• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Recommended supplements

3 Supplements to Consider Adding to Your Regime

Jun 25, 2020 |
By Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

With thousands of supplements on the market, promising everything from weight loss to better sleep, it’s hard to know which products (if any) you should add to your regime.

If I could recommend just one supplement, it would be a general-purpose multivitamin and mineral, an all-encompassing supplement containing a broad range of nutrients that are necessary for normal functioning, growth and development.

If I’m recommending two or three supplements, I’ll often add fish oil and vitamin D3 to the mix.

The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil (EPA and DHA) are essential for normal brain function, growth and development, and also for moderating inflammation. Deficiencies are linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, mood disorders and inflammatory conditions.

Vitamin D is crucial for optimal bone health; it may also help prevent and treat conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and multiple sclerosis. Optimal vitamin D levels can enhance athletic performance and might even protect against certain types of cancer.

The good news is that healthcare professionals can measure your levels of omega-3s and vitamin D via a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test to help determine if supplementation is necessary.

Do multivitamins really work?

When it comes to a multivitamin, however, things get a little more complicated.

Studies have shown no benefit of a multivitamins in terms of outcomes like longer lifespan or decreased risk of cancer and wellness experts disagree whether a multivitamin is necessary if a person eats a healthy, well-balanced diet. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says the best nutritional strategy is to “wisely choose a wide variety of foods.”

While this is a noble nutritional goal, it’s not always realistic. People often get stuck in a routine, reaching for the same types of veggies, fruits, whole grains and protein sources for many of their meals and snacks. The result: They end up getting the same types of nutrients over and over again.

Want food and fitness content delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.

Even for those who do make a conscious effort to vary the foods they choose, it can still be quite challenging to get all of the necessary nutrients through diet alone, so I often recommend a multivitamin to my clients as a type of nutritional insurance, just in case they aren’t getting all of their nutrients through their diet.

But taking a multivitamin doesn’t mean you’re off the hook from eating fruits and vegetables. Supplements may supply many of the vitamins and minerals that we know about, but there are also loads of nutrients that exist in foods that scientists haven’t even identified yet, much less incorporated into nutritional supplements.

Suggested brands

If you decide to incorporate one of the abovementioned supplements into your regime, I recommend trying the following brands:

  • Multivitamin: GNC Mega Men & GNC Ultra Mega Women
  • Fish oil: Nordic Natural’s Ultimate Omega + D (includes D3 as well) and Carlson Labs
  • Vitamin D3: No particular recommendation for this one, as there are many out there

Remember that supplements are just that: supplements — not substitutes — to an otherwise healthy lifestyle.

Be aware that supplements can interfere with certain medications or other supplements, so, as always, let your physician and healthcare professionals know what supplements you are taking and ask before adding any new products to your regime.

Tags
supplements
fish oil
multivitamins
vitamins

You may also be interested in:

Supplements
Prevention & Wellness
Jul 26, 2019

Nutritional Deficiencies: Causes, Treatments

A nutritional deficiency occurs when the body doesn’t absorb the necessary amount of a nutrient from food. Deficiencies can lead to a variety of health issues.
474948747
Food & Fitness
Feb 5, 2014

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Heart Attacks: What To Know

Omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to lower blood pressure and promote heart health, but research shows that they may actually have an even stronger benefit: treating cardiovascular diseases and reducing the risk of repeat heart attacks.
Gettyimages 505820296
Prevention & Wellness
Apr 25, 2018

Are Vitamins Good for Me?

We want to take care of ourselves and look for ways to live longer, happier, healthier lives. Find out how vitamins can fit into our daily routines.

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide