You might have heard that all supplements are a waste of money or that many are potentially harmful. Or maybe you’re pro-supplement and have a cupboard full of them.

According to our expert team of doctors, dietitians, and researchers, the truth about supplements is complex and lies somewhere in between. With the caveats that you should 1) always talk to your doctor about any supplements you or your family are taking, and 2) only purchase supplements from high-quality, well-known brands and trusted retailers, here are 5 supplements that make sense for families:

1) Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a hormone important for cellular health in the gut, bone, breast, prostate, brain, skeletal muscle, and the immune system. We get it from sunlight and food, but most people in modern societies aren’t getting enough.

Unfortunately, vitamin D has been a dud in most big studies on heart disease, cancer, and early death. But here’s what we do know: vitamin d deficiency is bad news and vitamin d supplementation is quite safe.

So are there other reasons to take vitamin D? Yes, it has been linked to depression and poor sleep: two major problems plaguing teens and young adults. Even though we still need larger studies showing a definite link between supplementation and reduced depression and sleep problems, this is an easy, low-cost, low-risk way to hedge your bets.  

2) Omega-3 Fatty Acids, DHA & EPA

These dietary fats are found largely in fish, essential for human health, and cannot be produced by the human body. So the only way to get them is to either eat a lot of fatty fish or supplements.

Like vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids have struck out in big studies on heart health. But they’ve done remarkably well in an area that most parents care a lot about: brain health.

High-dose DHA/EPA (up to 3.36 grams a day) has been linked to improved memory, verbal fluency, language, and visual-motor coordination, and reduced depression symptoms.

And to top it off, a recent review of 17 studies showed that higher blood levels of DHA/EPA were associated with reduced rates of early death.

3) Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral found in the earth and also in plants, sea life, and animals. Magnesium is essential to over 600 chemical reactions in the human body!

There’s some evidence that it can help with muscle strength, sleep quality, and metabolic health, but more evidence suggests that it can help with stress-related anxiety, including PMS symptoms.

It’s a mineral found in a wide variety of whole foods but for family members who aren’t getting enough avocados, nuts, beans, and leafy greens, supplementing with magnesium can make a lot of sense.

4) Collagen Peptides

There are several different types of collagen that together make up the majority of protein in our skin, bones, ligaments, and joints. We can get plenty of it through our diet if we’re drinking bone broth and eating fish heads or chicken necks.

Probably not happening at your dinner table! So the next best thing is collagen peptide supplementation. Collagen peptides are just small collagen molecules.

Dozens of studies suggest that collagen supplementation improves skin health, bone health, joint health, and muscle growth. These studies also show that collagen supplementation is very safe with the only common side effect being the poor taste of some of the collagen powders.  

5) Curcumin

Curcumin is an antioxidant  (or prooxidant, depending on who you ask) micronutrient found in turmeric root. The first four supplements in our list are helpful because they make up for diets or lifestyles that could otherwise get these nutrients into the body.

For example, if we just drank a bunch of bone broth or ate animal skin and tendons, we would never have to supplement with collagen. However, effective levels of curcumin can’t be consumed through diet.

To reach the levels of curcumin used in studies, we have to supplement. So, why is supplementing with curcumin a good idea?

First, after being used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine and tested in hundreds of studies, we know that it’s quite safe.

Second, several reviews of scientific research have shown it to have beneficial effects on a wide range of health problems, from diabetes and cancer prevention to improving heart, brain, and joint health.

Third, it has a wide range of properties as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antifungal agent. If you choose a curcumin supplement, make sure it has piperine (an alkaloid found in black pepper), which helps in the body’s absorption of curcumin.

The following are well-known, trusted brands recommended by our expert team (purchasing from Amazon through these links will benefit the childhood cancer non-profit, MaxLove Project):

Nordic Naturals, Vitamin D drops

Nordic Naturals, Lemon-flavor liquid omega-3 fish oil

KAL, Chewable orange-flavored magnesium tablets

Anthony's Collagen Peptide Powder, 1 lb

Natural Factors, CurcuminRich Theracurmin

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