Given the opportunity, availability and depth of one’s pockets, getting the daily requirements of vitamins and minerals should always come from real food sources. In reality, this is not always the case – and that’s where supplements can help.
But making sense of the overwhelming choices of supplements can be a cause for aspirin in itself. Here’s a list of five supplements that you absolutely want to avoid.
- Cheap Multi-vitamins
- Cleanse / Detox products
- Caffeine Pills
- Antioxidants
- Vitamin C
Most multivitamins are made from synthetic products, using artificial colors and binders. Depending on how your digestive environment reacts they can cause feelings of nausea or worse.
Some of the vitamins and minerals in multivitamins are too high, acting as fillers, or they are too low to have any real benefit. The outcome of all this is simply expensive urine.
Poor quality, ineffectual amounts, and hazardous manufacturing are some things to watch for. From a keto perspective also watch for hidden sugars. Some vitamins include sugar-based binders and fillers like dextrose or maltodextrin, corn syrup, and rice and other flour fillers. Although the amount of sugar is small, don’t spend it on supplements.
Do this instead
Eat a nice variety of keto-friendly foods. Organ meats (in sausage, for those less daring personalities), dairy, and keto-approved vegetables are all great ways to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. Also, getting plenty of Vitamin D is easy…go outside and play/run/walk/bike/etc.
Products which will aid bowel movements, ease constipation or flush “mucoid plaque” from the intestines. The term “mucoid plaque” comes from the alternative medical community and such claims are anecdotal, lacking empirical data. Similar to some multivitamins, these are money down the drain…pun TOTALLY intended. Also, there is not substantiation about the claims that these products actually “detox” or “cleanse” anything. They’re typically just cheap laxatives.
Do this instead
Choose food sources that are whole and clean. Grass-fed meats, free-range poultry, and sustainably-farmed vegetables are ideal. If cleansing the toxins is your concern, then the best answer is to eliminate them from the equation. Don’t eat them, no need to cleanse them.
Not only that, but if your pipes aren’t flowing, skip the detox/cleanse stuff and opt, instead, for a regular dosage of magnesium (glycinate or chelated) and consider increasing the amount of coconut oil you’re eating every day. But, fair warning, you don’t want to increase it too much at once, because it has a habit of taking effect when you least expect it. You certainly don’t want to be out on a 10-mile run or ride and encounter disaster pants.
It’s understandable that athletes use caffeine, especially in pre-workout mixes to get an extra pump. For some people caffeine can cause heart palpitations, anxiety and sleep disruption, if taken incorrectly. I want to make sure and clarify the point here. I’m not saying to avoid all caffeine, it can have some benefits. I am saying to avoid caffeine isolates (like pills), because it’s just not a great alternative.
Do this instead
It would be better to build stamina and energy from a more solid foundation of proper nutrition (i.e. skip the caffeine entirely). But, if that’s not an option for you, then the better option is coffee or tea which provide polyphenol, aiding in reducing inflammation and insulin resistance. Not only that, but having your Ballistic Coffee (or Tea) in the morning is a nice way to wake up.
The thought is exercise produces free radicals, so there is a need to reduce them to increase recovery and ramp the effects of exercise. The “fine print” is that it applies to concentrated amounts of free radicals. Taking high doses of antioxidants post workout can be counterproductive. Although muscle gains will be there, due to the interaction with antioxidants protein synthesis will be reduced causing a downshift in overall strength.
Do this instead
Eat keto. The Ketogenic Diet is good at reducing Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), or free radicals. By reducing the production (especially inside the brain) of ROS, the need for external antioxidants diminishes dramatically. Not only that, but a well-formulated ketogenic diet is going to contain all the naturally occurring antioxidants you’ll need.
Aside from pirates dealing with scurvy, vitamin C is found abundantly in many fruits, vegetables, and organ meat. Large doses of vitamin C are said to be beneficial towards preventing and even curing a common cold, yet there is little evidence to support such claims. Doses of vitamin C over 2000 mg can be counterproductive and may increase the risk of kidney stones.
Do this instead
Add some lime or lemon juice to your water. And then forget about it. Honestly, the amount of Vitamin C needed to remain healthy is not nearly as high as some folks claim. Just don’t fret about it.
Nutritional supplementation can be the route to go when it comes to meeting vitamin and mineral needs. However, if there are true deficiencies or concerns of health, take the time to do proper research and be proactive. As needed, seek the assistance of a qualified professional. Dr. Google isn’t a professional and even less qualified, and all of the analysis will say it’s cancer.