Mim’s philosophy on Supplements

Have you ever wondered what supplements you should take or if you really need them?

As a Naturopath, my philosophy for prescribing supplements breaks down into four parts:

1. Less is Best

If diet alone can provide all the necessary nutrients, then no supplements are required.

2. Supplements are Medicine

What is provided in supplements is generally far greater than you would find in nature, e.g., you would need 20 oranges to provide 1g of vitamin C.  In my mind, this makes supplemental a kind of medicine, to take only as required.

3. You Should Notice the Difference…. with provisos

Given their medicinal nature, you should notice an improvement in symptoms when prescribed supplements.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆:

#𝟏: if the supplement is prescribed because you are deficient in a nutrient, e.g., zinc or vitamin D, or may not notice a change in your symptoms, the nutrients, in this case, are prescribed as preventative medicine.

#𝟐: some conditions take a long time to respond, so you may take the supplement for weeks or months before noticing a positive change in your symptoms.

4. Cover all Bases

The world of nutritional science is exploding.  Every day, a new study applauds the benefits of a particular nutrient. It can be overwhelming; they all sound amazing. So if a patient wishes to take a supplement because they have read that it is good, I am fine with this, as long as there are no contraindications.  The only negatives are – it’s another pill or powder and more dollars spent.

Curious about what supplements you should take or if you need them? Schedule a consultation with Mim.