Dr. Mark Hyman explains why most people are deficient in key vitamins and minerals, and why supplements matter for basic bodily functions. He clears up confusion about what actually works and what doesn't.
This is Dr. Mark Hyman. Welcome to my weekly house call, your chance to ask me your questions. And this week's question is, well, should I take supplements, Dr. Hyman, and which ones? I'm sure you're all confused because most doctors are confused, most nutritionists are confused, and certainly most consumers are confused. Why? Because there's so much confusing information in the media. One day vitamin E is good for you, the next day it's going to kill you. One day folate is good for you, the next day it's going to kill you. One day you should be taking a multivitamin, it's good, and the next day you shouldn't. One day vitamin Z is good, one day it's bad. It's enough to drive you crazy and throw the whole thing in the garbage. But please don't do that. Here's the deal. We are a physiological and biochemical organism and we require nutrients in order for our biology to function. Vitamins and minerals are the helpers that help every chemical reaction in your body work. In fact, of all our genes, we have thousands and thousands of genes. One third of all of our DNA is used to code for enzymes. Enzymes catalyze chemical reactions and turn one chemical in your body into another one. In order for those chemical reactions to happen, you need vitamins and minerals and different people need different amounts and they're critical for every biological function. For example, magnesium controls over 200 enzymes, zinc, a couple hundred enzymes. So folate, critical for making neurotransmitters, for creating proper regulation of your DNA and in which genes get turned on and off, important for regulating neurological function. for preventing cancer, for all sorts of things. Vitamin D is actually a pro-hormone. It's involved in regulating over 200 genes. So these things are very, very important. Now, I've been studying as a physician nutritional levels of my patients for decades. I do testing where I can tell if someone has low levels of nutrients. And I've done shows with Dr. Oz on Vitamin D. I've done shows on Dr. Oz with with omega-3 fats and we tested the audience and there are widespread deficiencies. And here's the biggest ones. Number one, omega-3 fats, very big deficiency. Essential fatty acids are critical for your brain function, for inflammation and many other things. Vitamin D, we all live and work inside so many Americans up to 80% have low or insufficient levels of vitamin D. We have a diet that's very low in plant foods, in greens and so we have low folate. We have low magnesium, a very common deficiency which can lead to muscle cramps, can lead to headaches, can lead to constipation, can lead to palpitations, anxiety, insomnia. A widespread epidemic of magnesium deficiency. Why? Because we drink coffee and alcohol which deplete it. We're stressed which depletes it. And we don't eat anything with magnesium which are beans and greens. So we have a number of deficiencies that create common symptoms that are easily relieved if you get the right nutrients. The question is what should we be taking? And it's really quite simple. The average person should take a multivitamin, a good multivitamin which includes vitamins and minerals, all the B vitamins, A, C, D, E, as well as all the B complex vitamins and vitamin K and other key nutrients. We need to be taking an omega-3 fat supplement that could be from algae plant-based omega-3s or it could be from omega-3 from fish. And we need to take a vitamin D. You need good quality vitamins. These are really critical. You can fine tune and add this and that for this person but for most people, a good multi, fish oil and vitamin D will do the trick and that will help provide all the raw materials for you to function. You can't just go to any place and buy the supplements because there's no good regulation of purity and potency and quality and manufacturing. you're kind of on your own. That's why I've curated the best products, the things that I use with my patients, and put them on my website on drhyman.com so people can find them and can find the ones that I use with my patients and use them if they want. They don't have to, they can find it somewhere else, but the key is I try to make it simple for people because it's a confusing landmine out there and I really encourage people to find the best quality products that they can get. You wouldn't put bad fuel in your car, you don't want to put bad stuff in your body. So finding the right supplements, the right ones for you is key. Now in my books and drhyman.com, there are quizzes so you can find out if you have deficiencies simply by asking yourself quizzes. And there's also testing. If you go to my how to work with your doctor to get what you need, you can actually find what tests you should do to find out your nutritional deficiencies. So between getting the basic nutrients you need, plus doing some quizzes and some testing, you can find out what your true nutritional needs are. And I encourage you to think about finding a functional medicine doctor to work with to help you optimize this and find the right things for you. So now I'd like to hear from you. Submit your comments. Tell us what you've experienced by taking supplements, what has helped you, what hasn't, what you've learned. And share this newsletter with your friends and family. Sign up for it if you haven't signed up for it already. Share it with your friends on social media, Facebook and Twitter. Submit your questions so next week I may make a house call to you.
