multi_vitamin-300x194My Personal Recommendation

Many people ask me about whether they need to take a daily multivitamin. I hem and haw, because it would be ideal for all of us to get our nutritional needs from food.

The CDC reports that only 32% of adults consumed fruit two or more times per day in 2009, and just over 26% ate vegetables three or more times per day. As a reminder, an optimal diet for a mature adult would be ¼ of the plate with protein, and ¾ vegetables. Children should have more starches than adults such as rice, bread and noodles. The grains should be organic and non-GMO (no genetic modification), but that is another story…

If a person isn’t going to eat their vegetables or must eat food that isn’t optimal (institutional food), they may need to take a multivitamin. The best ones are from a food source. The Purium LOVE super powder and Power shake are two examples of these food based vitamins and minerals.

Everyone in Boise needs Vitamin D supplementation in the winter. We just don’t have enough sunlight in Boise in the winter. Elderly people may not convert much Vitamin D from their skin regardless of the season. Tanning beds are an option for adults if the beds emit Vitamin D producing UVB light. Do not tan in beds with only UVA light.

Vitamin D needs to be combined with Vitamin K. We have the combo in one capsule at Metta Health. For children: 0 to 2 year need 400 to 1000 IU per day, from 2 and above 600 to 1000 IU per day. Adults should take 1500 to 2000 per day, although I personally take 5000 IU per day in the winter. If you are getting a cold, increase your Vitamin C, and take Vitamin D 20,000 IU for 3 or 4 days.

Another important supplement is Omega 3 fatty acids. The body may not make enough fatty acids for optimal health. The Omega 3 fatty acids have a variety of beneficial effects:

Helps support brain function and cognition

Helps support the development of the brain, eyes and nerves in the fetus through 12 years of age

Helps maintain cardiovascular health

Helps reduce triglycerides

Can help rheumatoid arthritis in adults

Can provide healthy mood balance

We have Genestra brand oils, which have been independently tested and have no residues of Fukushima radioactivity. We have Multi EFA capsules, Super EFA liquid and capsules, Neurogen EFA and Perilla (the last 2 are vegetarian options).

Finally, since we are down-wind of Fukushima, iodine blocks the radioactive Iodine from being absorbed into the thyroid and other endocrine organs. In the office, we have Iodoral and one a day is a sufficient adult dose.

These recommendations are for a healthy adult. Someone who is sick may need additional supplementation. But the above are the basics. Infants should have ¼ the dose (supplementation is not necessary if mom is breastfeeding), children over 2 can have ½ the dose of an adult.