Buying Supplements

It may be dangerous to exceed the upper safe limit of any nutrient, as it may impact your liver and/or kidneys. USL is not the same as Nutritional Reference Value (NRV) or Recommended Daily Amount (RDA). You may well need more than the NRV. A kinesiologist will be able to test how much of a supplement you need.

We are all different and our bodies change. It is very easy to take too many supplements. Ask your kinesiologist to muscle test you for what your body can deal with currently, to ensure that you aren't taking too many different things, or too much of one thing.

If you want a vitamin B12 supplement, it is useful to know that there are four forms of B12. If a supplement contains b12 as cyanocobalamin, you may not absorb very much usable B12! This is a derivative of cyanide and cannot be used easily by the body. There is also hydroxycobalamin. This form works well for some people, especially if they have B12 injections from their doctor. The active forms of B12 are methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. These are the forms that tend to give the greatest benefit to health. The two forms work in different ways and do different jobs. There are supplements that contain both.

Vitamin D3 is a hormone as much as a vitamin. It is fat soluble and therefore any supplement needs to be in oil, an emulsion or in a micellised form. If D3 is in tablet-form, it may be very difficult to absorb.

This is vitamin B9 and like most of the B vitamins, comes in various forms. Some people can use the inactive form, known as folic acid. However, many people need the active form know as folate or folonic acid. These are often labelled 5-methyl-THF (also known as L-5- MTHF, 5-MTHF, L-methylfolate, and methylfolate).

Folate is easily destroyed by stomach acid and is best taken last thing at night, when stomach acid is low.

If you take the same probiotic for too long, you will set up unintended side effects. Imagine your gut as the United Nations; you want lots of nationalities in there and you do not want ghettos! If you take the same probiotic for too long, you will push out some of the other commensurate organisms and have too little diversity.

Also, think why are you are taking a probiotic? If it's because you have bloating or pain, it is more effective, and cheaper, in the long run, to eliminate the cause rather than attempting to push out the cause using probiotics.

If you are taking a probiotic, take it last thing at night when your stomach is low, so that more of the organisms make it into your small intestine.

Remember, probiotics need prebiotics to survive in your gut. If your diet or gut health are poor, your probiotic will not work as efficiently. This website as a good list of prebiotics

Minerals can become toxic metals if you take too much of one. This may also tip the balance so that you become deficient in another mineral. For example MSM (a natural sulphur) is fantastic for lots of things, but if you take it for a prolonged period it is wise to have one that contains a trace of molybdenum, because MSM can deplete this trace mineral.

Also, look for forms such as citrate, ionic, picolinate, ionic, bisglycinate/glycinate or malate. Avoid oxides as these are poorly absorbed.

Minerals are more bio-available later in the day, so take them with your evening meal.