A lil snippet of my story with vitamin/supplement toxicity.
It was only a couple years ago I started to experience extreme fatigue, chronic pain, achy joints & more. It felt fitting that I add supplements into my life that would help me with my ailments. After all, most people I knew were either taking supplements, promoting supplements or had the "cure" with their magic pill. Hell, I was even promoting certain supplements for a while that I had no clue actually were doing more harm than good. I'm glad I can look back now on my mistakes and hopefully spare some innocent people on their own health and wellbeing!
It wasn't long after I had been taking supplements regularly that my symptoms started to worsen. I didn't feel "myself". Ultimately I ended up with toxicity from the vitamins & supplements! THIS NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT. All of these synthetic and lab-made supplements (complete with their own medley of additives, preservatives & crappy ingredients) were literally circulating in my body, not being absorbed, and wreaking havoc! No wonder I felt like crap.
Key point: Consider the forms that the vitamins/supplements are in
Truth is, many of the lab made supplements are in synthetic, non-bioavailable forms. This means that the body does not naturally absorb these forms. Additionally, many supplements that are in isolation can throw off other mineral & nutrient levels in the body. No mineral or nutrient works in isolation in the body. For example, zinc must be balanced with copper to work properly in the body & carry out cellular functions. Calcium and phosphorus work hand in hand to ensure calcium is absorbed in the bones and doesn't end up circulating in the blood stream. And so on . . .
What happened when I took supplemental calcium?
What happened when I was taking calcium supplements in isolation? The calcium was not in the form that nature intended and, therefore, did not get into my bones where it was supposed to. The calcium ended up circulating in my bloodstream, building up in my tissues and started developing calcifications and bone spurs! I could also tell the calcium was leaving my bones because I developed cavities in my teeth for the first time in my life. Terrifying stuff. But it truly makes sense when I keep human physiology as my lens through which I view these topics.
Now, when looking for supplementation, I make sure that it is in its most natural form (the way nature intended it to be!). I opt for whole-food based sources of nutrients and supplements that are just concentrated forms of whole-food or naturally occurring nutrients.
Nature's Multivitamins
Take oysters or beef liver for example. These can be considered "nature's multivitamin" overflowing with abundant amounts of zinc, copper, B vitamins and more! All in one simple food. I think it's truly amazing when we eat how nature intended, we get the most energy and nutrients from our food!
See Slides Below for common supplements on the market and they ways I choose to get them in their most natural forms! (You can use the little arrows to scroll through the slides.)
What I do Now
I always try to get the most nutrients from my food first. This comes from eating foods from high quality sources like pasture-raised, grass-fed, wild-caught, organic & more. Check out my blog post, "Mindful Shopping, Mindful Living" that dives deeper into these topics!
If I am in a season where I feel like my body needs more support in certain areas, I will opt for whole food based supplements. These are my favorite supplements to stock up on & brands to support. These brands keep human physiology in mind and are transparent about their sourcing, process & testing!
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I hope y'all enjoy the information and feel more empowered to take your health back into your own hands!
Cheers,
Lex
**None of this information is medical advise, it is simply personal experience. None of the above information should be used to diagnose or treat medical problems. Some links throughout the article may be affiliate links where I receive a small kickback from the company as a "thank you" for promoting their products. I only collaborate with companies who use the highest health/safety standards, align with my values & create products that I would use myself. Thank you for purchasing through my links, as you are helping support my small business!**
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