Choosing the Right Nutritional Supplements for Your Unique Needs

Some of the most common questions we receive at Alpine Apothecary are, “What nutritional supplements should I take regularly?,” followed by, “Can’t I just get inexpensive supplements from a bigger retailer or online?”

Let’s dive in to both of these…

Question 1: “What nutritional supplements should I take?”

Like most things in personalized medicine, the answer depends on the patient and their individual requirements. However, there is a set of core supplements from which the majority of patients can benefit. This consists of a multi-vitamin, vitamin D3, a probiotic and a fish oil supplement. Start with these four and you will fuel your body with a foundation that may prevent a handful of issues in the future. 

• Multi-vitamin:  Our favorite is MitoCORE from OrthoMolecular Products®

The reason we recommend this product (other than the excellent patient feedback) is because its micronutrients provide a great foundation to deliver an abundance of cellular energy as it drives up our mitochondrial or ATP energy levels and stores. Think back to your early biochemistry days in school — the mitochondria is considered the powerhouse of our cells because they generate 90% of the body’s energy supply.

With MitoCORE you get the vitamins you need, and several other key players in energy production and antioxidant protection, such as n-acetyl cysteine (NAC), alpha lipoid acid, acetyl l-carnitine, resveratrol and a complete B complex mix. We like to think of this product as a mega multi-vitamin because it’s like having 6 supplements in one with the right dosing of each ingredient.

• Vitamin D3: We recommend Vitamin D3/K2 from Seeking Health® or K-FORCE from OrthoMolecular Products

Together, vitamin D3 and vitamin K act in synergy to support and maintain bone and cardiovascular health.

Some benefits of vitamin D3 include:

• Healthy calcium balance

• Optimal bone health

• Cardiovascular health and arterial elasticity

• Boosted immune function

Emerging research also highlights the importance of vitamin K. Composed of a group of naturally occurring and structurally similar fat-soluble vitamins, this supplement is critical for the proper utilization of calcium, and helps to bind newly absorbed calcium to the bone matrix. Vitamin K helps maintain bone mineral density by decreasing the activity of osteoclasts, cells which break down bone. It also provides critical cardiovascular protection by activating Matrix Gla protein (MGP), a potent inhibitor of circulatory calcification.

Other research has found that high-concentration supplementation of vitamin K (at 180 mcg/day) may results in improved clinical results compared to lower-dose supplementation. K-FORCE provides 180 mcg of MenaQ7® PRO, the most widely studied form of vitamin K2, along with 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 for optimal support of bone and cardiovascular health.

• Probiotics: We recommend our Total Gut Restoration Program

The key with probiotics is variety and keeping a rotation of different types. At Alpine Apothecary, we have put together a Total Gut Restoration Program that includes multiple probiotics we have in our store.

• Step 1: Cleanse

  A 3-step program of MegaSporeBiotic™, MegaPre™ Precision Prebiotic™, and MegaMucosa™ from Microbiome Labs, can help to recondition, reinforce and rebuild a healthy gut.
  Research has indicated that many patients with major gut issues have a decreased amount of Akkermansia muciniphila, and these three products work to maintain this important gut bacteria.

• Step 2: Maintenance

  We recommend a quarterly rotation of a variety of probiotics that includes products like Ortho Biotic Capsules and Ortho Spore IG™ by OrthoMolecular Products, as well as, Multi-Probiotic 40 Billion from Douglas Laboratories® or Kyo•Dophilus®. 

• Fish Oil or Omegas: Our top pick is the tried and true Orthomega® 820 by OrthoMolecular Products

We saved the best supplement for last with the ever-amazing Omega-3 fatty acids! A quality fish oil can help support and maintain:

• Cardiovascular health

• Blood sugar metabolism

• Cognitive function

• Healthy skin, joints and connective tissue

• A normal inflammatory balance

• Increased visual health

Orthomega 820 is a high-concentration fish oil sourced from waters off the Chilean coast. As the world’s least industrialized coastline, these cold, fresh waters provide the cleanest, most sustainable source of fish in the world. Each capsule contains vitamin E (as mixed tocopherols) and rosemary extract are used to ensure maximum purity and freshness. With over 10,000 published studies in the last three decades, fatty acids like EPA and DHA from fish oil are among the most researched natural ingredients available and have a long history of safety and efficacy.

Question 2: “Can’t I just get inexpensive supplements from a bigger retailer or online?”

The simple and straightforward answer to the second question is all about QUALITY. Yes, you can purchase supplements cheaper from some larger retailers, but can you be absolutely sure that they are the best sources of nutrition to fuel your body? Nutritional supplements are one of those purchases that you get exactly what you pay for.

There are several different grades of nutritional supplements available in the market, but the two most common are:

• Pharmaceutical Grade (or Medical Grade)

• Non-medical Grade (a.k.a. regular over-the-counter supplements)

The main difference between the two is the ingredients. Non-medical grade supplements often use synthetic or cheaper forms of vitamins, whereas most Pharmaceutical grade supplements contain the purest forms of these same vitamins. With more natural and true ingredients, your body is effectively reaping the best benefits each supplement has to offer.

Another detriment to Non-medical grade supplements is that the exact ingredients don’t have to be listed on the label. This means that you never know what exactly you are putting into your body when you purchase and use this variety. Non-medical grade supplements also tend to use more fillers, such as dyes or unwanted chemicals, in their capsules. This means that you could be ingesting toxins that, with prolonged use, could make you sick.

For example, we recently looked at the ingredients in a leading multi-vitamin that is frequently advertised on tv and can be found at your local grocery store. What we found was that this particular product contains 27 inactive ingredients, including 3 different starches. These are the types of fillers we mention above.

In contrast, one of our favorite multi-vitamins that we carry at Alpine Apothecary only has a total of 4 inactive ingredients. Our multi-vitamin provides you with a much more natural and effective product. 

So what’s the answer?

All of the supplements that we sell at Alpine Apothecary are of the highest grade. They are from vetted companies that use only high quality, raw materials that are backed by scientific research and contain therapeutic potency and dosing for all their supplement ingredients. You can have peace of mind when you purchase your supplements through us that you know exactly what you are putting into your body.

Get started today with the core list of four supplements we mentioned above OR come into the pharmacy and talk to us! We would love to help you find a supplement routine that works best for you. We can tailor a nutritional supplement regimen to your specific needs through our Wellness Evaluation. After a scheduled conversation and comprehensive analysis of your current lifestyle, our team can create a list of vitamins to help you achieve your health goals (such as losing weight, gaining more energy, increasing memory and cognition, and/or decreasing stress). Learn more about our Wellness Evaluation and book your consultation here.