefore wise to check out every label ingredient before buying.  Chances are if you can’t pronounce it, it’s a chemical made in a lab.  Almost everything ending in “ate” and “ite” are chemicals, (not all) so it pays to look closely. It also pays to know what the real, organic form of each nutrient is. 

There is also a difference in sources, such as Vitamin A. Two forms of vitamin A are available in the human diet: preformed vitamin A (retinol and its esterified form, retinyl ester) and provitamin A carotenoids [1-5]. Preformed vitamin A is found in foods from animal sources, including dairy products, fish, and meat (especially liver). (1) One of the biggest downfalls I see is in the “B” Vitamins is synthetic B12.  There is one specific form that many people end up taking not knowing the difference until they’ve been diagnosed with toxicity due to the chemical form, usually found as Cyanocobalamin.  Unlike cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin is a naturally occurring form of vitamin B12 that can be obtained through supplements, as well as food sources like fish, meat, eggs, and milk. (2) Other forms of B12 are Hydroxocobalamin, which is naturally created by bacteria.  This makes it the type found in most foods.  It is easily converted to Methylcobalamin in the body.  The other form of B12 found is Adenosylcobalamin, which is not harmful but is the least stable and not used as much in supplements. (3) Most Vitamin D (which is actually a hormone) is about the same. The form of vitamin D found most is vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol, yet many still are taking or being told by doctors to take D2 and even supplementing D3 may not be wise. While one study says this is just as good, most nutritionists don’t believe that.  D3 is the natural form of vitamin D that your body makes from sunlight. Most Vitamin D3 supplements are made from the fat of lambs’ wool. (4) One of my complaints when it comes to supplements is Vitamin K.  There are three basic types of vitamin K.  K1, which is also called phylloquinone, is mostly found in plant foods like leafy green vegetables. It makes up about 75-90% of all vitamin K consumed by humans.  Vitamin K2, however, is one that is most often found with anti-nutrients such as soy (mostly natto, which is usually nattokinase), chickpeas, or alfalfa.  All of these are poor choices for many people as these (soy, chickpeas, alfalfa) are legumes and contain phytates which block mineral absorption, as well as phytoestrogens that throw off hormone balance, as well as other antinutrients.  As many of those taking this do so to treat Osteoporosis, it undermines their attempts to get the very minerals their bones need.  But since most are made from fermented soy (natto /nattokinase) which presents many issues from GMOs with close to 94% being GMO based and up to 82% world-wide, and most being grown with Glyphosate, which has been proven to cause cancer, as well as the phytates and phytoestrogens that disrupt the endocrine system, leaves this form one to avoid.  Orange Jasmine, on the other hand, is a great form of K2.  K2 comes in over a dozen different forms from MK1 up but the most commonly used are mk4 (Menatetrenone) and mk7 (Menaquinone).  Orange Jasmine has both MK4 and MK7.  The higher the “K” factor, the less is needed and the longer it lasts. Menadione, an entirely synthetic molecule with vitamin K activity, was developed in the 1940s and called (at the time) vitamin K3.  This is not found much these days. (5)

So next time you go to buy a supplement, you may want to make sure you are getting just the supplement nutrient your body needs without any of the extra added stuff that might do more harm than good.

Douglas K. Johnson – Life, Health and Wellness Coach, Herbalist, Nutritionist, and Author

(1) – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/

(2) – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/methylcobalamin-vs-cyanocobalamin

(3) – https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/four-types-vitamin-b12/

(4) – https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/the-truth-about-vitamin-d-what-kind-of-vitamin-d-is-best 

(5) – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-k1-vs-k2

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