8 Foundational Vitamins + Minerals To Optimize Your Health

This resource is for educational and informative use only.

No doubt you know that you need a wide range of vitamins and minerals in your diet but you might not be so clued up on why they’re so important and what they can do for your health. You might say that you eat a healthy diet, so why take supplements? Fair question. But in our world today, so much has changed, and not for the best regarding the nutrients in our food. How so you may ask? Well, for instance, our soil is depleted due to modern farming practices with the use of pesticides, fertilizers and monocropping (a farming technique that involves growing the same crop in the same field year after year). Then there is the case of food processing and storage which depletes essential nutrients. And today we are exposed to more toxins and pollutants than in the past. Toxins block nutrient absorption and this leads to malnutrition and health issues. And last, but not least, is chronic stress and our modern way of living. When we are overly stressed for too long, our cortisol increases and this makes for a higher demand for vitamins, especially the B vitamins, vitamin C, and magnesium.

How to supplement?

This tends to be the most asked question on supplementing. What to take? How much and for how long? It is complicated, and never a one-size-fits-all. It is individualized and honestly, some trial and error until you feel comfortable in supplementing. First of all, nutrients work in synergy, meaning they all work together. Sometimes finding the correct combination may work well one day, but the next day or next week; not so much. This all has to do with your genetics, diet, age, gender and lifestyle. I always recommend working with a functional medicine practitioner to begin any supplemental protocol and learning how to dose.

What do vitamins + minerals do?

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients that your body requires for a wide range of functions. They act as cofactors for enzymes—tiny machines responsible for millions of chemical reactions happening in your body every day. These reactions are crucial for:

Energy Production
Detoxification
DNA Repair + Protection
Hormone Production
Immune Function

Without sufficient levels of vitamins + minerals, your body cannot operate at its full potential. Even mild deficiencies can impair your immune system, slow down metabolism, increase oxidative stress, and reduce cognitive function.

What are the top foundational supplements + why?

Vitamin A

Vitamin A plays an important role in vision, immune function, bone growth, reproduction, cell division and differentiation.

If you want to keep your eyes and skin healthy, you definitely want to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin A in your diet.

There are two types of vitamin A: retinoids and carotenoids. Both are important for keeping skin, eyes, cells and tissues healthy and increasing immunity. The main difference is where you get them from. Retinoids are more readily found in animal products while carotenoids are usually plant based.

As a general rule of thumb, you’ll find vitamin A in lots of orange foods, including carrots, sweet potato and cantaloupe melon. Some of the less obvious sources include kale, spinach, liver, eggs, milk, red peppers and mangoes.

Most of us will get enough vitamin A in our diet if we eat the right foods but be wary of supplementing as too much vitamin A can be unsafe, especially if you’re pregnant. Your body stores it rather than flushing out any excess and if it gets too high, it can be toxic. Stick to getting the most of your vitamin A intake from foods and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about!

Supplementing with vitamin A has show to be beneficial for those who do not get enough from food though. Vitamin A has shown to support thyroid disorders + immune health. It is just knowing how much to supplement with and taking safe doses. Here is a study showing how vitamin A supports gut health and overall immune function.

The recommended daily allowance for vitamin A is 5,000 IU for adults. This dosage is the minimum that you require per day to prevent deficiencies. 10,000 IU per day is normally used in supplementation and 8,000 IU for pregnant or lactating women. Therapeutically the dosage is usually increased considerably. Again, pregnant women must be careful as a high intake of this vitamin can cause birth defects.

Dosages exceeding 15,000 IU per day must be taken under your practitioner’s supervision. Toxicity symptoms may include nausea, dizziness, menstrual problems, skin changes, itchiness, irritability, vomiting, headaches and long term use can cause hair loss, bone and muscle pain, headache, liver damage, and an increase in blood lipid concentrations. Beta-carotene does not cause toxicity.

With Thanksgiving upon us…..how about trying a yummy, vitamin A-loaded sweet potato recipe?

Vitamin B Complex

The B-complex vitamins: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folate (B9), cobalamin (B12) all have a unique structure and each performs unique functions in the human body. I could do a whole post just on the B vitamins (and I will eventually!) but for now here is a short list of some of their functions:

Breakdown of carbohydrates, fats + proteins into glucose providing energy for the body
Essential for healthy skin, hair + eyes
Reduces muscle spasms, leg cramps, hand numbness
Helps regulate blood pressure
Fuel for the brain
Eliminating toxic chemicals in the body
Produces various sex and stress-related hormones in the adrenal glands
Supports enzymes for liver support
Neurotransmitter support
Synthesizing, repairing + and methylating DNA
So much more!

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is produced in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet B light from the sun, and occurs naturally in a small range of foods. Foods such as fatty fish, mushrooms, eggs + meat are top choices.

Vitamin D is another vitamin that has several roles in the body. It supports immune, cardiovascular, bone and neurological health by regulating the absorption of calcium + phosphorus.

Your vitamin D level depends on how much sunlight reached the deeper levels of your skin during the last two or three months, and how much vitamin D you consumed with food or supplementing during this period. You can test your vitamin D status with this blood test: 25(OH)D test.

The current recommendation for adult intake of vitamin D is 400 IU per day; that is basically insufficient. A proposed increase for the adult dose has been recommended to 1,000 IU per day, most people will need more than this. With so much time spent inside, and our food lacking in vital nutrients, most people are low and need healthy amounts of vitamin D. Get tested to know your level, and gauge from there on how to supplement. Opinions of ranges vary, but the optimal average is 60-90.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is more of an antioxidant than a vitamin and can help to protect your body against the damaging effects of free radicals. Without enough vitamin E, oxidative stress is a problem and this has been linked to many health issues. An important function of vitamin E is to maintain the integrity of our intracellular membrane by providing a defense against tissue damage caused by oxidation. This is important because metabolic processes in the body are dependent upon healthy cell membranes. Antioxidants, like vitamin E, reduce the number of free radicals in the body. In realizing how important vitamin E is; we now can contribute to it’s role in the aging process.

The RDA for vitamin E is quite low, 15 mg to 20 IU per day. The most commonly recommended dose of supplemental vitamin E for adults is 300 to 800 IU per day.

Almonds are a great natural source of vitamin E. You can also eat sunflower seeds, organic soybeans, spinach, kale, asparagus, celery, cucumber and tomato to boost your vitamin E intake.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is perhaps the most water soluble vitamin there is, meaning it diffuses very rapidly in water. Depending on your bio-individual needs, will determine the dosing that is appropriate for you. Our bodies do not make vitamin C, therefore, we need to get it from our diet or supplement with it. Again, depending on your needs, the range can vary from 1,000-3,000mg (or more) a day. The RDA is a tiny 60mg’s; way too low. You really can’t take too much, if you do, your bowels will become loose and then you know to back down. Vitamin C is water soluble, so any extra will just wash out.

There are so many uses for vitamin C; take a look:

Building + maintaining all living tissues
Strengthening our immune system
Aids in wound-healing
Prevents free radical damage
Transforms cholesterol into a natural steroidal hormone
Helps absorb iron

Iron

If you’ve been lacking in energy and feeling out of breath lately, it could be a sign that you’re not getting enough iron. Women can be particularly prone to iron deficiency anemia due to the blood lost during the monthly cycle. Iron helps hemoglobin, the pigment in red blood cells, to transport oxygen around the body. Iron plays many roles in the body:

Oxygen Transportation
Muscle + Organ Health
Vital Immune System
Hormone Production
Cognitive Function

Iron deficiency can cause anemia, poor pregnancy outcomes and neurodevelopmental delays.

Functional medicine emphasizes the importance of a nutrient-dense diet that includes a variety of whole foods rich in iron and other essential nutrients that enhance iron absorption and support healthy red blood cells.

Consuming a diet rich in iron is essential for replenishing iron stores. Heme iron is found in liver and grass-fed red meats, poultry and seafood. Non-heme iron is found in spinach, beans, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, sesame seeds, dried fruits and pumpkin seeds can also give you an iron boost. Bonus points if you can team these with a vitamin C rich food so that the iron is absorbed more easily.

If you suffer from iron deficiency anemia, it is best to consult your functional medicine practitioner on the type and dose of iron to take. But most functional medicine providers often recommend iron bisglycinate as a well-absorbed and better-tolerated option. A recommended oral dose of iron for managing iron deficiency anemia in adults is 120 mg of elemental iron daily in divided doses and continue until you have tested and no longer have iron deficiency anemia.

Magnesium

If chronic fatigue and muscle cramps are common problems for you, it may be a sign you need to up your magnesium intake. This is a mineral that lots of people are deficient in, which is bad news given how many key roles it plays in the body. Magnesium supports over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. From heart health to protecting against osteoporosis, this is one mineral you really don’t want to be lacking in!

Magnesium’s roles in the body:

Activates enzymes
Contributes to energy production
Helps regulate calcium levels as well as copper, zinc, potassium + vitamin D
Contributes to the makeup of teeth + bones
Plays a variety of roles in cellular metabolism (glycolysis, fat + protein metabolism)
Regulates membrane stability
Neuromuscular, cardiovascular, immune + hormonal functions

Do you suffer from any of these symptoms: agitation + anxiety, restless leg syndrome, sleep disorders, irritability, nausea + vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms, low blood pressure, confusion, muscle spasm + weakness, hyperventilation, insomnia, poor nail growth or seizures? You may have a magnesium deficiency.

Worried you’re not getting enough magnesium? You can get more of it through bananas, dark chocolate, leafy greens and pumpkin seeds.

There are several forms of magnesium to supplement with. Once you determine which one is right for you, it is recommended to be taken with a B vitamin complex, because the level of vitamin B6 in the body determines how much magnesium will be absorbed into the cells. The magnesium needs to get into the cells for optimal function. Dosing can range from 280-400mg/day. You may need more depending on your health and personal needs.

Potassium

Potassium is another mineral that can cause a lot of problems if you’re not getting enough of it in your diet. It’s involved in keeping muscles and nerves healthy and is also important for your kidneys and digestive system. It is also a very important mineral for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs in the human body. The need for potassium is crucial as it is an electrolyte, a substance that conducts electricity in the body, along with other minerals: sodium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium.

Good sources of potassium include pastured meats, salmon, avocado, bananas, potato, sweet potato, prunes, nuts/seeds and raisins. You can also drink electrolytes, (my favorite!) which often also contains other minerals such as magnesium.

Most people get all of the potassium they need from a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruits. But if your diet is not full of these foods, consult with your practitioner before consuming potassium supplements; you need to make sure it is balanced with other minerals.

Chromium

Chromium is a mineral that lots of people have never heard but it’s really important for making sure every cell in your body gets vital energy. If you don’t get enough chromium, you may get sugar cravings. Chromium is an essential mineral found in very low concentrations in the human body. Chromium enhances the action of insulin (a hormone that converts sugar into energy) which we need daily. Low levels of chromium can increase blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol levels, which may lead to diabetes and heart disease.

You don’t need to eat much different to get enough chromium. Foods containing chromium: whole grains, meat, cheese, most vegetables and some herbs (thyme) all contain it.

Eating a balanced diet full of whole foods is definitely the way to go for getting essential vitamins and minerals into your diet. Eating the rainbow and loading up your plate with lots of different colors every day will go a long way towards making sure you don’t become deficient in key nutrients. While eating a nutrient-dense, whole-food diet is the foundation of good health, supplements can support today’s depleted food supply and environmental challenges.

To be honest, there are so many important vitamins + minerals needed in our everyday diets. I haven’t even begun to address all of them here in this post. Essential fatty acids, probiotics, zinc, selenium, fiber, calcium, lysine, iodine, glutathione and more are all vitally important in the right portions and doses. Always strive to have a balanced diet and get your nutrients from food, but when there are deficiencies or a therapeutic need is warranted; supplement with the support from your functional medicine practitioner or a nutritionist.

Individualized Nutritional Wellness Plan

As you see there are plenty of nutrients to consume to improve overall wellbeing. The main take-away is to make healthy food choices by consuming a variety of organic and fresh foods daily. By doing this, you are well on your way to getting the nutrients you need, but for therapeutic needs, supplementing with various vitamins and minerals may be needed to push the needle for improved health. Work together with a licensed practitioner for professional recommendations regarding a nutritional and supplemental wellness plan, and once you begin to make small lifestyle changes the benefits will leave you feeling physically and mentally strong and healthy!