Three Supplements Everyone Should Be Taking

Scott: You mentioned dietary supplements and herbs earlier.  Throwing cancer out, are there some that we just are all probably deficient in that we could use, just to get us a little bit healthier, that you would recommend?

Dr. Lise Alschuler: Yeah, so there are several that come to mind.  A couple that I'll mention.  First and foremost, vitamin D has really emerged as a very important factor.  So people, when they're sufficient in vitamin D have lower risk of developing cancer and of dying from cancer if diagnosed.  So measuring... do I recommend people just take vitamin D?  No.  I think they should go to their doctors, have their vitamin D level checked.  And if it's low, take vitamin D and it should be rechecked so they know how much they need to take.  Because it's different for everybody.  But that would be one that in most cases, people are going to need vitamin D.

Another kind of nutrient along that continuum, interestingly, is selenium.  So selenium is now almost ubiquitously deficient in our soil, so we're not getting it in our diet anymore.  And selenium is a very important nutrient for detoxification and cell repair.  Two very important processes from a cancer prevention standpoint.  So selenium is often something people need to supplement in a very low level in their diet.  Even just through a multivitamin, to help them kind of replete their selenium levels.

And another category I would throw out there would be essential fatty acids.  These would be from things like seeds, nuts, fish.  And a lot of us don't eat seeds, nuts and fish every day.  So, you know, supplementing to the level that we would get if we were to eat those foods every day, is, I think also an important strategy.  And we know from research, has a lot of preventive effects, not only for cancer but for cardiovascular disease for sure, even now for all the other chronic diseases, diabetes, dementia, etcetera.  So those would be some of the top three.  I mean there are others too, but that's a good place to start.