4 Vitamins and Supplements You Need to Know About
The quest to find innovative, exciting ways to improve health and well-being has evolved to include everything from bio-monitoring and wearable tech to meditation, fitness apps and a seemingly endless array of new food trends.
Yet incorporating supplements into your overall wellness regimen can be one of the easiest and most helpful solutions.
“Many of us may be functioning but not thriving,” says Dr. Nirat Nibber, ND, the senior medical advisor and brand educator for Calgary-based Advanced Orthomolecular Research (AOR), which specializes in high-quality natural, personalized therapeutic products. “We may not have optimal levels of the nutrients we need.”
Dr. Nibber, ND, stresses that proper supplementing varies from person to person. “Those who may be experiencing many symptoms or are at high risk may need a more intensive supplementing approach,” she says, “while others may just need maintenance and support.” She recommends making decisions alongside your health-care professional, who can provide greater insight into what your body needs, as well as flag any health or medication-interaction risks to consider.
Generally speaking, here are four supplements she recommends.
1. A complete B-complex vitamin
Dr. Nibber, ND, says that, rather than focusing on individual B vitamins, taking “a well-balanced B-complex actually ensures that all B vitamins can work together to help with metabolism, energy production and more.” AOR’s award-winning Advanced B Complex Ultra is a timed-release formulation that boosts absorption and provides optimal doses of the full spectrum of B vitamins, including three types of vitamin B12. Advanced B Complex Ultra also includes the antioxidant pyrroloquinoline quinone.
2. Magnesium
“With over 300 functions in the body, magnesium is one mineral you don’t want to miss,” Dr. Nibber, ND says. “And studies estimate that up to 75 percent of North Americans don’t meet their daily requirement.” Magnesium Synergy by AOR is a lemon-flavoured powder that combines magnesium glycinate and malate, which are well absorbed and can aid with muscle recovery, mood regulation, energy levels and sleep quality. A source of electrolytes, Magnesium Synergy also includes minerals such as potassium, zinc and chromium, and can aid the body in maintaining skin, teeth, bones and cartilage.
3. Essential fatty acids
Whether it’s omega 3s (found in flaxseed oil and oily fish) or omega 6s (found in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils), essential fatty acids can support cardiovascular health and help your cells function correctly. “Oils are essential to provide the lipids our bodies need to make cell membranes fluid and our blood vessels flexible, to help ensure the speed of nerve conduction and for the management of pain and inflammation,” Dr. Nibber, ND, says. AOR’s Ahiflower Oil is a complete and balanced “multi-omega,” providing vegan omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids sourced from a single non-GMO plant.
4. Probiotics
Among other functions, probiotics can help boost the immune system, support gastrointestinal health, improve nutrient absorption and even combat allergies. And Dr. Nibber, ND, advises a “less is more” approach. “The simplest way to do this is to combine pre-, pro- and postbiotics that synergistically colonize, feed and diversify the human microbiome,” she says. Probiotic-3 by AOR is a formulation that does just that, containing several bacterial strains—including E. faecium T-110, C. butyricum TO-A, and B. subtilis TO-A—that each serves a specific function and that, together, can help reduce gastrointestinal pH, break down dietary fibre and combat harmful bacteria such as C. difficile and E. coli.
Not sure which supplement might be right for you? Try AOR’s Product Personalization Quiz. “It can be overwhelming to decide how to create a supplement plan that works for your needs,” says Dr. Nibber, ND. “The quiz can help focus your search based on ingredient type, health category, age-related concerns and nutrient requirements.”
To explore AOR’s full range of products and to snag 20 percent off your purchase, visit aor.ca from Nov. 25 through Dec. 1, 2024.