The supplements you should add to your daily routine

We’ve said it before: everyone is different. What works for one person may not work for another. This applies to fitness, diet and other health and wellness topics. The same goes for supplements.

A glance down the array of pill bottles in the wellness aisle at the grocery store likely leaves you wondering what you should take and how it’ll make you feel. We recommend speaking to a functional medicine doctor about what specific supplements you’d benefit most from. In the meantime, what follows is a list of nutrients most everyone will benefit from, plus naturally occurring sources of each.

Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are known to lower our risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and some types of cancer. These types of fatty acids also have a positive effect on our brain. Especially as we age, our memory and cognition could use a boost and this supplement can help with that.
Where to find it: salmon, chia seeds, walnuts

Probiotics
Did you that 80% of your immune system is housed in your gut? When we don’t treat our gut with respect, it can lash out by showering us with other issues like anxiety and autoimmune disorders. Probiotics can balance the bacteria in your digestive tract, which helps to heal everything else alongside it.
Where to find it: yogurt, pickles and other fermented foods, sourdough bread

Magnesium
Fun fact: Magnesium does not naturally occur in our bodies so it’s considered an essential nutrient, or one that must be obtained through our diet and/or supplements. Magnesium helps with blood sugar levels, muscle and nerve function and, bonus, reduces stress.
Where to find it: nuts, legumes, brown rice

Vitamin D
The fascinating thing about our body is that we make our own vitamin D when we expose ourselves to the sunlight. Although you could think you have enough sun exposure to produce the vitamin D your body needs to reap the benefits (bone health and cancer prevention, among others), studies show that at least one billion people worldwide have a vitamin D deficiency.
Where to find it: shrimp, mushrooms, canned tuna

These are just some of the nutrients you’ll want to make sure to get into your daily diet in some way. Your functional medicine doctor may then recommend others. If you treat your body right, it’ll do the same to you in return.