10 BEST supplements for Every Budget | Dr. Steven Gundry
Summary
TLDRDr. Gundry discusses his top daily supplements, highlighting the importance of vitamin C, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin D3, and omega-3 fats. He emphasizes the need for continuous vitamin C intake, the critical role of magnesium in heart and brain health, and the benefits of B vitamins, particularly methylfolate and methyl B12. He also covers the significance of vitamin D3 for longevity, vitamin K2 for calcium distribution, and DHA for brain health. Additionally, Dr. Gundry introduces newer supplements like Carbon 15, Urolithin A, and NAD+ boosters, advocating for their potential in promoting long-term health and vitality.
Takeaways
- 🍊 Vitamin C is essential for humans as we do not manufacture it naturally and a continuous supply is crucial for health, not just a daily dose.
- 💊 Time-release vitamin C is recommended for maintaining levels over time, as opposed to regular vitamin C that is water-soluble and quickly depleted.
- 🥛 Magnesium is vital for heart, gut, and brain health, and most people are deficient in it, needing supplementation to maintain intracellular levels.
- 🛑 Milk of magnesia is a concentrated form of magnesium, highlighting its importance for bowel movements and overall health.
- 💤 Magnesium supplementation can help with sleep and mood, but individuals should find their bowel tolerance to avoid excessive doses.
- 🚰 There are various forms of magnesium supplements available, and the choice depends on individual needs and preferences.
- 🍇 Methylfolate and methyl B12 are the active forms of folic acid and B12, which are important for those with MTHFR gene mutations.
- 🌞 Vitamin D3 is a critical hormone for longevity and gut integrity, with most people being deficient and requiring higher doses than commonly recommended.
- 🦴 Vitamin K2 works alongside vitamin D to ensure calcium is directed into bones rather than blood vessels, supporting bone health.
- 🐟 Long-chain Omega-3 fats, particularly DHA, are crucial for brain health, and a daily intake of 1000mg of DHA is suggested for optimal brain function.
- 🛒 For those avoiding fish oil, algae-based sources of DHA and EPA are available, ensuring adequate intake of these essential fats.
Q & A
Why does Dr. Gundry consider vitamin C essential despite previously calling it a waste of time?
-Dr. Gundry explains that humans, like guinea pigs and most great apes, lack the ability to manufacture their own vitamin C due to a 'ghost gene'. This makes a continuous supply of vitamin C crucial for health, as demonstrated by studies on genetically engineered rats.
What is the issue with taking vitamin C in a single daily dose according to the script?
-Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that leaves the body within three to four hours after consumption. Therefore, taking it once a day is not sufficient; a time-released form or multiple doses throughout the day are recommended.
What is the significance of magnesium for health as mentioned in the script?
-Magnesium is essential for heart, gut, and brain health, as well as mood regulation. It helps control the movement and stability of cell membranes, particularly in muscles, including the heart and gut.
Why might intracellular magnesium levels be low even if blood magnesium levels appear normal?
-The body maintains normal blood levels of magnesium at the expense of intracellular levels. This can lead to deficiencies that affect heart function and irritability, even if blood tests show normal levels.
How does Dr. Gundry suggest taking magnesium supplements?
-Dr. Gundry suggests taking three 400-milligram magnesium supplements daily, choosing from various forms such as magnesium aspartate, citrate, or chelates. He also mentions alternatives like magnesium oil spray or Epsom salts for those sensitive to oral magnesium.
What is the difference between methylfolate and folic acid, and why is it important?
-Methylfolate is the active form of folic acid. About 50% of people have mutations in their MTHFR genes that prevent them from converting folic acid to its active form, methylfolate, making it essential to take the active form as a supplement.
Why is vitamin B12 important, and how should it be taken according to the script?
-Vitamin B12 is crucial for various bodily functions, but many people lack the intrinsic factor needed to absorb it from the intestines. Dr. Gundry recommends taking methyl B12 sublingually to ensure absorption.
What is the recommended daily intake of vitamin D3 according to the University of California San Diego?
-The University of California San Diego suggests an average American should take 9,600 international units, or 10,000 IU, of vitamin D3 per day.
How does vitamin K2 work with vitamin D in the body?
-Vitamin K2 helps vitamin D move calcium from the blood vessels into the bones, which is important for preventing conditions like coronary calcification.
What is the significance of long-chain Omega-3 fats, particularly DHA, for brain health?
-Long-chain Omega-3 fats, especially DHA, are crucial for brain health. A higher Omega-3 index correlates with a larger brain size and better memory function.
What are some alternative sources of DHA for those who do not want to take fish oil?
-For those avoiding fish oil, algae-based sources of DHA, EPA, and DPA are available and are important for ensuring adequate DHA intake.
What is Carbon 15 (C15), and why is it important for health?
-Carbon 15 is an essential fatty acid important for mitochondrial and cell membrane health. It is difficult to obtain from the diet but is available as a supplement.
What is Urolithin A, and how does it benefit health according to the script?
-Urolithin A is a postbiotic that helps keep mitochondria in good condition. Human studies have shown it can increase muscle mass by up to 20%.
Why are compounds based on vitamin B3, such as niacin, nicotinamide, nicotinamide riboside (NR), and nicotinamide mononucleotide (MNN), considered important for longevity?
-These compounds have been shown to improve NAD+ levels, which are associated with longevity and overall health.
Outlines
🍊 The Importance of Time-Released Vitamin C
This paragraph discusses the necessity of vitamin C supplementation due to humans lacking the ability to produce it naturally. It highlights the role of vitamin C in longevity and heart health, as demonstrated by studies on genetically modified rats. The paragraph emphasizes the ineffectiveness of regular vitamin C tablets due to their short-term benefits and suggests time-released vitamin C as a better alternative. It also mentions the famous proponent of vitamin C, Dr. Linus Pauling, and his belief in its extensive health benefits. Lastly, it advises on the consumption of vitamin C tablets spread throughout the day and cautions against sugary or artificially sweetened chewable tablets.
💊 Magnesium: A Crucial Mineral for Health
The second paragraph underscores the significance of magnesium for heart, gut, brain, and mood health. It explains how magnesium, along with potassium, is vital for cell membrane stability, particularly in muscles and the heart. The discussion includes the common deficiency of magnesium in patients even when blood tests show normal levels, and the importance of intracellular magnesium for preventing postoperative arrhythmias. The paragraph also covers the benefits of magnesium for sleep and mood, the need for bowel tolerance, and the various forms of magnesium supplements available. It advises on the supplementation of magnesium, especially during low calorie or ketogenic diets, and mentions alternative methods of magnesium absorption, such as magnesium oil spray and Epsom salts.
🌀 B Vitamins: Key for Cellular and Genetic Health
This paragraph delves into the importance of B vitamins, focusing on methylfolate and methyl B12, which are the active forms of folic acid and B12, respectively. It discusses the prevalence of genetic mutations that prevent the conversion of folic acid and B12 into their active forms, and the necessity of sublingual administration for B12 absorption. The paragraph also touches on the importance of other B vitamins like niacin, biotin, and thiamine, suggesting B50 or B100 supplements for those concerned about deficiencies. It concludes with a brief mention of the significance of B vitamins in overall health.
🌞 Vitamin D3 and K2: Essential for Longevity and Bone Health
The fourth paragraph emphasizes the importance of vitamin D3 and K2 for overall health. It describes vitamin D3 as a longevity hormone critical for gut integrity and suggests aiming for a specific blood test range. The paragraph also discusses the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and recommends a daily intake much higher than the average recommendation. Vitamin K2 is highlighted for its role in directing calcium to bones instead of blood vessels, with the potential to reduce coronary calcification. The recommended daily intake of vitamin K2 and the availability of different forms, MK4 and MK7, are also mentioned.
🐟 Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Crucial for Brain Health
This paragraph discusses the significance of long-chain Omega-3 fats, particularly DHA, for brain health. It explains the process of obtaining an optimal Omega-3 index through sufficient DHA intake and the correlation between a higher index and larger brain size and memory capacity. The paragraph advises on the daily intake needed for a normal Omega-3 index and mentions the availability of algae-based alternatives for vegans and vegetarians. It also introduces three additional supplements—carbon 15, Urolithin A, and compounds based on vitamin B3—that have been shown to improve health and longevity, with a focus on their mechanisms of action and benefits.
🚀 Advanced Supplements for Optimal Health and Longevity
The final paragraph introduces three advanced supplements that have gained attention for their potential health benefits. Carbon 15, or C15, is presented as an essential fatty acid crucial for mitochondrial and cell membrane health, which is difficult to obtain from diet but available as a supplement. Urolithin A is highlighted for its ability to maintain mitochondrial health and increase muscle mass, as demonstrated by human studies. Lastly, the paragraph discusses various forms of vitamin B3, including niacin, niacinamide, nicotinamide riboside (NR), and nicotinamide mononucleotide (MNN), which have been shown to improve NAD+ levels, a key factor in longevity. The benefits of these supplements are emphasized, along with a note on their varying costs and potential future research.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Vitamin C
💡Time-Release Vitamin C
💡Magnesium
💡Methylfolate
💡Methyl B12
💡Vitamin D3
💡Vitamin K2
💡Omega-3 Fatty Acids
💡Urolithin A
💡NAD+
💡Mitochondrial Health
Highlights
Vitamin C is essential for humans as we cannot manufacture it naturally and it plays a crucial role in longevity and health.
Time-released vitamin C is recommended for a continuous supply to mimic natural availability in our diet.
Dr. Linus Pauling's advocacy for vitamin C emphasizes its importance for overall health.
Magnesium is vital for heart, gut, and brain health, and its deficiency can cause irritability in the heart.
Milk of magnesia is a concentrated form of magnesium that can significantly impact bowel movements.
Methylfolate and methyl B12 are the active forms of folic acid and B12, crucial for those with MTHFR gene mutations.
Sublingual administration of methyl B12 is effective for those who cannot absorb it through the intestines.
A B-complex supplement can address potential deficiencies in various B vitamins.
Vitamin D3 is a longevity hormone essential for gut integrity and should be supplemented to avoid deficiency.
Vitamin K2 is necessary for proper calcium utilization and preventing calcification in blood vessels.
Omega-3 fats, particularly DHA, are crucial for brain health and memory.
A daily intake of 1000 milligrams of DHA is suggested to maintain a normal Omega-3 index.
Carbon 15 (C15) is an essential fatty acid important for mitochondrial and cell membrane health.
Urolithin A, derived from certain foods, is shown to improve mitochondrial health and increase muscle mass.
Niacin, nicotinamide, nicotinamide riboside (NR), and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) are B3 compounds that enhance NAD+ levels, promoting longevity.
Niacinamide is an affordable option to boost NAD+ levels for those concerned with longevity.
Supplementation with a variety of vitamins and minerals is crucial for optimal health and can mimic natural dietary intake.
Transcripts
(upbeat ambient music)
- The top 10 supplements I take every day.
Here's number one, vitamin C.
Now wait a minute, vitamin C was one of the supplements
I told you was a waste of time, so come on Dr. Gundry.
You can't have it both ways, is it a good supplement
or is it bad supplement?
Well, as I've talked about before, you and I are one
of the few animals that do not manufacture
our own vitamin C.
We have five genes that make enzymes that convert glucose
into vitamin C.
We unfortunately, the fifth gene is called a ghost gene
in us, so you do not have the end enzyme that completes
making vitamin C.
That's okay, you're in good company.
Guinea pigs also don't have it and most great apes
don't have it.
We think that that gene was silenced because we grew up
in the jungle where there was plenty of vitamin C
and we didn't need to waste energy glucose to make
vitamin C since it was readily available in our food.
Here's the bad news.
There's work in rats where we genetically engineer rats
to carry the human genes and a ghost gene for vitamin C.
Those rats live only half as long as normal rats.
In other words, because they don't make vitamin C,
if you give those rats vitamin C in their drinking water,
then they will live just as long as a normal rat,
proving that a continuous supply of vitamin C is what makes
the difference.
So the problem with vitamin C, swallowing vitamin C
is a vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin
and quite frankly it's gone within three or four hours
after you swallow it and then you are essentially left
with nothing and that's why just swallowing a vitamin C
a day really isn't going to do much for you at all.
On the other hand, you want a continuous supply
of vitamin C, and so you want to take time to release
vitamin C and there's several on the market.
I personally take a thousand milligrams twice a day of time
to release vitamin C and it's really one of the
cornerstones of vitamin that you should take.
The famous Nobel Prize laureate, Dr. Linus Pauling,
the vitamin C doctor, who believed that vitamin C was
essential for just about everything, including treating
the common cold.
Unfortunately didn't know that we could not absorb
enough vitamin C and mega doses to do what he wanted to do,
but his point is well taken.
That vitamin C is really essential for heart health,
for your overall health, but it's gotta be in
a continuous form.
That being said, if that's inconvenient,
you can get vitamin C tablets and swallow one
four times a day.
That'll work, it's bit inconvenient, but that'll work.
There are some chewable tablets of vitamin C,
but quite honestly you gotta be a very intelligent consumer,
'cause a lot of them either have a lot of sugar
or a lot of artificial sweeteners,
so read the label carefully.
It's easier to just buy vitamin C tablets
and take it with a sip of water four times a day
and that'll do the trick.
Number two, magnesium.
Magnesium is one of two really, really essential vitamins
for your heart health, for your gut health,
for your brain health, for your mood.
Magnesium and potassium basically control the movement
stability of cell membranes, particularly
muscle cell membranes, including your heart
and including your gut and so the right balance
of magnesium is really critical.
Milk of magnesia is concentrated magnesium,
and anyone who's used milk of magnesium knows that
it really makes your bowels move.
I became interested in magnesium as a heart surgeon
when we realized that most of our patients
were profoundly deficient in magnesium even though
their magnesium levels on a blood test were normal,
and that's because we will try to keep our blood level
of magnesium normal at the expense
of depleting intracellular magnesium.
When that happens, and it happens in almost all of us,
our heart becomes very irritable with lots of skip beats
and we had to give people two grams of magnesium sulfate
IV every six hours for 48 hours after heart surgery
to get their body intracellular magnesium back up to normal.
And we found and actually published on this,
that was a really good way of preventing postoperative
arrhythmias, skipped heartbeats like atrial fibrillation.
Magnesium helps you sleep, it helps your mood,
you don't beat your dog anymore.
Now everybody's got a point where magnesium
will act as a bowel movement pill, so everybody has
to balance that.
In general, most people can take three 400 milligrams
of magnesium daily.
Now through the years, I don't really care what form
of magnesium you choose to buy.
There's multiple types of magnesium,
there's a magnesium aspartate, magnesium citrate,
magnesium chelates, magnesium three and eight.
These all work.
Magnesium three and eight is very useful for brain health,
but it's also very expensive.
You can work your way up to bowel tolerance
and I have some men who are on 1600 milligrams
of magnesium a day.
If you are beginning to do a low calorie or ketogenic diet,
one of the most important things is to supplement
with magnesium because as you mobilize glycogen,
which is the sugar storage molecule in our muscles,
glycogen is stored with potassium and magnesium
and as it's mobilized, you pee off potassium and magnesium
and it's removed from your muscles and that's where
all those often debilitating cramps come from
when you go on a low calorie or ketogenic diet,
so supplement with magnesium.
Now there's other ways to do this.
As you know, one of my favorites is a electrolyte drink
called Element, the letters are L-M-N-T.
My wife I think is addicted to it,
it comes in lots of flavors.
I have no relationship with the company.
Gundry MD makes Vital Recharge also an electrolyte drink,
but some women in particular are very sensitive
to magnesium in terms of loose bowels and in that case
you can use magnesium oil spray on your skin.
Now, magnesium oil is not an oil, but it feels greasy.
That's where the name comes from, but you can just spray it
on your legs, on your abdomen, wherever you wanna spray it,
particularly before you go to bed and you'll absorb
the magnesium from your skin, but it won't make you
move your bowels and it's a great trick to remember.
Last but not least, Epsom salts is essentially
magnesium soap, that works really good.
Alright, number three, we're gonna go into the territory
of B vitamins, but there's two really essential B vitamins
that everyone should have in their armamentarium,
the first is methylfolate.
Now methylfolate is not the same as folic acid.
Methylfolate is the active form of folic acid,
why is that important?
About 50% of us carry one or more mutations of the M-T-H-F-R
genes and we laughingly in my office
call them the mothereffer genes because if you actually
say M-T-H-F-R out loud, we would bleep you
from network television because we, most of us have one
or more of those mutations.
We don't have the enzymes to connect a methyl group
to folic acid to turn it into its active form.
Similarly, B12 needs to be in its active form,
which is methyl B12 or methylcobalamin to work.
And since half of us don't have the enzymes to do
that, I like all of my patients to take methyl B12
with a provisor.
A large number of people lack a receptor in their
intestines called intrinsic factor that is capable
of absorbing B12 from the intestines.
So you could take, if you lack intrinsic factor,
which is not unusual, you could take all the methyl B12
in the world and you won't absorb it.
The workaround is that you can put methyl B12
under your tongue and there are multiple sublingual
methyl B12 available on the market,
but the key is you gotta put 'em under your tongue.
Now, some of these common chewable tablets,
but don't just chew it, chew it and then stick
the pieces under your tongue.
My most famous patient years ago who had
a methyl B12 deficiency, which we can pick up
with an elevated homocysteine level on a blood test,
we put him on methyl B12, and when he came back,
his methyl B12 levels were still quite low
and his homocysteine level was still quite high.
And I said, "You are not taking your methyl B12."
And he says, "Yes I am, I take it every day."
And I said, "You are not putting it under your tongue."
And his eyes got wide.
He said, "Well, no, it's so sweet, I sweetened
my coffee with it."
And I said, "Well, you can see that that's not working."
So he put it under his tongue and we solved the problem.
So I don't say this just for being silly,
it really makes a difference in how you
access these supplements and how they access you.
Now there are multiple other important B vitamins
and they run the gamut from vitamin B3,
which is niacin, vitamin B7, biotin, vitamin B6,
vitamin B5, vitamin B2, and vitamin B1 thiamine.
All of these are important and many of us believe it
or not, have deficiencies and one or more of these,
an easy way around that is to take either a B50
or a B100 supplement, which gives you basically 50
or a hundred milligrams or micrograms of all the B vitamins.
And it's an easy way to get all the B vitamins
in at one time.
Number five, vitamin D3.
I've said this so many times, you're probably tired
of hearing me say this.
Vitamin D3 is probably next to time release Vitamin C,
the most important vitamin you're gonna take.
Most of us are deficient in vitamin D.
Most of us do not get enough vitamin D
from sunlight exposure, 80% of my patients
in Southern California where we got a lot
of sun are vitamin D deficient when they come into
my office.
Vitamin D is a hormone, it is a longevity hormone.
It's one of the most critical hormones for gut integrity
there is, I like my patients to aim for a hundred
to 150 nanograms per deciliter on a blood test.
I and others have never seen vitamin D toxicity.
The University of California San Diego says the average
American should be taking 9,600 international units
of vitamin D three a day.
That's basically 10,000 international units a day
and that's what I take.
That's in general what I give all of my patients,
but I have some patients who take considerably more
to get an adequate vitamin D level, vitamin K2.
Now vitamin K2 is a very interesting component
of vitamin K.
There's vitamin K1, which is present in green
leafy vegetables, and then there's vitamin K2,
which is not very present in a lot of things,
but vitamin K2 is incredibly important for helping
vitamin D take calcium from your blood vessels
and put it into your bones.
In fact, there's a very good human study of giving people
with calcified coronary arteries, vitamin D
and vitamin K2 and reducing the level
of coronary calcification sounds pretty good.
In general, you need about a hundred micrograms a day
of vitamin K2 and they come in vitamin MK4
and MK7 forms.
I make one at Gundry MD called essential K2,
which uses both forms, but it's controversial
whether you need both.
But because it's controversial, try to find one
that gives you both.
Number six, long chain Omega-3 fats, particularly DHA.
Now most of us know this as fish oil.
Now the good news is most fish oil
that's commercially available is molecularly distilled.
That means that the heavy metals and the pollutants
have been removed from the fish oil
and it's very unusual to ever find a fish oil
that isn't molecularly distilled, so that's not
an issue anymore.
What is an issue is what's in your fish oil
in terms of the amount of DHA.
We do a test in our office called the Omega-3 index
based on how much DHA and EPA, the two long chain
Omega-3 fats that are incredibly important for your brain.
And the Omega-3 index basically looks at how much
of this is in your body for the two months
prior to the test.
And as I've written in the longevity paradox
and other of my books, the higher your Omega-3 index,
the bigger your brain size is and the bigger the areas
of memory your hippocampus, the lower your Omega-3 index,
the more shrunken your brain is and the smaller
the areas of memory.
So when mom said fish was brain food, she was right.
What we found in my clinics is you need a thousand
milligrams of DHA per day to get an Omega-3 index
in the normal range.
So I'm not particularly worried about which fish oil you
decide to buy.
What I am worried about is that that fish oil
you take enough to give you a thousand milligrams
or more of DHA.
And if you do that, I can virtually guarantee you
that you'll have a normal Omega-3 index and you'll have
a nice big brain and some pretty good memory.
Now what if you're a vegan or even a vegetarian
and you don't want fish oil?
There are numerous algae-based DHA, EPA, DPA,
but you gotta get adequate DHA into your system.
Now, if money was no object, and probably for our health,
if we spent as much money on our health as we did
on our car, on our home, on our vacations,
this would not be an object.
But if money is no object, let me tell you about three more.
I think very important supplements, two of which
are actually relatively new.
Number one is carbon 15 or C15.
Carbon 15 is a recently discovered essential fatty acid
that quite frankly no one even knew existed or how important
was until work with dolphin pods that the Navy keeps.
And I won't bore you, but it turns out that
carbon 15 is essential for mitochondrial health
for cell membrane health and it's actually ridiculously hard
to obtain from your diet.
It is available in cheeses, it is available in
only certain species of fish like red mullet,
but it's also easily obtained as a supplement.
Relatively new post biotic is Urolithin A.
I am so impressed with Urolithin A that I've had
the chief science officer of timeline nutrition
on my podcast.
Urolithin A is one of the best products that I have found
that keeps your mitochondria in tip top shape.
There are human studies showing that supplementation
with Urolithin A increases muscle mass in humans up to 20%.
Pretty impressive and if you go, well,
I've heard about this, it's in pomegranates and walnuts
and raspberries.
Well, no, it isn't.
The precursor of Urolithin A is IAG acid,
which is present in these compounds.
But unfortunately, only about 14 to 20%
of us have the correct types of bacteria that can convert
these compounds into your Urolithin A.
And as you'll learn in gut, check my new book, 50 to 70%
of super old people super (indistinct) actually have
the right bacteria to make Urolithin A.
So if you're looking for the fountain of youth,
you might have just found it in Urolithin A,
is it a bit pricey?
Yes, it is.
But do I think it's worth it?
Yes, I do.
Now a third group that has gotten a lot of attention
recently are various compounds based on vitamin B3,
B as in boy, and they range from plain old
niacin, nicotinic acid, niacinamide,
which is the milder form of niacin,
and then the new darlings of the longevity community,
nicotinamide riboside or NR or nicotinamide mono nucleotide
with MNN and all of these compounds have been shown
to improve NAD plus levels and I won't bore you
with why NAD plus levels are important.
Please read my book, the Energy Paradox
or Unlocking the Keto Code.
But all three of these compounds have been shown in humans
to dramatically improve levels of NAD plus.
And if you wanna live a long time, that's a really
good idea.
Niacinamide is cheap, the other two are quite expensive.
Is there a benefit of one over the other that's perhaps
to be determined in future studies,
but if money is an object, just get yourself
some niacinamide.
More amazing episodes just like this one watch now.
So that healthy Impossible Burger you ordered
through the Drive-through may be just as bad as the
meat burger you were replacing.
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