CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 20: Centrum vitamins are offered for sale at a pharmacy June 20, 2005 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The vitamin and supplement aisle at any grocery store can be a daunting (and sometimes expensive) place. Have you ever wondered if you really need any of it?
Registered dietitian, Melanie Douglass, simplified supplements in the latest episode of Really Healthy Podcast and gave some recommendations.
According to Douglass, a supplement is meant to pick up the slack of our diets.
Ideally, you’d get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs from the foods you eat, she says, but most Americans don’t.
“Our diets are pretty crappy,” said Douglass, “so taking a few supplements can really benefit most people.”
Here are a few supplements she encourages people to consider trying out.
Multivitamins are pretty inexpensive and will cover most of the bases where your food falls short.
“Taking a multi-vitamin is a good idea because let’s be honest, life is busy and you don’t always eat a balanced diet,” Douglass recommended on the podcast.
Curcumin is derived from a spice called Turmeric. Turmeric is commonly used in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking, so Americans don’t get a lot of it.
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory so it helps combat inflammation caused by eating processed foods or eating foods you may be intolerant of, Douglass says.
Inflammation is part of the body’s immune response. Chronic inflammation can eventually cause several diseases and conditions, including some cancers and rheumatoid arthritis, according to Medical News Today.
Omega-3 is a fatty acid commonly found in fish like salmon but it can also we found in Flaxseed and Flaxseed oil for vegetarians or vegans.
“Most of us just don’t eat a lot of seafood, so supplementing with fish oil can be a good alternative,” recommended Douglass.
Omega-3 is important because it contains DHA. DHA has been shown to have an impact on things like vision, brain function and fertility.
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Watch the full episode below.