Dr. Peter Swanz, a local board certified naturopathic physician and a fellow of the Homeopathic Association, shares his top picks for supplements you should be taking.
Fish oil:
“Fish oil is the number one most popular supplement. I want patients to get between 1,000 and 2,000 milligrams a day, so two capsules twice a day. Fish oil helps to keep inflammation modulated and helps the body to communicate. It also helps with mood, emotional health, and brain health while we’re aging. The only potential problem occurs if someone is on blood thinners, in which case they should work with a doctor to adjust the medication to support them while on the fish oil.”
Probiotics:
“Most people should consider taking probiotics as we get older. There’s not any one favorite brand, but I tell patients to get a multi-flora, not just one strain by itself. People should take somewhere between 10-20 billion multi-strain live bacteria for a beginner dose. If I talk to a patient and they tell me their bowel movements are great when taking probiotics but bad if they’re not, then I want to get to the underlying issue. They’re using the probiotics as a Band-Aid for some kind of digestive distress.”
Vitamin D:
“We can convert sun rays to Vitamin D to our skin, but almost nobody is getting that day in and day out year-round from the sun. I recommend most adults take 1,000-2,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily. I want people to have doctors test their Vitamin D levels. I’m not a fan of incredibly high dosing, especially if we haven’t tested the levels. Vitamin D is good for concerns about bone health as we age and immune function.”
Read more about supplements and alternative health treatments in our summer issue (p. 8).
– Avery Walts
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