Find Your Way Through the Vitamin Jungle: Why Quality Supplements Matter
A strong foundation of high-quality vitamins and minerals is essential for optimal health. Through nutritional counseling and natural therapies, I help patients manage conditions like indigestion/reflux, hypothyroidism, high cholesterol, adrenal fatigue, ADHD/ADD, sports performance, diabetes, PMS, menopause, and more. Below are some common questions I receive about supplements:
Why Do I Need to Take a Vitamin/Mineral Supplement?
1. Modern Foods Lack Nutrients
Nutrient depletion in our soil has dramatically reduced food’s vitamin and mineral content. For example:
✅ Over the last 50 years, potatoes have lost 100% of their vitamin A, 57% of vitamin C, and 50% of riboflavin (source)
✅ You’d have to eat eight oranges today to get the same amount of vitamin A that your grandparents got from one orange (source)
2. Busy Lifestyles Lead to Poor Nutrition
The National Cancer Institute recommends eating 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily to reduce cancer risk. The American Heart Association states that the same diet reduces heart attack and stroke risk. However, one-third of meals are eaten in cars, making proper nutrition difficult.
3. Supplements Fill the Gaps
Studies show that many disease-fighting nutrients are effective only at higher levels than those obtained from food alone.
What Kind of Supplement Do You Recommend?
A high-quality supplement that is effective. Think of it like prescription medicine:
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You wouldn’t take a generic drug that lacks proven effectiveness.
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Similarly, you shouldn’t take low-quality supplements that might not provide the intended benefits.
How to Identify a High-Quality Supplement
A quick tip to assess quality (without a degree in Biochemistry!):
- ✅ Good Ingredients: Look for calcium citrate, magnesium citrate/aspartate, or zinc picolinate/chelated minerals
- ❌ Poor Ingredients: Avoid calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide, or zinc oxide, which have lower absorption rates.
Comparing Supplement Brands
A biochemist evaluated over 500 products based on manufacturing quality, ingredient potency, and absorption (source).
Some results:
- Centrum – 3.2
- One-A-Day Advanced Men – 4.6
- GNC Ultra Mega Gold – 37.1
- Douglas Labs UltraPreventive X (What I use & prescribe) – 95.4
If you want to compare your supplement, let’s schedule a call for a personalized evaluation!
Why a Low-Quality Supplement is Like an Unbuckled Seatbelt
Most of us wear seatbelts for protection—not because we expect a crash, but because they increase our chances of survival. Taking a high-quality supplement is like a seatbelt for your health. But if the quality is too low, it’s like having the belt pulled across your body without clicking it in place—a false sense of security.
Optimize Your Health with the Right Supplements
Don’t settle for low-quality vitamins if you want to support long-term health, energy, and disease prevention.
SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION
Dr. Charles Campbell
📞 (281) 772-3451
🌐 www.campbellfunctionalmedicine.com
Serving Kingwood, Texas, and surrounding areas since 1993.
Now, we also serve patients in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and surrounding areas.