4 Dietitian-Approved Supplements to Fill Common Nutritional Gaps
The following article was written by Heinen’s Chief Dietitian, Melanie Jatsek RD, LD. Please consult your healthcare provider or the Personalized Nutrition Center at Heinen’s Mayfield Village before starting any new supplements.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed just thinking about what supplements you should be taking?
I get it! Simply walking through Heinen’s Wellness Department can be a intimidating for anyone. Allow me to calm your nerves.
Every person has unique needs and therefore different supplement needs. While there are a handful of supplements that apply to most of us, like a whole food multivitamin, probiotic, and vitamin D3 + K2, our needs branch off from there based on our current health status and desired goals.
In addition to the options mentioned above, I find myself consistently recommending an additional four supplements to family and customers to further enhance their wellbeing.
1. Heinen’s Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the human diet, yet close to 75% of Americans aren’t getting enough.
Signs of magnesium deficiency include irritability, anxiety, fatigue, migraines, muscle weakness, and muscle cramps.
Magnesium is known as the “relaxation” mineral, and as such, can help support healthy blood pressure, restorative sleep, bone health, and overall mood. Magnesium also assists glucose into your cells where it belongs, helping to control blood sugar levels!
I chose magnesium glycinate over other forms because it is highly absorbable and well tolerated by most people.
2. Heinen’s Zinc
Zinc is an essential trace mineral required for everything from healthy skin, normal DNA replication, and cell division, to cell communication and hormone balance. Zinc is also incredibly important to the immune system. In fact, even the slightest deficiency in zinc can impair your immune function!
Think of zinc as a big strong bodyguard with bulging muscles of steel. When a virus enters your body, its goal is to use your cellular machinery to copy itself, but zinc directly blocks this viral replication.
3. Heinen’s Quercetin
Quercetin is a natural pigment found in apples (concentrated in the skin), onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots. It works as a powerful balancing agent and strengthens the immune system.
Quercetin plays another brilliant role in the body as a zinc booster. It serves as a shuttle for zinc, transporting it into the cells where it can stop any viruses from replicating.
4. Heinen’s Turmeric
Widely used in Indian cuisine, turmeric root is referred to as the “cleanser of the body.” Curcumin is the component of turmeric responsible for its role in lowering inflammation and boosting joint support and brain health.
The effects of this spice can be seen in rural India, where less than one percent of seniors have Alzheimer’s disease, compared to much higher rates in the United States. Turmeric can also enhance neurogenesis (the birth of new brain cells) while fighting Alzheimer’s disease-causing plaques.
Combining turmeric with black pepper is ideal and encouraged because the combination makes turmeric bioavailable. Heinen’s brand of turmeric supplements is formulated with black pepper extract to ensure you get the most out of this amazing spice.
Key Takeaway
I used to believe that supplementation was unnecessary, that to be healthy, all someone had to do was eat a healthy diet. It wasn’t until I experienced the firsthand benefits of adding a select few supplements to my daily routine, that I became a believer in the need to fill nutritional gaps caused by living in an imperfect world.
