A Functional Medicine Guide To Supplements

Vitamin C

This immune-boosting, common-cold-busting vitamin can reduce (3) symptoms of the cold by up to 30 percent. Most people get enough from food (65 to 90 mg per day), since a lot of foods contain it. Don’t worry about this supplement unless you feel the sniffles coming on.

Dosage: 1,000 to 4,000 mg per day to boost your immune system and promote healthy skin.

How to incorporate: Combining with zinc can increase vitamin C’s immune-boosting properties. Look for powdered supplements that you can mix with water to take with you for when you start to feel a little less than 100 percent.

Zinc

Your body has no way to store this important mineral, so it is important to make sure you’re getting this through your diet or supplementation. Zinc’s main role is to help your body increase white blood cells and fight off infection, and it also assists with the release of antibodies. Deficiency has been linked (4) to increased instances of sickness, so it is no wonder you often find zinc as a common ingredient in the cold and flu aisle of your pharmacy. As I mentioned above, supplements that combine the power of vitamin C and zinc are the best supplements to take.

Dosage: 15 to 30 mg per day. Pregnant women should aim for 12 mg per day since it’s essential (5) for normal fetal development.

How to incorporate: If you’re eating a healthy well-rounded diet, you should be getting in the proper amount of zinc per day without needing a supplement. But if getting over a cold quickly is your goal, supplementing at least 75 mg per day can reduce (6) cold duration and symptoms so you can get back to your life.

Methylated B complex

B vitamins are the fuel behind methylation, a biochemical process that happens more than 1 billion times every single second inside your body. It helps keep you alive and healthy by assisting your body’s ability to properly detox. There are so many different types of B vitamins, so it’s important to get a well-rounded amount of each.

Dosage: 400 to 800 mcg methylfolate (B9), 1,000 mcg methylcobalamin (B12) per day.

How to incorporate: The best B-vitamin supplement would be a B-complex vitamin containing methylated B vitamins, especially if you have methylation impairments like the MTHFR gene mutation. Look for activated B vitamins like B9 L-Methylfolate (L-5-MTHF), B6 Pyridoxyl-5-Phosphate (P5P), and B12 versions (such as Adenosyl B12, Cyano B12, Hydroxycobalamin B12, or Methyl 12).

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential for a strong immune system and vitamin A deficiency has been linked (7) to autoimmune diseases, which are on the rise in a major way. Some researchers believe this has to do with our dendritic cells; our alarm cells of the immune system that can send out a “red alert” to stimulate immunity, or a “calm down” message that tones down excessive immune reactions that can damage the body. The “calm down” message makes use of vitamin A.

Plant beta-carotenes, a precursor to vitamin A, are found in sweet potatoes and carrots but the conversion rate to the usable retinol is very weak. In fact, research suggests (8) that just 3 percent of beta-carotene gets converted in a healthy adult. Because of this, look for vitamin A sources from either whole-food sources like fish liver oil or retinyl palmitate.

Dosage: 2,000 to 10,000 IU per day.

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the Western diet, but it is essential for controlling inflammation. One study (9) in the Journal of Neuroimmunology found that vitamin K2 was effective at inhibiting the pro-inflammatory iNOS in the spinal cord and the brain immune system in rats that had multiple sclerosis symptoms. There are several types of K2, but I suggest looking for the MK-4 version. MK-4 regulates gene expression in specific ways that no other form of vitamin K does. MK-4 plays an exclusive role in cancer protection and sexual health.

Dosage: 100 to 200 mcg per day.

How to incorporate: Taking these fat-soluble vitamins together with vitamin D will help keep your levels from going too high as well as making vitamin D more bioavailable to your body! Take them with a fat-containing meal such as avocado, salmon, or just a bit of butter or coconut oil added to whatever you’re cooking.

Collagen

This protein helps form our connective tissue, including tendons, skin, cartilage, bones, blood vessels, ligaments, and more. It also helps regulate metabolism and our body’s own collagen production. Made up of three amino acids (glycine, proline, and hyroxyproline), each produced in our body but not at sufficient levels, most people can benefit from a collagen supplement. For example, we require around 15 grams of glycine per day, but most of us only get 3 grams per day from our modern diet.

Dosage: 8 grams per day.

How to incorporate: Powdered collagen peptides are fantastic because these are easy to add to smoothies or any other liquid, making them one of the best supplements to take. Look for brands that derive their collagen from grass-fed and pasture-raised protein sources or use marine collagen, for the purest, toxin-free form.

Everything You Need To Know About IV Supplementation

In the United States,  almost 95 percent  (14) of the population is not getting enough vitamin D, making this deficiency number one in the country. It is a high number and is more astounding when you learn that vitamin D is the only single vitamin that is needed by every cell in your body to function properly. Vitamins like magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin E are also hard to get an adequate amount of through just food. At my functional medicine clinic, I see that being deficient in these vitamins and minerals has an effect on major systems in the body like detoxification processes, immune health, and hormone production.

When most people are woefully deficient in what their body needs, it isn’t enough to just eat well, making intravenous drips appear to be an answer to prayer! IV supplements are rapidly becoming an answer for our fast-paced culture of individuals looking for the most efficient fix. As simple as ordering your go-to take-out meal, you can now order customized IV drips delivered to your doorstep or workplace with an included nurse. What once started as a hangover cure has grown in popularity as celebrities and the rest of the wellness world catches on.

IV drips are typically a much higher dose than in supplements or food alone. They can be customized to your body’s needs, and take only about 20 to 30 minutes to administer. A single IV drip starts at around $100 for one nutrient, and the price continues to rise with each nutrient added.  Even if you can afford the higher cost, as with anything, there are arguments for and against using this type of supplementation. Before you fill your cart with your first IV drip order, let’s look at how this option stacks up for your health:

The Pros Of IV Supplements:

1. They are the most bioavailable type of supplement

Absorption of supplements and food happen in the gut through a properly functioning digestive system which releases them into the bloodstream. If you have leaky gut syndrome or other gut problems, an IV drip can be more efficient at this process as these nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream directly, bypassing the gut. This makes the IV a good choice for some with gut problems, or in certain situations in which a rapid dose of nutrients is needed.

2. They are completely customizable

Convenient and customized, you can blend your IV drip specifically to your body’s needs.  Administering all of your supplements in one dose is another convenience that many appreciate.

3. They can help keep you hydrated

Since the nutrients in an IV drip are contained in a liquid salt solution, you’ll not only get the vitamins you need, you’ll also be instantly hydrated and will boost your electrolyte levels.

4. They can offer a quick boost

IV supplements are a targeted answer to many short term health issues. If you have an important event in your future but wake up feeling less than great; you can just add a higher dose of a supplement like vitamin C to ward off your wellness woe, just like at your favorite smoothie spot!

5. They can slow the aging process

Popular among youth seeking celebrities, adding glutathione to an IV drip can keep skin looking radiant and young. Glutathione acts as an antioxidant in the body to fight off free radicals that add to wrinkles and other signs of aging. Due to greater bioavailability, the effects of glutathione are more powerful when added to a drip than taken orally.

The downside of IV supplements:

1. They can be dangerous

While all of the nutrients contained in a drip are healthy, they can become detrimental if given at a higher than necessary dosage. Each individual has their own unique biochemistry. Even with the same diagnosis as another person, your body’s nutritional needs and treatment plan are specific to you. IV supplements can quickly become dangerous if you don’t know exactly what you need. Be sure to partner with your doctor and run labs before opting for an IV drip to know exactly what your nutrient deficiencies are, and what your ideal dose should be.

2. They are not a long-term solution

IV supplements are great in a pinch, but if your lifestyle and eating habits are poor they are not a long term solution. Things like gut dysfunctions, for example, can make it difficult to fully absorb nutrients from food even if you are eating whole, nutrient-dense food. If you fix the systemic function issues within the body, you will increase your likelihood of absorbing nutrients from whole and healthy foods which can make an IV drip simply unnecessary.

3. They are not all created equal

To protect your health and avoid any dubious additives, make sure that your IV comes from a reputable distributor. Check for potency of ingredients, and be sure that the contents of the drip are made in an FDA-approved facility.

4. They can cause immediate reactions

Inflammation, bruising, and infection are all immediate risks involved with IVs of any kind. If you are sensitive as a rule, or you get a drip from a less-than-reputable facility, you are putting yourself for a higher risk for these reactions.

5. They may not actually help at all

Interestingly enough, the noticeable improvement in health many feel after an IV drip may not be due to the IV at all. Simply put, you’ll feel better because you believed that you would. This is attributed to the placebo effect. One study (15) looked at this by giving half a group of fibromyalgia patients a solution with vitamins and half without. The study found that both groups showed improvement.

Our final verdict? While a fantastic option for those needing an immediate boost, or with a medical condition requiring immediate nutrients- the pros seem to be outweighed by the cons. IV drips shouldn’t be ruled out completely, but they will never outperform long term, sustainable steps to health like whole, nutrient dense food and lifestyle changes.

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