Vitamin Essentials: What You Really Need In Your Medicine Cupboard
Not feeling 100% but not sure why? Naturopath, Stephen Eddey, offers his thoughts on which vitamins you may be missing and what you should be taking.
Could you be deficient in essential nutrients to support your health?
Here’s a quick test to see if you might be deficient in essential nutrients.
• I eat three serves of dairy (or dairy-free equivalent) every day
• I have two serves of fruit every day?
• I eat five serves of vegetables every day?
• I have lean protein in moderate amounts (100–200g a day)?
• I exercise most days a week?
• I eat about 30g nuts and seeds five times a week?
If you answered no to any of those questions you might be lacking in the nutrients to support good health.
But don’t be alarmed, you’re not alone and you can help to support your health with dietary improvements and nutritional supplements.
Your health practitioner is the best person to advise you on the best nutrients for you but here are a few that I recommend:
Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract for heart health
You might be surprised to know that heart disease isn’t just a men’s health problem. It’s actually the number one killer of Australian women.
A recent Australian study found that Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract significantly reduces blood pressure in adults with uncontrolled hypertension, offering hope to those who don’t respond well to prescription medications or would prefer a natural therapy.
The study showed that a daily dose of two capsules of High Potency Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract was enough to significantly lower the risk of high blood pressure.
Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract is manufactured from organically grown garlic and is naturally aged in an up to 20-month process that encourages the production of heart health antioxidants to maximise its beneficial properties and completely eliminate its odour.
Vitamin C for immunity
The common cold is the most prevalent contagious disease in Australia and is the most common reason for people to stay home from work or school.
Colds are very easily spread from person to person and affect over half of the population in winter. Families with young children in daycare or primary school and people working in hospitals may experience 6-12 colds in a year.
Studies show that Vitamin C may relieve and prevent symptoms of common cold and flu.
Curcumin for inflammation
Inflammatory conditions, like arthritis, affect millions of Australians every year.
Arthritis affects more than 3.85 million Australians and costs the economy more than $23.9 billion each year in medical care and indirect costs.
The ancient spice curcumin is showing increased promise for conditions like arthritis and joint inflammation.
Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent shown to help inhibit inflammation in the body and has proved a powerful anti-inflammatory in thousands of studies.
A probiotic for gut health
Listen your gut! Those gurgles might just be telling you’re out of balance. Unbalanced gut bacteria can greatly affect your overall wellbeing and even mental health.
One of the secrets to optimal health and wellness is cultivating the right balance of bacteria.
Probiotics are often called “good” or “helpful” bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy.
A good probiotic can help to restore the tummy’s natural balance.
Always read the label. If symptoms persist consult your healthcare practitioner.
A multivitamin for overall health
Lastly, a good Multivitamin offers a variety of nutrients to support overall general health and may help support any nutritional deficiencies.
Iron, iodine, vitamin D and zinc are some of our most common vitamin deficiencies so look for a multivitamin that has good levels of these.
You might also choose a preparation that caters more specifically for you. There are products for women, men and children.
