Multi-vitamins

A superior, safe multivitamin smooths out nutrient imbalances and deficiencies — instead of creating new imbalances.

Relevant pages:

• If sensitive to nutrient imbalances, beware megadoses — most multivitamins have them.
• If a gentle multivitamin presents challenges, consider taking it every other day, or 2x/week. A gentle “multi” can be the foundation of your improvement.

Gentle, Balanced Multivitamin

The most safe & effective multivitamin I’ve found with my clients — and myself — is the Naturelo. This collection of multi’s is excellent to promote balance.

Food-Based Vitamin C

It is not essential to take food-based Vitamin C, as is popularly argued. However, this is a fantastic product, combining two forms of Vitamin C: ascorbic acid and food-based. I’ve had great results with this one.

Liposomal Vitamin C

This Vitamin C is both water- and fat-soluble– meaning it seems to absorb better and remain with the body a bit longer than typical water-soluble forms. Not a true liposomal product, but does behave very similarly… or even better. During my recovery, this form seemed more powerful than both typical ascorbic acid and true liposomal C — it seemed to improve brain fog and energy levels.

Fat-Solubles

(D A K E)

Relevant pages:

• It’s not essential to take fat-solubles daily — but it is essential to understand them, and make sure levels are not low.
• One or two moderate doses of each per week is a conservative, safer maintenance dose. If very deficient, you might need more — perhaps daily supplementation — for several weeks or longer.
• It is very easy to oversupplement these four nutrients. They’re fat-soluble, so they stay in the body a long time, causing severe symptoms including insomnia and malaise.

Vitamin D

Low Vitamin D causes all sorts of metabolic, digestive, mood, hormonal, and sleep problems. Do not allow Vitamin D deficiency to derail your health. However, oversupplementation is extremely easy to achieve. Know what you’re doing when you supplement this. Vitamin D depletes magnesium, Vitamin A, and sometimes calcium.

Vitamin A

Low Vitamin A can cause debillitating insomnia, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, and skin problems. Vitamin A depletes Vitamin D and zinc, and slightly boosts iron levels. Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant, protecting polyunsaturated fats from harmful oxidation.

Vitamin K

There are two forms of Vitamin K. K1 supports clotting, while K2 supports hormonal balance and keeps excess calcium out of blood. K1 is found in leafy greens, K2 is largely absent from the diet, save for a few fermented dishes. Vitamin K generally supports healthy calcium blood levels, and opposes Vitamin D levels.

*A maintenance-dose is less likely to create imbalances.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a hormonal powerhouse, while protecting polyunsaturated fats from harmful oxidation. Too much Vitamin E causes insomnia and other problems.

*I love this Vitamin E.

Minerals

Relevant pages:

• The minerals belong to a heirarchy of importance.
• The body tends to require top-tier minerals much more than the lower-tier minerals.
• Keep this in mind to promote balance.

Sodium

Hypothyroidism and sick building syndrome seem to cause the body to waste sodium. Many folks require large amounts of sodium until their inflammation and root causes are addressed.

Potassium

The general public is incredibly deficient in potassium — causing bloating, insomnia, tight and sore muscles, and fatigue. Potassium is the partner of sodium, and there balances/opposes/depletes sodium.

Calcium

Most forms of calcium are not very absorbable. MCHA is.

Magnesium

Essential for virtually every biological function. When deficient can cause insomnia, fatigue, tight muscles. Will deplete Vitamin D and calcium.

Zinc

Incredibly pro-immunity and anti-pathogen. Supports testosterone. Dramatically depletes copper, iron, Vit A, and Vit D.

Copper

Powerfully anti-microbial, boosts iron levels and Vitamin A levels. Depletes copper.

Iodine

Essential for immunity and thyroid function. Is easily overdone, be especially wary of megadosing. Depletes selenium.

Selenium

Rarely needed in large quantities. Supports glutathione levels. Depletes iodine. Is easily overdone — foul body odor is symptom of overdose.

Sulfur

Very antimicrobial. Many people struggle to tolerate and balance their sulfur. Is very easily overdone via supplementation, be wary of overhyped products/recommendations.

Molydbdenum

Balances and depletes sulfur. Only needed in tiny amounts. Should not be supplemented in large amounts daily. Will generally deplete all minerals. May be required more frequently to reduce high sulfur levels.

B-Vitamins

Relevant pages:

The B-vitamins unlock your energy production, and are necessary to restore gut function.

• All B-vitamins will deplete the other B-vitamins, so they must be taken in a balanced way.
• The B-vitamins generally deplete sodium (except for B1, which can raise sodium).
• Single B-vitamin products should rarely be taken more than 1-2x/week, and should always be balanced with all other B’s.

I no longer consider the activated forms of B-vitamins to be wise for most people, because they are too intensely absorbed and create imbalances far too easily. Instead, the basic forms of B-vitamins are sufficient for nearly all situations.

B-Complex

This is a fantastic, low-to-medium dose of all B’s, though the extra-sensitive folks may still struggle to tolerate it. I take this about 2-3x/week.

B1 (thiamin)

Perhaps the most important B-vitamin. Deficient in many diets and foods. Thiamin Hcl is the superior form for most everyone. Other fat-soluble forms (TTFD and benfotiamine) are too intense and can be harmful. High B1 (thiamin) intake can deplete all other B-vitamins, especially B2.

B2 (riboflavin)

Essential for energy production. Can deplete B1, especially.

B3 (niacin)

Essential for fat metabolism, especially, and blood flow, as well as feelings of relaxation. Megadosing this is popular, but not without risk; Be safe, use smaller doses.

B4 (choline)

Critical for liver detoxification. Even moderate doses can cause mood disruptions and irritability.

B5 (pantothine)

Essential for the skin’s natural barrier. Other B-vitamins — especially biotin — can deplete this, causing acne breakouts. More supplemental B5 can resolve this, along with fixing digestive issues which cause nutrient depletion.

B6 (pyridoxine)

An essential B-vitamin for sleep and detoxification, but one that is also easily overdone. Avoid megadosing B6, even by accident: B6 is commonly sneaked into supplements containing other ingredients.

B7 (biotin)

Essential for hair and collagen, but can deplete all other B-vitamins, especially B5 (causing skin flare-ups, because B5 is so critical for the skin’s barrier). Do not take isolated biotin daily.

B8 (inositol)

Is often taken with choline for optimal results. No longer considered a B-vitamin.

B9 (folate)

Essential for detoxification, fortified in store-bough foods (USA), is easily overdone, and few people require much supplementation.

B12 (cobalamin)

B12 is not readily absorbed in the intestine, so sublingual forms are superior. B12 depletes all other B-vitamins, and can cause acne breakouts in large doses. There is usually no need to megadose this nutrient, in fact doing so can cause problems, despite the popular trend. Can also deplete lithium.