Do I Need Supplements? Reasons For and Against

Rosanna FinckenOrthomolecular Advisor13 february 20245 min. reading time

The question of whether you need supplements is increasingly being raised. "But I eat healthily?" is often a reason not to take additional vitamins. It's a logical thought, but is it true? We’d like to explain when you do or don’t need supplements. Are you reading along?

Do I Need Supplements?

No, in principle, you don’t need supplements, as long as you:

Eat healthily and varied. Ideally, 400-500 grams of organic vegetables, 2 pieces of fruit, enough complete proteins from meat, fish, eggs, and legumes, and as unprocessed as possible every day;
Consume oily fish twice a week, or ensure you get enough omega-3 fatty acids from other sources (such as hemp seeds);
Spend at least 30 minutes outside every day;
Work up a sweat several times a week;
Take time daily to unwind to limit any stress.

Can’t manage all this? You’re not alone! It’s then a good idea to support your health with some basic supplements. This way, you can be sure that you are laying a solid foundation every day for now and the future.

What Do We Mean by Basic Supplements?

When we talk about basic supplements, we mean the daily addition of important nutrients that our body needs to function optimally. This goes beyond just not becoming ill. Optimal health, in our view, means that all body functions are working at their best so you can live life to the fullest, now and later.

The Daily3 includes vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants that we often don’t get enough of through the standard Dutch diet. These 3 basic supplements are intended to – alongside a healthy diet and lifestyle – prevent or supplement any deficiencies and ensure that our body can function as well as possible.

There are several reasons why basic supplements are recommended, even if you eat healthily:

Not everyone gets enough nutrients. Even with a healthy and balanced diet, it can be challenging to get all the necessary nutrients every day. For instance, you might not eat enough fruit, vegetables, or fish, as only 19% of Dutch people consume the recommended 1-2 pieces of fruit and 27% eat the recommended 200 grams of vegetables. Additionally, about 30% of the population eats oily fish twice a week, which is important for omega 3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA).
The nutritional value of fruits and vegetables is lower than in the past. Due to intensive farming, monoculture (repeatedly growing the same crop on the same land), and the use of artificial fertilisers, our agricultural soil has become quite depleted over the years. And what isn’t in the soil, can’t be absorbed by the crops growing on it. This particularly applies to traditional (non-organic) farming; if you choose organic (dynamic), you’re already one step ahead.

Orthomolecular medicine recommends consuming 2 pieces of fruit and at least 400-500 grams of vegetables daily. To reach that 500 grams, it’s important to include some vegetables with every meal. Are you ready for the challenge?

Always being ‘on’: constantly having a full schedule or juggling multiple tasks increases the need for certain nutrients like magnesium and vitamin C. Supplements can help you meet this increased need.
Vegan or vegetarian: not consuming animal products increases the risk of not getting enough of important nutrients found (mainly) in animal products, such as vitamin B12, iron, choline, and omega 3. If this applies to you, supplementing these nutrients is advisable.
Toxic influences from outside. Living in a busy city with lots of traffic, using non-natural cosmetics and cleaning products, or cooking your meals at too high a temperature. These are often the most everyday things that, when added together, can significantly impact our health (unnoticed).

These toxic influences can cause our bodies to be exposed to free radicals more than usual. Free radicals are oxidised molecules that we absorb through the factors mentioned above, but they are also released during certain processes in our body. Free radicals can be harmful to our cells, tissues, and DNA but are neutralised by antioxidants. This makes it extra important to get enough antioxidants like vitamins C and E.

Daily3 - The Smartest Foundation for Your Health

Health is, of course, very personal and not everyone has the same needs when it comes to health. One person might work out in the gym five days a week, while another has just become a mother. Both situations demand a lot from the body but also require different forms of support. However, we believe that these three supplements are relevant for everyone: a multivitamin, magnesium, and omega-3. This way, you lay the best foundation for your health!

1. Multivitamin: All Essential Vitamins and Minerals in One

The foundation of any vitamin routine, in our opinion, is a quality multivitamin. A multivitamin combines a large number of important nutrients. Taking a multi daily ensures you get all essential vitamins and minerals.

A good multivitamin also contains well-absorbable forms of vitamins and minerals and additional nutrients like antioxidants and herbal extracts that enhance the action of the vitamins and minerals. Want to read more about this? Be sure to check out our knowledge base on multivitamins.

A good multivitamin is tailored to gender, life stage, and lifestyle. Simply because as a woman, man, or athlete, you have different needs. A specific multi supports you exactly where you can use it (extra).

2. Magnesium: For Energy, Muscles, and Relaxation

Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 processes in our body and is also known as the ‘anti-stress mineral’. Furthermore, magnesium is good for the muscles, bones, and nervous system. It also contributes to learning ability, memory, and energy levels.

Since we cannot produce magnesium ourselves, we must obtain this versatile mineral entirely from our diet. When you deal with (over)full schedules and juggle many tasks daily, you use more magnesium. This higher need makes it more challenging to get enough through your diet. We believe magnesium belongs in everyone’s kitchen cupboard.

In our knowledge base on magnesium, you can read more about what the mineral is, which forms are well absorbable, and what it is good for.

3. Omega-3: Essential for Your Brain, Heart, and Eyes*

The omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA are good for the heart, blood pressure, and contribute to a healthy fat content in the blood. DHA is also good for brain function and vision.

We also refer to omega-3 fatty acids as essential fatty acids, meaning our body cannot produce them and we must obtain them entirely through our diet. If you don’t eat oily fish (out of principle or because you don’t like it) or if it’s not on your plate twice a week, you’re likely not getting enough omega-3.

In our knowledge base on omega 3, you can read more about what it is and what forms are available.

*With a daily intake of 250 mg DHA and EPA.

Healthy Eating and Taking Care of Yourself Comes First

Supplements never replace a varied diet and healthy lifestyle. It’s not that healthy, unprocessed food becomes unimportant when you take supplements. But dietary supplements can give your body that extra support. The Daily3 from Vitaminstore is, in our view, a valuable addition for most people.

Sources

Schuurman, R. W. C., Beukers, M. H., & Van Rossum, C. T. M. (2020). Does the Netherlands Eat and Drink According to the Guidelines of the Wheel of Five?: Results from the Food Consumption Survey 2012-2016.
Janciauskiene S. (2020). The Beneficial Effects of Antioxidants in Health And Diseases. Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (Miami, Fla.), 7(3), 182–202. https://doi.org/10.15326/jcopdf.7.3.2019.0152