It can often be difficult to select the right regimen of vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements to support your health. With continual updates in information and products, consumers are often left behind. Vitamin Health Rx is your source for the best, most up-to-date clinical information and dietary supports to enhance your lifestyle. Most individuals know to take a multivitamin, but are unsure of what nutrients they will need additionally. View the top essential nutrients we think everyone should take, listed below.

6. Super Booster w/ Vitamin K:

The super booster is a great combination of all of your essential fat soluble nutrients that could not be formulated into the multivitamin. This includes essential vitamins E and K. You might be saying, "but my multivitamin has vitamin E!" Well, keep in mind that there are two forms of E, alpha tocopherol, which is normally in multivitamins, and gamma tocopherol, which is fat soluble and cannot be included. The gamma tocopherol, or "gamma E" is the form which is a great antioxidant and scavenges your tissues for free radicals and peroxynitrate species. Vitamin K is another essential vitamin which is overlooked frequently. There are two main forms of vitamin K, Vitamin K1, and Vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 is involved more in essential clotting factors whereas Vitamin K2 is involved with calcium regulation. Both are excreted from the body quickly, and both are necessary vitamins to have in the bloodstream in order to protect our bodies and ensure their proper function. The super booster formula also contains other essential antioxidants like selenium and zinc which are great to protect your body from free radical damage and aid in essential body systems like immune health.

7. Bone Restore / Magnesium:

Bone restore contains all of the essential minerals that your body needs, primarily to (you guessed it!) protect and maintain bone health. These essential minerals like calcium, magnesium and zinc are necessary building blocks that the body uses in order to construct our bones. The bone restore formula contains a balanced proportion of these minerals which is great to optimize everyday health in combination with a healthy diet. For women without any bone health issues, optimal intake will be between 700-1000mg of calcium daily. For males, 1000mg of calcium daily. Dose appropriately. For those with bone health issues, 1200-1500mg daily is suggested. You should be extra careful to take proper amounts of Vitamin D and Vitamin K if taking higher amounts of calcium, in order to protect your body and regulate calcium properly. More than 80% of Americans have a magnesium deficiency. It is suggested to intake 760mg of magnesium daily. Adjust your magnesium intake appropriately. There is no toxicity associated with magnesium, upper limit is defined by any disturbances in bowel movements. Magnesium has many positive properties including a very positive affect on blood pressure.

8. Curcumin:

Curcumin is an extract from Turmeric, a root commonly used in curry spices. The "curcumin" refers to the curcuminoids in the root which have been shown to have a remarkable array of affects on human health. Among them, Curcumin has been shown to be a very powerful easer of inflammation, as well as a strong protector against unhealthy cell division. Curcumin influences nuclear factor kappa beta, or NF-kB, which we refer to as the "master regulator" of inflammation. Curcumin acts as if turning off a light switch, turning off the signal that there should be inflammation in the area. This has been shown to be very helpful for those managing discomfort levels. Curcumin has also been shown to have a remarkable affect to influence healthy cell division, and even to aid in apoptosis (marking cells for programmed cell death). Curcumin can be very important to maintaining healthy cell division in an environment with so many toxins present.

9. SAMe (S-adenosyl-methionine):

SAMe occurs naturally in the body but degrades due to age or to illness. It aids in the methylation cycles which are important in both to both your mood and your detoxification. SAMe is a methyl donor which allows for a boost in the nuerotransmitters serotonin and dopamine as well as aids in detoxification in the liver. SAMe is also a methyl donor in the synthesis of proteins, hormones, phospholipids and other vital components of the human body. It is found especially concentrated in the brain and the liver and has been shown to be very helpful for those with mood or liver disorders. SAMe is best taken at doses of 400mg for most individuals, and is best taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. A lower percentage of individuals prefer dosing of 200mg daily.

10. Cognitex:

Cognitex is a complex of nutrients intended to protect and enhance your brain health. It is a combination of phospholipids, (which are the basic building blocks of the brain) nutrients to aid in circulation such as blueberry and vinpocetine, and agents to help with inflammation such as ginger, rosemary and hops. Pregnenolone is a unique steroid hormone naturally found in the body that has the capability to support and enhance brain health and memory. It is a great addition to any regimen. This pregnenolone is an extract from wild yam. Other nutrients that are very essential to brain health (and hopefully are already included in your regimen!) include your B vitamins and Omega-3 fatty acids. You can read more in our brain health protocol.

11. PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline quinone): **Bonus Suggestion**

PQQ is a unique antioxidant that was discovered rather recently. This antioxidant has a great affect on overall quantities of mitochondria. It does this by having an influence on the DNA, promoting replication of the mitochondria. As we mentioned, mitochondria are the "powerhouses" of the cell and are necessary for energy production.

This has been shown to be very helpful for those who may have had extensive mitochondrial damage over time, including smokers, people with issues with blood sugar, and those taking statin medications. Those with memory issues often have a very positive reaction to taking PQQ, and it should be suggested as part of any kind of brain health and memory protocol.

12. Prostate/ Breast Health Formulas: **Bonus Suggestion**

Prostate and breast health is an important topic for men and women, respectively. It is important to take agents like curcumin to influence cell division, but it is also important to have additional protectors as well. For men, that means protecting yourself from the dangers of prostate inflammation with a prostate formula. For women, that means influencing the types of estrogens in your body to more protective hormones in order to protect your breast tissue (through food extracts). Both of these formulas are essential steps in protecting and preserving your health.