The Synergy of Food and Supplements
Salt and pepper, Branston pickle and cheese or a cup of tea and a biscuit – some things are just best together. The same thing applies to supplements, although the synergy between calcium and magnesium might not sound quite as mouth-watering!
So, taking the example of calcium and magnesium, we all know that calcium is important for bone health. However, what is less well known is that calcium needs its partner in crime, magnesium, in order to work optimally.
I would add vitamin D into this particular combination too since without magnesium the conversion of vitamin D into a form that helps with the absorption of calcium is hindered.
In practice I often find that calcium levels are abundant yet magnesium levels and vitamin D levels are low, especially in the winter months when people tend to consume less fresh vegetables and have less exposure to sunshine.
Magnesium also helps calcium in the following ways:
. Without sufficient levels of magnesium, calcium is unable to be absorbed as efficiently.
. Magnesium helps to activate a hormone known as calcitonin which helps to keen calcium within the bones
A practical example comes from my running training in recent weeks. That all-important synergy of calcium and magnesium has become even more important to me since together they aid the performance of muscles.
Talking of running, exercise of any type tends to lead neatly on to a conversation about Glucosamine and Chondroitin.
If you are a regular reader, you’ll probably be aware already that Glucosamine is an important precursor for the synthesis and maintenance of connective tissues. Chondroitin is primarily helpful for supporting joint cartilage. It makes perfect sense therefore to take this synergistic combination if you are looking to your support joints overall.
Finally, another nutrient group that works well in synergy is those of the B vitamin family. These important vitamins facilitate a wide range of essential body functions, including the formation of red blood cells.
They are also well known as being an important nutritional support for mood and general wellbeing. Put it this way, if you were to see a nutritionist with a symptom list that included irritability, fatigue and mild depression, B complex would be first on the recommended list.
Unravelling the interconnecting functions of the B complex family would take a team of scientists and a large research grant! So, much better to trust the decades of experience that has told us that they work better together than apart.
So, if in doubt, opt for a multi-vitamin and mineral complex where all the thinking has been done for you!
It’s the same rule with food. Cutting out carbohydrates is a ridiculous trend since the carbohydrate groups includes fruits, vegetables and whole grains. We simply cannot function without them. They give us essential energy, vitamins, minerals, enzymes – you name it. Since when do we think a diet trend can supersede thousands, if not millions of years, or human evolution?
Simply put, when it comes to nutrition – and life – we are better off working together.
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