“What supplements do you use?”
It’s a question I’ve long avoided for a few different reasons. My favorite reply is, “Why do you ask?” However, the time has come to talk about supplements.
The FDA has not evaluated my statements, they would most likely state that foods should not be used to heal, and none of the things I say are meant to replace the care and advice of your doctor.
Before we get started, I’m going to remind you that by the very nature of their name, supplements are supplemental. You should regularly be eating a diet rich with a variety of veggies, good protein, and essential fats. If you aren’t, then none of the things we’re going to talk about will be anything more than putting a band-aid on a broken arm—it might make you feel like you’re caring for yourself, but it’s really nothing more than, well, a band-aid on a broken arm. Don’t fool yourself and don’t waste your money. But if you have a good diet going, then good things can happen with supplements.
The supplements I use are mostly derived from real food that I would put on my plate and eat. Because of certain food allergies and intolerances, occasionally I use some that don’t fall into that description, but those are the exception instead of the rule.
With that out of the way…
The only supplements I take absolutely every day in the middle of each meal are HCl (Betaine Hydrochloride), and pancreatic enzymes.
Why:
They are insurance that the food I’m eating is being broken down enough for me to have a chance of absorbing it.
Without adequate stomach acid, fats and proteins don’t digest as well as they should.
Minerals are extremely difficult to digest without adequate acid.
And any bacteria or other pathogens that were trying to catch a ride on your food can be killed off by adequate HCl.
For those of you who like technical info, for pepsin to be active, stomach acid has to be in a pH range of 2-3. That’s really acidic and an anti-acid pill can raise the pH as high as 6…thereby completely disabling what Guyton’s Textbook of medical physiology terms “the important peptic acid of the stomach.”
The pancreatic enzymes I take help to digest protein, fat, and carbohydrates/starches. By doing all of that, I get more of the nutrients from the food I eat.
For those who have gas issues, undigested food plus an alkaline pH in the intestines can make for a lot of gas. The HCl and pancreatic enzymes help prevent both problems.
When you’re actually digesting the food you eat, you feel full more quickly and benefit from all the vitamins and minerals in it. Indirectly, you might say it is cost effective as well as good for your health.
Why Not:
HCl is not for anyone with ulcers.
If you take anti-acids, you’ll be wasting your time and money to also take HCl. However, if you’re taking anti-acids, you need to find a doc who can help you heal your digestion so that you don’t need to take them. (See the pH info a few paragraphs ago.) If your current doctor doesn’t know how to help you heal your digestion, find one who does. The natural flow of food is into your mouth, down your throat, into your stomach, and through your intestines until you “drop the kids off at the pool”…if any part of that process is reversing, your body is telling you something is wrong. Fix what’s wrong; don’t put tape over the warning light.
There will be a lot more to come about supplements. I’ll touch on probiotics, melatonin, pregnenolone, DHEA, calcium, vitamin D, fish oil, a few herbs, etc., as we progress through this series.
I found the HCl at Standard Process, but what is the pancreatic enzyme?
Thanks for reading, Blanche. I’m going to mostly avoid listing brands for supplements here on the blog because there are several people with food allergies/intolerances. Ingredients can change, and I wouldn’t want someone to accidentally get an allergen from a product I listed that might have once been safe but isn’t any longer. I read labels on every product I use…every time.
Thank you so much for the information!!
You’re welcome!
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