Deliciously Organic

Organic, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Paleo Recipes and Thyroid Health

The Best Vitamins and Supplements for Optimal Health

Choosing vitamins and supplements can be incredibly confusing. I could write for days about how to find just the right ones for a particular need or issue, but instead I want to offer a few things you need to know about choosing your own supplements and then share a list of my favorites.

My Favorite Vitamins and Supplements for Optimal Health

First, did you know that for a vitamin to be labeled “natural” only ten percent actually has to be natural? The other 90% can be synthetic!

Synthetic nutrients manufactured in a lab are different from the ones found in nature and are often used simply because they’re cheaper. In their naturally-occurring state, vitamins always appear in a synergistic complex, balanced with other nutritional cofactors and in the right biological concentrations. Our bodies can only utilize vitamins as they naturally occur in food, regardless of whether they’re water soluble or fat soluble. So while synthetic vitamins are cheaper, they usually don’t have identical effects on our bodies and can sometimes actually cause harm.

Here are some examples:
Vitamin C never occurs in an isolated form in nature – it’s always accompanied by natural complex nutrients which are essential for vitamin C’s bioactivity. The synthetic form, ascorbate, is an isolated form which the body can’t properly utilize alone.

Vitamin B6 provides fabulous support for the adrenal glands and helps maintain a healthy nervous system. But the synthetic form of B6 – pyridoxine – has been shown to cause liver damage when used in long term “therapeutic” dosages (over 200 mg/day).

Chromium, in its natural form, is a mineral that can help control blood sugar levels. But most chromium you’ll find on the market is a synthetic version called “chromium picolinate” which doesn’t work the same way in the body because it’s not in a natural form.

My Favorite Vitamins and Supplements for Optimal Health

Even worse, when you buy a supplement from a company without knowing exactly where the nutrients come from, you run the risk of completely wasting your money.

The New York Times reported in 2015 that the “New York State attorney general’s office accused four major retailers on Monday of selling fraudulent and potentially dangerous herbal supplements and demanded that they remove the products from their shelves. The authorities said they had conducted tests on top-selling store brands of herbal supplements at four national retailers — GNC, Target, Walgreens and Walmart — and found that four out of five of the products did not contain any of the herbs on their labels. The tests showed that pills labeled medicinal herbs often contained little more than cheap fillers like powdered rice, asparagus and houseplants, and in some cases substances that could be dangerous to those with allergies.”

This is also why it’s not a great idea to purchase supplements from places like Amazon – it’s hard to know exactly what you’ll get.

Standard Process is one of our favorite brands we use for our clients at Biodynamic Wellness, but you can only purchase them from a practitioner’s office. Standard Process has found people selling their products on Amazon, but those those companies selling on Amazon are doing so against Standard Process’ policy and some were found to be selling bottles that didn’t actually contain the items on the label. I highly recommend purchasing all supplements from a nutritional practitioner, or from another trusted source online.

Another danger associated with taking supplements: many nutrients work synergistically together and most supplements aren’t formulated to keep nutrients in balance in the body.

For example, calcium and magnesium work together. If you take a lot of calcium, it will throw off the balance of magnesium in the body and vice-versa. The same goes for copper and iron, vitamin D and K2, and I could go on and on. I recommend you talk to your nutritionist before consuming specific supplements because they have training on balancing nutrients to work best in our bodies.

My Favorite Vitamins and Supplements for Optimal Health

As promised, here’s an easy list of some of the best vitamins and supplements:

Vitamin A: Green Pasture Fermented Cod Liver Oil (The livers are fermented, not the oil!) and Vital Proteins Liver Capsules are both great choices. 

Vitamin B: Cataplex B from Standard Process or Basic B Complex from Thorne are great options. 

Vitamin C: My two favorites are Pure Radiance and Cataplex C. Both are whole food forms.

Vitamin D and K2: It’s important to always take Vitamin D3 and K2 together because they work synergistically in the body. My two favorites are Thorne D3 with K2 and D-Synergy Max, which contains all the vitamin D synergists (K2, A, B6, chromium, magnesium, zinc and boron). 

Multi Vitamin: Catalyn from Standard Process is a great one and can also be used for children. It contains vitamins A, C, D, thiamine, riboflavin, B6 along with their co-factors and other whole foods-derived nutrients to support the body. You can purchase this at our office. I also highly recommend Biosuperfood F1.

Calcium: Calcium Lactate from Standard Process is the best because it contains the proper 5:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium.

Cod Liver Oil: A high-quality cod liver oil contains vitamins A and D as well as EPA and DHA. This is a great supplement to add in the winter time when we aren’t getting as much sunshine. My two favorite brands are Green Pasture and Standard Process.

HCl: Making sure your stomach produces enough stomach acid is fundamental to good health. Without the right stomach acidity, your body cannot break down your food and utilize the nutrients. My favorite brands: Thorne Betaine HCl & Pepsin or Biotics HCl-Plus. You can also use Moonshine Bitters or apple cider vinegar before each meal to help increase HCl.

Iodine: Iodomere and Promoline Iodine from Standard Process are two of my favorites. Iodomere contains less iodine than Promoline Iodine. Nascent Iodine is also a good option and comes in liquid form. You can also get added iodine into your diet with Dr. Cowan’s Sea Vegetables Powder. If you have thyroid disease and are concerned about consuming any form of iodine, watch this video.

Iron: I prefer Vital Proteins Liver capsules, because liver contains not only iron, but also folate and vitamin B12 – these three nutrients work together. Also, remember that grass-fed beef is rich in iron and easy to add to your diet.

Magnesium: One of the cheapest ways to get extra magnesium into our systems is with an Epsom salt bath. Put 1 cup of Epsom salt in a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes. The magnesium will soak into the body via the skin. If you’re looking for extra magnesium in pill form, I recommend Dr. Ron’s Mag Max.

Prenatal: Catalyn, Green Pasture Cod Liver Oil with Butter Oil, and Vital Proteins Liver Capsules together make a nice combination for a wide variety of nutrients needed by mother and baby. Of course, a nutrient-dense diet overall is paramount!

Probiotics: It’s a good idea to rotate between different probiotics each month to get a variety of probiotic strains for immune system support. My favorites: Ther-Biotic Complete, BioKult, Gut Pro, and ChampPro. 

Selenium: Selenium + E from Genestra is a good selenium to choose. 

Thyroid Support: If you’re struggling with thyroid disease, it’s best to get a personalized supplement protocol, but a general supplement I really like and personally use is Thyroid Complex from Standard Process. It contains the synergistic herbs bladderwrack, ashwagandha and bacopa and well as iodine. 

Zinc: Biotics Aqueous Zinc is a good choice. Remember, zinc and HCl work synergistically together, so if you find you’re continually deficient in zinc, ensure your body is making enough stomach acid. 

One last thing – it’s important to understand that many medications can cause specific nutrient deficiencies. If you’re on any medication, I would check out this site – enter in the name of the medication and see what deficiencies you might experience as a result of taking that drug. 

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30 Comments

  1. Pam O'Malley

    December 6, 2017 at 1:45 pm

    Was hoping to see Shaklee in your list of companies that provide organic and pure supplements. They've been in existence for over 1/2 a century. Not sold in retail stores, so that may be a reason, but I do suggest you take a look. Backed by science with many, many research papers and peer reviewed studies. www.shaklee.com
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      December 6, 2017 at 3:58 pm

      As I mentioned in the post, it's very important to take supplements that have the right balance of nutrients so you don't create a deficiency in the body. While other brands might be using natural ingredients, it's equally important that the supplements also contain the proper amount of nutrients that they work synergistically with.
      Reply to this comment

    • Lea

      December 6, 2017 at 3:46 pm

      Sorry just saw you mentioned the D synergy max. It’s not listed on the ingredients for that, is it just naturally occurring? My FIL takes for blood sugar and brain support after a severe strep infection in his ear drained into his brain. Thanks so much.
      Reply to this comment

      • Deliciously Organic

        December 7, 2017 at 12:42 pm

        I accidentally linked to the wrong page for the Synergy Max. So sorry about that! I'm glad you brought it to my attention! I can't find that product online anywhere, so you would need to purchase it through our office. If you're looking for a good supplement to help with blood sugar support, Diaplex or Cataplex GTF from Standard Process are both good products to consider. Here's the link so you can read about them: https://www.standardprocess.com/Products/Standard-Process/Diaplex#.WimK9baZN-U and https://www.standardprocess.com/Products/Standard-Process/Cataplex-GTF#.WimLLbaZN-U
        Reply to this comment

  3. Robin

    December 6, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    I am wondering Carrie, since you are one of the top enroller's with doTERRA, why are you not recommending Life Long Vitalily, TerraZyme, PB Assist, Phytoestrogen, DDR Prime, Zendocrine, Zendocrine complex and the Bone Nutrient Essential Complex? I would think these would be what you and your family are taking.
    Reply to this comment

  4. Karen

    December 7, 2017 at 9:58 am

    Wow, the link to check for vitamin deficiencies caused by medications is a wealth of information. My husband uses a few meds and I'm forever trying to get him off them. At least now I have some more ammunition for the battle. :o) Is there a blood test you recommend to determine vitamin deficiencies?
    Reply to this comment

  5. Kirsten

    December 12, 2017 at 9:03 am

    I'm curious about the SP Cataplex B - it has wheat germ in it. I have Celiacs, plus I know you recommend a grain free diet. I would not take this based on that ingredient. What are your thoughts?
    Reply to this comment

  6. Beth

    January 12, 2018 at 3:24 pm

    Hello! I need to fill my own pills now with my turmeric/golden paste due to Invisaligns in my mouth but not sure of best place to buy these that is clean, safe. Can you recommend a site/brand? Thank you!
    Reply to this comment

  7. Audra

    March 14, 2018 at 5:19 pm

    Hi Carrie, My family and I used to take the Green Pastures cod liver oil and butter blend religiously and stopped once all the controversy happened over possible rancidity and authenticity of the product. We started using the Rosita brand and to tell you the truth I miss the Green Pastures brand. Do you mind sharing your thoughts on continuing to take it?? It would help to get your opinion. I feel so torn about it. Thank you.
    Reply to this comment

  8. Shannon Green

    July 5, 2018 at 10:50 am

    Hi Carrie, I have the same questions as a previous post about the Standard Process supplements containing wheat germ as an ingredient. As someone avoiding gluten and wheat containing products, should we be taking supplements with wheat germ in them? Thanks!!
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      July 10, 2018 at 11:24 am

      If you have a documented allergy to wheat germ, or show signs of poor reactions to it, then you can stick with the SP supplements that are gluten-free. If you are avoiding gluten for health reasons, but use some SP supplements that contain a bit of wheat we haven't found in our practice that this causes a negative effect and in fact many clients thrive on these supplements. Of course, it's always best to talk with your practitioner to see what they recommend!
      Reply to this comment

  9. Sylvia

    July 16, 2018 at 11:22 am

    Hi Carrie, Is Thorne Betaine HCI with pepsin suppose to be taken instead of digestive enzymes or along with enzymes. It seems they both do the same? Also, I was told by a nutritional practitioner that iodine should came from kelp such as Sea iodine.
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      October 5, 2018 at 9:41 am

      I prefer to stick with real, organic foods instead of powdered forms of vegetables and fruits. Juice Plus isn't certified organic, so with each scoop, one most likely gets a dose of pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals in the mix. Synthetic chemicals can cause damage in the body, and cause an imbalance in the endocrine system so I find it best to stick with real foods.
      Reply to this comment

  11. Aurelia Caruso

    October 3, 2018 at 7:41 pm

    Hi Carrie, I earlier asked what you thought of the JP products, I meant to also ask...as I am on Juice Plus should I be on other supplements as well, I know it would be different for everyone...so just a general idea would be great! ?
    Reply to this comment

  12. Cathy Stump

    October 5, 2018 at 3:10 pm

    Not sure if these would be considered supplements but my daughter has started taking Plexus ProBio5, Bio Clease and Slim Hunger Control. My question is, is this stuff good, natural like they say or is there something else that can be taken that is better. She wants good gut health and would like to lose weight, but I know that some products aren't as good as others. I trust your knowledge and would really appreciate your input. Thanks!
    Reply to this comment

    • Deliciously Organic

      October 12, 2018 at 11:04 am

      As a Nutritional Therapist, I don't recommend Plexus supplements because they contain many synthetics. If it's weight loss, the best place to start is stress and adrenals. https://deliciouslyorganic.net/20-steps-heal-adrenal-fatigue/Weight loss depends so much on hormonal balance. As far as gut health goes, eating a nutrient-dense diet (and reducing stress) is one of the best things you can do!
      Reply to this comment

  13. judy orloff

    February 14, 2019 at 11:38 pm

    I so appreciate your generosity, not only in the content you offer on your blogs, but in your responses. It is so obvious that your intention is to be of service and you clearly follow through on that intention. A question I have regarding your list: Are you familiar with Perfect Supplements and their dessicated liver capsules and hydrolized collagen? They are a bit cheaper than Vita Proteins and advertise that their products are pasture raised, grass fed. They also have a product that includes freeze dried Acai, Cordyceps amd Rhodiola called Revive for revitalization. Do you have an opinion about these products or their company? Thank you for all you do even if you can't answer my question.
    Reply to this comment

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