Searching for the right vitamin supplements to give your health a boost?
We asked Healthista’s team of experts to tell us which one’s they take and why
When it comes to your health, a balanced nutritious diet filled with a variety of wholesome foods is the best way by far to get the vitamins and minerals you need.
Sometimes though, life gets in the way of eating the perfectly balanced diet – and that’s where supplements might help.
But when scanning the endless rows of what’s available, how do you know which is the right supplement to take?
To help give you a steer (and because we were curious) we asked Healthista’s ‘Collective’ team of health experts to give us an insight into their daily supplement line-up. Here’s exactly what they take and why.
Dr Larisa Corda: Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
‘I’m a firm believer that a nutritious diet full of wholesome food should cover most of our bases when it comes to getting enough vitamins and minerals’, says Dr Corda.
‘However, that isn’t always possible, and the soil we grow fruit and vegetables from is becoming increasingly depleted in minerals, as well as the fact that there are some vitamins and minerals we practically can’t get enough of in our food, sometimes supplements are necessary. And even more so if you are looking to get pregnant or are pregnant’, says Dr Corda.
Dr Corda further advises, ‘with supplements, it’s important to ensure they don’t contain artificial colours, meat, gluten, dairy, added sugar and artificial flavours’.
‘The below are all vegan and free from the above, therefore minimising toxin exposure in the body, one of the main principles of health I advocate and which also helps with maximum absorption of supplements, leading them to have the optimal effect they are designed to have’, says Dr Corda.
#1 Vitamin C
‘The main supplement I use is the Altrient Vitamin C (1000mg) that comes in a liquid form within a sachet’. It’s the most powerful and absorbable version of the Vitamin’, says Dr Corda. The reason for this is because ‘it comes encapsulated in a phospholipid bubble that means it can be absorbed into cells without being destroyed by the digestive system’, explains Dr Corda.
‘All of us are Vitamin C deficient and this is the main antioxidant our bodies have to neutralise oxidative stress, that leads to inflammation and disease’, Dr Corda continues.
‘It’s also important for the immune system, as well as collagen formation, improves concentration and energy and leads to better skin elasticity’, asserts Dr Corda.
#2 Gluthathione
‘I also take Altrient Gluthathione (450mg) (Available at Amazon £79.99), which is a detoxifier and helps to recycle Vitamin C, as well as other antioxidants that help to prevent free radical damage’, say Dr Corda.
‘It also helps the liver to detox, especially when it comes to excess hormones such as oestrogen, that when in dominance, can have negative effects on our bodies, leading to gynaecological disease and subfertility (a delay in conceiving)’, explains Dr Corda.
#3 Methylfolate (most active form of Folate)
Dr Corda continues, ‘Vitamin B is important in energy production as well as reducing the risk of neural tube defects in the baby’. ‘Most supplements have folic acid, but not everyone can absorb this effectively, which is why I prefer methylfolate for myself and all my patients, and this is something that the Altrient version (Available at Amazon) contains, as well as zinc and selenium which are important for fertility’, states Dr Corda.
#4 Carnitine
‘Mitochondria are the main sources of energy in our cells. They are also gaining an increasingly important role in understanding ageing and possibly also fertility’, says Dr Corda.
‘Carnitine is an amino acid that helps in improving mitochondrial function and works even more effectively when combined with Vitamin C. I take the 1000mg Altrient (Available at Amazon £59.97), elicits Dr Corda.
#5 Magnesium
‘Magnesium is something most of us are deficient in. It helps to stabilise the nervous system and is great for premenstrual tension and reducing our response to stress. It also regulates calcium transport as well’, states Dr Corda.
‘I take the Altrient version 1000mg (Available at Evolution Organics £71.99), again because of it’s bioavailability and superior absorption’, claims Dr Corda.
#6 Vitamin D
‘This brings me on to Vitamin D. Not only important for our bone health, but increasing studies are finding that Vitamin D has a role in fertility and pregnancy’. ‘ Most of us don’t get enough of it, especially in the Winter months, so taking a supplement in a high dose, 1000 units a day, such as the one from BetterYou Vitamin D spray (Available at Boots £8.50), suggests Dr Corda.
