Are Your Supplements Really Worth Taking?
A Functional Medicine Analysis Will Tell You
Dr Jessica Parker | 01/24/2024
I did my own functional blood chemistry labs recently (something I do for patients all the time).
It's similar to what you'd get with a physical, but beefier.
GPs usually don't run a full thyroid or lipid panel, but I always do. My feeling is that they each cost next to nothing, and there's no reason not to run them.
Here's the thing: GPs aren't trained to read labs through a preventative lens. They're trained to intervene when labs show disease. This means many patients with labs that look OK to a GP still feel unwell.
Western MDs are complication managers/disease managers. They're good at that, and it's vital to the survival of humans, but there's a largely unfilled need for preventative care (which is my focus as a Function Medicine doctor).
Don't get me wrong. I'm not attacking GPs; they are part of the system that gives them maybe 15 minutes with patients, so they have to focus on the most pressing concerns and don't have time to dive deep.
The functional medicine analysis
When functional medicine doctors analyze labs through our unique lens, we’re looking to see what’s optimal and learn how the body and digestive system manage and use nutrients.
Anyway, I did my labs and found that I wasn't absorbing much of my micronutrients and even some macronutrients.
I don't even experience digestive issues, but my takeaway from my lab work was that my body had lost some of its ability to really deeply nourish me
All these pill supplements were essentially just creating expensive pee (I was urinating away most of what I was taking).
So, are supplements worth it? I don’t want to paint with too broad a brush, but in most cases, I find they are largely unprocessed by the body, and patients are better off addressing health issues via other means.
That’s why I stopped taking everything and worked at supporting my gut.
Here's what I'm doing:
Digestive bitters either in a tincture or as a side dish with every meal
Probiotic foods with my breakfast (sour kraut or kimchi, probiotic pickles)
Warm teas with immune-supporting herbs and mushroom complexes
Regular acupuncture treatments
I also started really focusing on my meals (no social media, email, or phone when while eating).
I’m still struggling with this one (especially getting my day going at breakfast time), but taking the phone away from myself during lunch and dinner has made a huge impact.
The moral of the story is this:
Get your labs done if you want to learn how your body is processing all the good stuff that you are trying to give it. If you’re looking for a functional medicine doctor in Nevada City or Oakland, contact us today at Root & Stem.
Like me, you may learn that most of your supplement budget would be better spent on other ways of supporting your body (more on this later).
