Stay Well this Winter - Supplements

By Tiago Kerber

As a certified plant based nutritionist, I often get asked about supplements as it can be pretty confusing with so many on the market. I’ve written this article to share my knowledge on the topic, and shed some light on what I believe is most important during the winter months.

There are very few nutrients that cannot be obtained in required quantities through a well planned, whole food plant based diet. Obtaining nutrients from whole foods, as they are found in nature, is far superior than taking a pill, tincture or supplement where the nutrient is isolated.

Isolating nutrients is not always a good idea, as they all work better when accompanied by other nutrients which make them easier to assimilate and absorb by our bodies (aka eating the whole food, ie: a whole orange or apple will provide you with a more easily absorbed version of vitamins than a pill). The way the body uses a nutrient depends on what other nutrients are ingested along with it. If we just take a vitamin C pill, we are missing out on a whole lot of other nutrients and chemicals that give vitamin C its potency.

A study published in science journal Nature serves as a clear example: they found that 100g of fresh apple (about 1 apple), has an antioxidant, vitamin C-like activity equivalent to 1500mg of vitamin C (about 3x more than a normal vitamin C supplement), however they only found 5.7mg of vitamin C in the apple! This demonstrates the vitamin C and Vitamin C like chemicals from eating a whole apple was 263 times as potent as the same amount of the isolated nutrient.

An exception, and a nutrient that we should pay special attention to, regardless of what dietary pattern we follow is Vitamin B12, as nowadays it is very hard to get enough of it from naturally occurring sources. Vitamin B12 has many roles in your body: it supports the normal function of nerve cells and is needed for red blood cell formation and DNA synthesis. It may benefit your body in impressive ways, such as by boosting your energy, improving your memory and helping prevent many common diseases.

It is stored in the liver for up to 5 years, but it’s not hard to become deficient if you don’t consume enough of it through diet or supplementation. Deficiency may lead to a reduction in healthy red blood cells (anaemia), damage to the nervous system, and other health issues.

Vitamin B12:

-  Helps with red blood cell formation and anaemia prevention

-  Adequate vitamin B12 levels are crucial to a healthy pregnancy

-  May support bone health

-  May improve mood and signs of depression, as B12 is needed for the production of serotonin, a chemical responsible for regulating mood.

- Improves energy levels (if you’re deficient in this vitamin)

-  May improve heart health

- Supports healthy hair, skin and nails

I personally recommend everyone to supplement with B12, regardless of which dietary pattern you follow.

Another one that can be tricky to get enough of during the winter months is Vitamin D, which helps the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, both critical for building and maintaining healthy bones. Vitamin D also plays a role in maintaining a healthy immune system.

Laboratory studies show that vitamin D can reduce cancer cell growth, help control infections and reduce inflammation.

Vitamin D is produced by the body when we expose our skin to the sun. However, in New Zealand, as we are far from the equator, it is almost impossible to absorb enough of it during winter. In addition, people with darker skin tones normally have lower levels of vitamin D, due to the pigment acting like a shade, thus reducing production of the vitamin.

I personally supplement with B12 all year round and Vitamin D from April to October. I see it as an affordable safety measure that can prevent many health complications.

When it comes to choosing a brand to supplement with, there are a few things to look out for:

• 3rd party batch testing for heavy metals and contaminants is in my opinion the most important (lots of mainstream supplement brands don’t provide this and heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and mercury have been found in their products)

• Organic

• Non GMO

• Mostly whole food ingredients

At Zephyr, we only recommend supplements and products that we truly believe are health promoting in isolation and are difficult to obtain today naturally in combination. It is only after researching them, and trying them first hand that they will end up on our shelf. A perspective built on study and experience is what we can provide you with, but it should always be up to you to do your own research.

We are very fortunate to be one of only two New Zealand retailers of Vivo Life supplements at Zephyr, which I consider to be one of the top supplement brands in the world.

Vivo life ticks all the boxes mentioned above plus they are:

• Carbon neutral

• Plant trees for every order

• Vegan

• Switching to only home compostable packaging

They have ethical brand values which align a lot with Zephyr’s so we are very happy to stock them and recommend them, knowing they are an excellent product.

Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed and found it informative.

Sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of the page to be notified every time we post a blog like this one, and feel free to pop into Zephyr and ask me any questions you have :)

Tiago

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Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10879522/

https://www.nature.com/articles/35016151

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b12-benefits

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257642/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18709885/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4161975/

https://www.webmd.com/diet/vitamin-b12-deficiency-symptoms-causes

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/