Supplements (updated)

Let’s talk supplements. I take a ton of them! Because I have an autoimmune disease, my body doesn’t function properly to absorb all of the nutrients I need from food. I work closely with an integrative nutritionist to make sure I’m eating the right foods and supplementing where needed. I will tell you about all of the supplements I take and why. Keep in mind that your needs may be different than mine even if we have the same illness. Also, remember I am not a medical professional, so please always check with your doctor before adding supplements. I get micro-nutrient testing every 6 months to make sure I’m taking the correct supplements.

I will start with the supplements I take for my Hashimoto’s/thyroid health since that’s mostly what this blog is about. I will also include the supplements for adrenal health here also, since some of them overlap. The thyroid and adrenals are both part of the endocrine system. So, a lot of times when one part of a system isn’t functioning properly, other parts aren’t either.

• Herb Pharm Ashwaganda– There is a lot of controversy about this one in the AIP world because it is a nightshade. It can stimulate the immune system and cause problems for some people with autoimmune diseases. However, for me personally, it has been great! I have suffered from terrible fatigue for a very long time. Some days to the point of barely being able to function. Ashwaganda gives me a little boost in energy. I can really tell if I forget to take it! This not only provides thyroid support, but also adrenal support. These are two areas I have major problems with, so it helps me a lot! I take 2 droppers 3 times a day.
• Metagenics Thyrosol– The hope with this product is that it will lower my thyroid antibodies and put my Hashimoto’s into remission so that I can get off the thyroid meds. Like the Ashwaganda, I can tell the difference when I take it and when I miss a dose. I feel like it is helping me a lot. I will know for sure in a few months when I get my antibodies retested. I take 3 capsules with lunch and 2 capsules with dinner.
• Designs for Health Vitamin D Supreme– There seems to be a link between Vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune disease. So, that is why I’m including this under Hashimoto’s/thyroid health. My vitamin D was extremely low when I first started on this journey. I started out on a much lower dose of the supplement, but my numbers were not coming up very quickly. So, a couple of months ago I started on 10,000 IU (2 capsules). Never take this much without being monitored by a medical professional! I recently had my levels checked and was able to drop back to 5,000 IU. Oddly enough, taking my vitamin D in the evenings helps with my insomnia. Most people have to take it in the morning or it will keep them up all night. I am wired differently apparently. I found this out by accident when I forgot to take it one morning and took it at night instead. This particular supplement also has vitamin K which is needed to absorb vitamin D.
• Pure Encapsulations Pantothenic Acid– This is also known as vitamin B5. Not only does this provide adrenal support, but it also helps raise HDL cholesterol (the good) and lower LDL cholesterol (the bad). I take one 500 mg capsule with lunch.
• Pure Encapsulations Zinc 15– Zinc helps with so many things. I’m putting it under thyroid health, because it supports thyroid function and hormones. But, it also supports immunity and GI health. I take one capsule with lunch each day.

Next, I will talk about the supplements I take to help with my insomnia since that is another big part of this blog. It’s actually the first major issue that this whole journey started with.

• Douglas Laboratories Mag-Malate– There are quite a few different kinds of magnesium supplements out there. Which one you take will depend on your reasons for taking it. I was told to take Magnesium Malate because it may help me sleep better. I wouldn’t say it helps me sleep better because I still had a lot of trouble sleeping before I added some other supplements in. But, it definitely relaxes my whole body. I take one tablet before bed every night and I can feel all of my muscles relax as it starts to kick in. I’ve been told by several practitioners that most people are deficient in magnesium.
• Barleans Flax Oil– This is another one that is not AIP compliant. At least not in the elimination phase. I just recently started taking it after testing deficient for Oleic Acid. Studies show that insomnia and Oleic Acid deficiencies can be related. This also has Omega 9 which can also help raise HDL cholesterol and lower LDL. I take 2 teaspoons with lunch. I like to add it to plain coconut yogurt. It gives it a bit of a nutty flavor. Sometimes I just drink it plain though. It doesn’t taste bad that way, but it is a thick oil, so it’s not the most pleasant experience. It’s such a small amount that I can stomach it if I don’t have yogurt though.
• Jarrow Formulas PS 100 (phosphatidylserine)- This helps with stress, so it could also be under the adrenal support category. It also helps with brain and cell membrane health. It actually does help relax me and helps me sleep much better! I started out with 3 softgels before bed and got about 3 hours of sleep on that dose. With the guidance of my nutritionist, I increased to 5 softgels and I now get 6-7 hours of sleep! This has been a lifesaver for me!

Since 80% of our immune system is housed in our guts, it is very important to have a healthy gut. Especially when you have an autoimmune disease. I take several supplements to get my gut healthier and I also drink bone broth a few times a day because it is very healing. I make it at home in large batches and freeze it into 1 cup portions using souper cubes. This makes it easy to just pull out a cube and heat it.

• Iberogast– This helps with gastrointestinal motility. I take 30 drops before each meal. It is a mixture of 9 herbs that work together to alleviate multiple GI symptoms at once.
• Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics Professional Formula– The thing that makes this probiotic superior to others is that it is not grown in a laboratory. Instead, this comes from fermented foods. It supports the gastrointestinal tract and immunity. I take one soft gel in the morning and one at night. Both on an empty stomach.
• Designs for Health L-Glutamine Powder– This helps promote proper functioning of the cells in the gut in order to heal leaky gut. It also supports muscle repair. I take 2 scoops twice a day, both on an empty stomach to allow it to get in there and work it’s magic without food being in the way.
• Pure Encapsulations PureGenomics B-Complex-This assists with GI healing and metabolism. It also helps with energy. I have MTHFR A1298C and MTHFR A1572G homozygous gene mutations. This supplement provides healthy methylation for the gene variations.

Because of my autoimmune disease, my body has a lot of inflammation. I take a few supplements to help with that, along with avoiding inflammatory foods. Which is why I follow AIP.

• Nordic Naturals ProOmega 2000– This is fish oil. Most of us have been told to take fish oil for heart health. It also helps with inflammation, brain and eye health. This one does not taste fishy at all! I take 2 softgels every day with lunch.
• Pure Encapsulations Curcumin– I recently tried to stop taking this supplement just because I take so many and the cost really adds up! I don’t want to take anything I don’t truly need. A few days after stopping this one I started having terrible muscle pain in my whole body and headaches. The nutritionist told me to start taking it again to see if my symptoms went away. They did! So, obviously this is helping with my inflammation and my body needs it to feel better. I take 2 capsules every day with lunch.

Lastly, I take a multivitamin to cover any other nutrient deficiencies I may have. A lot of people are against multis because they think we should just supplement where needed without taking anything extra. I agree with this 100%. However, I stopped taking this for a few weeks and I had tons of symptoms come back. So, I likely have a lot more deficiencies that I realized. When I had my micro-nutrient testing done I was on this multivitamin. Once I started taking it again, the symptoms subsided.

• Pure Encapsulations Nutrient 950 w/Vitamin K– This is just to cover any other nutrient deficiencies I have due to my body not properly absorbing nutrients from the foods I eat. I take 3 capsules with lunch and 3 with dinner.

I know it’s a lot and I hope that some day I will heal my body enough to cut way back on supplements! It is very costly to buy so many high quality supplements. However, it will be worth it in the long run. When I get my health back into tip top shape, I won’t have to worry about tons of medical bills or going on lots of medications. I like to try to treat my health as naturally as possible. The best way to do that is obviously with food. But, with my body not functioning properly, even though I eat super healthy, I do not absorb all of the nutrients I need.

What supplements do you take? Did you have micro-nutrient testing done to find out what you are deficient in? Are you working with a doctor/nutritionist for supplementing or doing it on your own? I would love to hear what works for you!