Do Supplements Help with Weight Loss?

They Help, That's Why We Call Them "Supplements"

Although we doubt anyone has ever lost weight just by taking certain vitamins and minerals, your body needs more nutritional support while you are losing weight. And not having enough of some vitamins and supplements can make it harder for you to lose weight.

Losing weight stresses your body. While losing weight can be good for your overall health and well-being, the very activity of releasing fat causes internal stress of its own. Add to that the fact that eating lots of food doesn't guarantee that you're getting adequate amounts of important nutrients. Yes, you can be overweight and nutritionally deficient in important nutrients.

Even a well-balanced diet may not provide your body with all the nutrients you need because your foods could be nutrient poor. Depleted agricultural soils, long transit times from farm to grocery store, and modern farming methods reduce the nutrients in foods.  

Good Supplements Are Like "Health" Insurance

Think of nutritional supplements as insurance. If you’re eating balanced healthy meals that include 2-3 servings of fruit and vegetables at each meal and 2-3 servings of  cold-water fish every week, you may already be ingesting adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids (EFAs.) But just because you ingest them doesn’t mean that your body digests and assimilates them well. If you eat when stressed, your body shuts down optimal digestion and you won't benefit from the nutrients you eat. In which case, supplements are your insurance. Ditto if you don’t always eat healthy meals.

Here’s a checklist of beneficial supplements:

• Vitamins. Take a high-quality vitamin and mineral supplement that’s labeled as bio-available. Be sure it contains B-vitamins which help with stress.
• Calcium. Take 500 – 1500 mg. of bio-available calcium daily. Women who take extra calcium lose more weight and keep it off more easily. Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese don't supply adequate bio-available calcium.
• Electrolytes. You need the proper electrolyte balance in your body to get hydration from the water you drink. Electrolytes are obtained by eating balanced meals. But if you experience lots of stress, or sweating after exertion, you should try a healthy electrolyte beverage that doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colorings, or preservatives.
• Greens Drinks or Powders. Many people who struggle to lose weight have candida yeast overgrowth. Greens supplements supply phytonutrients, antioxidants, probiotics, and vitamins while making the body alkaline. Since candida yeast grows best in an acidic environment, the alkalinity helps kill off yeast, helping you to lose weight. If you want to know more about candida syndrome, read our candida syndrome section.
• Digestive enzymes. Efficient digestion aids weight loss. Take digestive enzymes with meals. Choose one that aids with digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
• Essential Fatty Acids. Take 1-2 TB. of fish oil daily. You need these Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D to lose weight, for uplifted moods, disease prevention, better skin, hair, and nails, and protection from heart disease and autoimmune disorders.

To figure out if vitamins and supplements will help you, start with a few basic ones based upon the information above. Then see if they give you extra energy or help you lose weight. You can add others later.