October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

What changes are you making in your lifestyle to be more healthy and proactive? Do you research health & wellness companies before you buy their products? It’s really important to know more information on what kind of cleaners, skin care and supplements you are using. Remember to be proactive in your health prevention plan!

Today, I wanted to share a compelling scientific presentation that details the impressive research conducted on users of different kinds of supplements.  It was called the Landmark Dietary Supplement Study and it was conducted by the University of California at Berkeley, School of Public Health.  For 20 years (Yes! 20 years!), it studied the usage patterns, health and nutritional status of long-term multiple dietary supplement users.

It was the first-of-its-kind study on long-term users of multiple dietary supplements.  It compared people who take multiple dietary supplements against those who use just a multivitamin against those who do not supplement at all.

The study showed that multiple supplement users:

  • Have markedly better health
  • 73% reduced risk of diabetes versus non-users
  • More optimum levels of health biomarkers
  • Normal levels of blood pressure
  • HDL (good cholesterol)
  • Triglycerides
  • C-reactive protein
  • Homocysteine

Here is a graph of how the three (Multiple Supplement Users, Single Supplement Users, and No Supplement Users) compared to one another:

Are you confused at where you should start?  Let me break it down for you.  Your three main concerns should be to eat healthy, supplement wisely and exercise.

Eat Healthy. Your healthy eating plan includes smart choices from every food group and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products. It also includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars.

Supplement Wisely. Make wise supplement choices a part of your daily routine. A comprehensive and balanced multivitamin/mineral supplement with at least 500 mg calcium and vitamin D just makes good sense. Antioxidant nutrients help protect cells against aging so be sure you’re considering the antioxidant vitamins C and E, and beta carotene. Ensure your intake of critical B vitamins including folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12, to help protect DNA and support healthy aging. Try to increase your intake of the omega three fatty acids, EPA and DHA, which have been associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease as well as improvements in inflammatory and metabolic balance. Finally, look to probiotic nutrition to support healthy digestion and immune function.

Exercise and Achieve a Healthy Weight. For the two out of every three Americans who are overweight or obese, losing weight is the first priority for improving health. Make regular physical activity a key component of your overall health management program to balance your caloric intake from food with the calories you expend each day. Try to be physically active for at least 30-60 minutes most days of the week and increase exercise duration or intensity for even greater health benefits or to help manage body weight.

Are you still not sure what supplements to take?  Or do you not know of a good quality brand you could trust?  It’s hard to navigate your way through all of the different supplements out there.  Each brand is saying, “pick me!”

Lucky for me, I have grown up with a quality brand and have been taking it my whole life.  (Thanks to my Mom for doing the research for me!)  Here are a few supplements you should be taking on a daily basis to achieve optimal health.  (I link to each product.)

I strongly recommend everyone take this:

These will help supplement your multivitamin/multimineral supplement:

Remember, it’s important to be an informed consumer.  Don’t let brands walk all over you.  Do your research!



Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *