My favorite vitamins + supplements

Supplements can be used to get the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals you need for a healthy body. While it’s best to get your vitamins and minerals from eating a well-balanced diet, a supplement can give your body a boost.

Vitamins play background roles in our bodies, and we need vitamins to break down macronutrients like carbohydrates, fat and protein and help the body function.

It is estimated that about half of American adults take some type of vitamin or mineral supplement.

People might take supplements if they know they’re missing a certain food group. Others might take supplements for the antioxidant benefits or because they know they don’t eat fruits and vegetables. Some people may have a true deficiency.

Some vitamins/minerals you should consider taking and/or consuming in some way daily include:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin K
• Calcium
• Iron 
• Zinc

Below are some of my personal favorite vitamins and supplements that I use daily to ensure I’m getting my recommended daily allowance (which is the average daily intake a person needs to avoid deficiencies and stay healthy) of the above. I’ll also include any other additional supplements I use, and the benefits of them.

Beef liver – a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K2, and Iron

Liver is chock full of retinol – the active form of Vitamin A. Vitamin A has long been known to support skin health but is also vital for reproduction, vision and supporting the immune system.

Vitamin A is also an antioxidant, so it protects skin cells from oxidative stress like damage from UV rays. Studies show that retinol can:

• Slow signs of aging
• Encourage healthy skin cell production
• Even skin tone
• Clear, soothe and heal acne
• Smooth wrinkles

In addition to vitamin A, liver is a good source of copper and glycine. Both these nutrients contribute to maintenance of collagen under the skin.

Collagen under the skin reduces the presence of wrinkles and fine lines by plumping and firming the tissue beneath the skin.

Liver is a source of vitamin K2, which helps with calcium balance – an essential nutrient for bone health. We know insufficient calcium intake can result in low bone mineral density and ultimately increase the risk of fracture. In fact, most people consuming a traditional Western diet get almost no vitamin K2.

Liver is also rich in antioxidants A, C and E. Antioxidants protect cells against oxidative stress, also known as damage from free radicals like UV rays, smoking, inhaling pollution, inflammation, poor diet, stress, etc.

Antioxidants can be thought of as the protectors of cells. When a cell is damaged, it has the potential to become a cancer cell. Preventing cellular damage in the first place is the essence of every cancer prevention strategy – eating nutrient rich foods, not smoking, wearing sunscreen etc.

Overall, Beef liver:

• Contains all essential amino acids
• 10g of protein per serving
• Zero carb protein snack
• High in Vitamin A, which increases testosterone and muscle synthesis
• High in leucine, the most anabolic (muscle building) amino acid
• Good source of K2, which enhances exercise performance and increases testosterone

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D helps control how much calcium and phosphate you absorb from food.

Calcium is essential for bone health. Phosphate is needed for healthy bones, teeth, muscles, nerves, and basic bodily functions.

Vitamin D comes in two forms:

• Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is naturally found in some plants.
• Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is naturally found in animals and is produced by the skin when it’s exposed to sunlight.

• You can meet your vitamin D needs with either form. But generally it’s recommended to use a D3 supplement. That’s because it:

  • Raises your overall vitamin D level more than D2
  • Lasts longer in the body than D2

Health benefits of Vitamin D:

Vitamin D3 offers many health benefits, such as:

• Strengthens bones and muscles
• Boosts immunity
• Improves mood
• Reduces inflammation
• Improves heart function

Bones

Vitamin D works with calcium to support your bones. If you’re low on vitamin D, your body can’t get calcium from food, so it steals it from your bones. This leads to:

• Weaker bones
• Fractures
• Osteoporosis

Getting more D3 from foods is helpful for improving peak bone density. That’s the maximum amount of bone tissue you reach during adulthood.

The better your bone density, the less likely you are to develop diseases (like osteoporosis) that weaken bones.

Muscles

Vitamin D appears to help you build stronger muscles. Studies suggest a link between muscle strength and high vitamin D levels.

Researchers found people with more vitamin D had:

• Leaner bodies
• More muscle mass
• Better muscle function

Immunity

Vitamin D may help your immune system fight viruses and bacterial infections. Research suggests it helps you stave off:

• Acute respiratory infections
• Pneumonia
• Possibly COVID-19

Mood

Low vitamin D levels may be linked to clinical depression. It’s not clear why, though. It may be that:

• Low vitamin D causes depression
• Or depression behaviors (e.g., poor eating habits, less time outside) cause low vitamin D

Evidence suggests raising vitamin D levels helps with depression symptoms. It may have a role in the depression treatment regimen.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Vitamin D may affect medical conditions caused by inflammation. Low vitamin D may increase your odds of having:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Eczema
• Atopy (a genetic tendency to develop allergies)

Studies have suggested taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy makes babies less likely to have asthma.

Heart Health

Research suggests a lack of vitamin D may increase your chances of:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Blood pressure
• Heart attacks

D3 seems to reduce the risk of heart failure. It’s believed to improve heart function in people with weak heart muscles.

D3 Deficiency

Research shows more than a billion people worldwide have a vitamin D deficiency. Symptoms include:

• Muscle weakness and aches
• Weak bones
• Fatigue
• Inflammation
• Hair loss

The deficiency may lead to many health conditions, such as:

• Depression
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Arthritis
• Eczema

Colloidal Silver – boosts immunity

Silver is a natural element that can be found in whole grains, edible and medicinal mushrooms, mammalian milk (breastmilk), spring water, sea water and tap water. Used medicinally for more than 2,000 years, silver has played an integral role in safeguarding human health.

History of Silver

Ancient Greece, Egypt, Macedonia, Phoenicia and Rome used silver to keep the immune function strong. Ancient civilizations learned that silver possessed powerful anti-microbial effects.

Phoenicians stored water, wine and vinegar in silver bottles to prevent spoiling.

Hippocrates, the “father of medicine,” wrote in his medical texts that silver had beneficial healing and anti-disease properties, and he praised silver for its tissue repair and wound healing abilities.

Silver was one of the few antimicrobial treatments available before the discovery of antibiotic drugs. By the 1800s, silver nitrate was used to treat wounds and skin ulcers. In 1852, it was discovered that using fine silver wires for sutures helped heal repaired flesh.

Dating back to ancient times, silver was also a popular remedy to stop the spread of diseases. Its use as a natural antibiotic continued all the way until the 1940s, when modern antibiotics arrived.

Benefits and how to use

1. Not only is colloidal silver super effective at eliminating bacterial infection, but it is also equally effective at resisting strains of bacteria and it does not cause any further mutations- which is great news for its long term uses as an antibiotic treatment.
2. Wound care/skin health: Colloidal silver preparations can be used topically to treat burns, thrush, psoriasis and eczema.
3. Pink eye/Ear infections: Colloidal silver can be used for prompt action against the highly infectious pink eye condition whether it is caused by a virus or bacteria. It also helps heal ear infections, even if it is caused by a fungus.
4. Colloidal silver benefits can be experienced as an anti-viral for HIV/AIDS. Pneumonia, herpes, shingles and warts. The benefit is that colloidal silver works so rapidly.
5. Anti-inflammatory: Colloidal silver is a natural anti-inflammatory that works fast to reduce swelling, repair inflammation in the skin or body.
6. Sinusitis: Colloidal silver can benefit people as a nasal spray that kills staph aureus and infections that could directly cause sinusitis and allergies.
7. Cold/flu: Colloidal silver speeds recovery from the common cold and flu bugs with its immune boosting benefits.
8. Whether ingested or used in a breathing treatment, colloidal silver succeeds when antibiotics just don’t cut it. It even fights against viral strains of pneumonia.

Colloidal silver needs to be applied differently for each condition. To experience colloidal silver benefits, it may be taken as follows:

• 2-5 drops applied directly to the skin
• 1 eyedropper taken orally for immune support
• 1-2 drops into eyes for pink eye
• 1-2 drops can help disinfect any wound or sore by applying onto a Band-Aid
• If prepared properly, it can be injected into a muscle, a cancerous tumor, or into the bloodstream
• 5 drops added into a neti-pot or directly sprayed into the nose
• 5-10 drops can be applied vaginally or anally

 

Advanced TRS Heavy Metal Detox system – aids in ridding the body of toxins and heavy metals

Advanced TRS contains only 2 ingredients: purified water and their Zeolite formula.

Zeolite is an alkaline mineral that’s very porous and is one of the very few minerals that is negatively charged by nature. Since most toxins, such as heavy metals, radiation, and pesticides are positively charged, zeolite is pulled to the toxins like a magnet, sucking them up into its cage like structure. These toxic substances become trapped in the cage, and are then safely excreted from the body.

Because zeolite has a negative charge and attracted to positive charges (like most things that don’t belong in our bodies), it can be an effective detox method for removing a number of toxic elements that are draining our health.

You can read more about Advanced TRS: here.

Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. Its fiber-like structure is used to make connective tissue. Like the name implies, this type of tissue connects other tissues and is a major component of bone, skin, muscles, tendons, and cartilage. It helps to make tissues strong and resilient, able to withstand stretching.

In food, collagen is naturally found only in animal flesh like meat and fish that contain connective tissue. However, a variety of both animal and plant foods contain materials for collagen production in our own bodies.

Our bodies gradually make less collagen as we age, but collagen production drops most quickly due to excess sun exposure, smoking, excess alcohol, and lack of sleep and exercise.

With aging, collagen in the deep skin layers changes from a tightly organized network of fibers to an unorganized maze. Environmental exposures can damage collagen fibers reducing their thickness and strength, leading to wrinkles on the skin’s surface.

Skin

Collagen makes up 75% of the dry weight of your skin. As you age, your skin’s inner layer loses collagen and becomes less elastic and more vulnerable to damage.

Studies on collagen’s impact on the skin include:

• • Hydration: In a 2015 study, scientists evaluated if supplementation could improve skin tissue in a lab setting. Their results suggested that supplements could improve skin hydration and the skin’s collagen network. In addition, collagen also showed potential to improve aging skin.
  • Elasticity: Skin elasticity starts to decline in your 20s. Some studies have focused on whether collagen supplements can help with this. In a 2014 study in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, women ages 35 to 55 took either a collagen supplement or a placebo (fake treatment) once daily for eight weeks. At the study’s end, those who took the collagen had improved skin elasticity compared to those who took the placebo.
  • Hydration and elasticity: A 2018 study published in Nutrition Research investigated the role of a specific brand of oral collagen supplement. This supplement also contained joint-supporting ingredients, including chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, L-carnitine, and other vitamins and minerals. The research showed the supplement increased skin elasticity and hydration.

• • Wound healing and aging: Lastly, a 2019 review of studies evaluated collagen supplements’ effects on wound healing and skin aging. Study authors concluded that supplements are generally safe and can increase skin elasticity, hydration, and density. They added, however, that further studies are needed to determine proper dosing and determine medical applications.

Body Composition

Some people may take collagen to preserve muscle or decrease fat. However, studies on this are limited and have provided mixed results. Among them:

• • Muscle: A 2019 study published in Nutrients investigated if collagen supplements combined with resistance training could affect the proportion of fat to non-fat in your body (body composition) in active men. A 12-week program with 57 participants combined resistance training with either collagen supplement or a placebo. Researchers found that both groups increased muscle to the same extent. However, those who took a collagen supplement showed a slight increase in fat-free mass. This was thought to be related to improvements in connective tissue.
  • Lean body mass: Another small trial compared hydrolyzed collagen protein supplements to whey protein supplements in older women. The 2009 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that taking hydrolyzed collagen supplements may help maintain lean body mass.

Joint Pain

Collagen helps stimulate production of cartilage, a rubbery material that covers and protects bones and helps joints move smoothly. Production of both of these declines with age.

There is some evidence that collagen supplements may reduce joint pain and other symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Foods containing collagen

• There are foods rich in collagen, specifically tough cuts of meat full of connective tissue like pot roast, brisket, and chuck steak. However, a high intake of red meat is not recommended as part of a long-term healthy and environmentally sustainable diet. Collagen is also found in the bones and skin of fresh and saltwater fish.
• Bone broth, a trending food featured prominently in soup aisles, is promoted as a health food rich in collagen. The process involves simmering animal bones in water and a small amount of vinegar (to help dissolve the bone and release collagen and minerals) anywhere from 4 to 24 hours. However, the amount of amino acids will vary among batches depending on the types of bones used, how long they are cooked, and the amount of processing (e.g., if it is a packaged/canned version).
• Gelatin is a form of collagen made by boiling animal bones, cartilage, and skin for several hours and then allowing the liquid to cool and set. The breakdown of these connective tissues produces gelatin. Collagen and its derivative, gelatin, are promoted on certain eating plans such as the paleo diet.

Foods to boost collagen production

• Several high-protein foods are believed to nurture collagen production because they contain the amino acids that make collagen—glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. These include fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy, legumes, and soy.
• Collagen production also requires nutrients like zinc that is found in shellfish, legumes, meats, nuts, seeds, and whole grains; and vitamin C from citrus fruits, berries, leafy greens, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

Glutathione – a critical antioxidant

Glutathione, also known as GSH, is a molecule found naturally in your body. It is produced by the liver and nerve cells in the central nervous system.

Glutathione is made up of three amino acids: L-cysteine, glycine, and L-glutamate.

It is readily found in certain foods, such as fruits and vegetables.

A study published in Nutrition and Cancer found that:

• Dairy products, cereals, and breads are generally low in GSH.
• Fruits and vegetables have moderate to high amounts of GSH.
• Freshly prepared meats are relatively high in GSH.

Glutathione is an antioxidant, a molecule that helps fight free radicals.

Free radicals are unstable molecules that form in response to factors like your diet and the environment. When more free radicals exist than antioxidants, oxidative cell damage occurs. This can lead to inflammation and a variety of health issues ranging from high blood pressure and diabetes to Alzheimer’s disease and more.

Antioxidants are critical as they help keep things in healthy balance. Your body makes some antioxidants, but others comes from external sources like your diet or supplements like GSH.

In addition to being an antioxidant, GSH also plays a part in your body’s:

• Metabolism of toxins and cancer-causing substances
• Natural creation and repair of DNA
• Production of protein and prostaglandin, a compound with hormone-like effects
• Activation of enzymes

Glutathione helps with the breakdown of nutrients and the regulation of important body processes, such as the immune response, and is purported to reverse the aging process, prevent cancer, and preserve memory.

It is also said to protect against a wide range of health problems, including:

• Hardened arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Lyme disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Colitis
• High cholesterol
• Osteoarthritis
• Asthma
• Cataracts
• Diabetes
• Glaucoma
• Heart disease
• Hepatitis
• Liver disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alcohol use disorder

Ashwaghanda – important adaptogen

Ashwagandha is an herb with great significance in Ayurvedic (Indian) medicine. It was used, amongst many purposes, to strengthen the immune system after illness and relieve anxiety. Its value lies in its ability to give energy and create calmness at the same time. Some small scientific studies support the health benefits of ashwagandha, suggesting that it has anti-oxidizing, anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, and sleep-inducing properties. It may also act as a tonic to improve overall health and energy. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen; it balances and stabilizes various physiological processes, including reducing sensitivity to stress.

Research on Ashwagandha continues to evolve as scientists around the world study its efficacy against a variety of ailments.

Here are a few science-backed benefits of Ashwagandha:

1. Relieves Stress and Anxiety

Ashwagandha is perhaps best known for its stress-relieving properties. Several studies highlight this advantage, observing ashwagandha’s ability to decrease participants’ stress and anxiety levels significantly.

One particular study indicated that ashwagandha can benefit sleep quality as well—researchers confirmed participants slept much better with doses of the herb compared to placebo doses.

2. Lowers Blood Sugar and Fat

A couple of small clinical studies found ashwagandha to be helpful in reducing blood glucose levels and triglycerides (the most common type of fat in the blood).

One study likened ashwagandha’s blood sugar-lowering effects to those of medications prescribed for type 2 diabetes.

3. Increases Muscle and Strength

Researchers continue to study ashwagandha’s efficacy in improving strength and muscle size. One study found participants experienced increased speed and strength.

Another study observed an increase in muscle power, alongside a lower body fat percentage and reduced cholesterol levels when ashwagandha was consumed. Some participants also experienced better sleep, but this study did not compare ashwagandha consumption against a placebo.

Ashwagandha treatments produced positive results in another study conducted solely with male participants. Compared to the placebo group, men who received ashwagandha saw significant gains in muscle strength (measured using bench press and leg extension exercises) and muscle size in their arms and chests, as well as a significant reduction in body fat percentage and post-workout muscle damage.

4. Improves Sexual Function in Women

At least one clinical study indicates ashwagandha can benefit women experiencing sexual dysfunction. The administration of ashwagandha resulted in significant improvements in arousal, lubrication, orgasm and satisfaction, as self-reported by the participants.

It also significantly improved the number of successful sexual encounters and improved metrics of distress around their sex lives and sexuality.

5. Boosts Fertility and Testosterone Levels in Men

Ashwagandha may also provide reproductive benefits for men. Administering ashwagandha to infertile men has shown to improve sperm quality significantly by rebalancing reproductive hormone levels. After one study, 14% of the male patients’ partners became pregnant.

Separately, in a stress-related ashwagandha study, researchers found the herb increased testosterone levels in male but not female participants. Another study testing ashwagandha’s effect on muscle strength in men also measured a significant increase in testosterone.

6. Sharpens Focus and Memory

Ashwagandha may help improve cognition, memory and the ability to perform motor responses after instruction. Small studies have found that, compared to a placebo, ashwagandha significantly improved participants’ reaction times during cognition and psychomotor tests (which measure the ability to respond to instructions and perform an indicated action).

One study even found that ashwagandha significantly improved participants’ attention spans, as well as their immediate and general memory across a variety of tests.

7. Supports Heart Health

At least two studies have shown that ashwagandha can increase VO2 max levels, which is the maximum amount of oxygen you take in while physically exerting yourself. These levels are used in measuring cardiorespiratory endurance—how well the heart and lungs deliver oxygen to muscles during physical activity. Thus, higher VO2 max levels can indicate a healthy heart that performs well under those circumstances.

With that said, this one study’s results may not apply universally since it was conducted with healthy, athletic adults exclusively as opposed to a more diverse group of participants.

Sources:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/benefits-of-glutathione-89457

https://sovereignsilver.com/pages/safety-toxicity

https://www.verywellhealth.com/vitamin-d3-5082500

https://www.forbes.com/health/body/ashwagandha-benefits/

https://www.juiceplus.com/be/en/clinical-research/conducted-studies