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To supplement or not to supplement - that is the question! There are all kinds of ideas out there. We are using supplements - food sensitivities, particularly to gluten and dairy, can cause all sorts of chronic malabsorption issues. We use SCD approved supplements from Kirkman Labs (search for SCD on their site and you'll find a list). Pecanbread also has a good section on supplements. Multivitamins - always a good choice for us. Just make sure you do not overdo it. We use the Everyday Children's Multi-Vitamin without Vitamins A and D (Don't want to overdose on those vitamins, since they are in cod liver oil) Probiotics - we take these since we cannot use yogurt to repopulate our intestines with good bacteria. We use Lactobacillus Acidophilus. Some probiotics have many different strains - we choose to follow the guidelines provided in Breaking the Vicious Cycle. Work up to using around 1.5 billion cells twice a day. Some people tolerate this better than others. Cod liver oil - helps support absorption of Vitamin A, provides Omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) and Vitamin D. Dr. Mary Megson suggests this dosage (Kirkman Labs): age 2-5: 1/2 tsp daily age 5-10: 3/4 tsp daily age 10 and up: 1 tsp daily Some worry about too much Vitamin D, particularly in the summer months and just take fish oil. Make sure it is purified, whatever you take. Folic acid - an important item for DNA replication and intestinal repair. We take this in our multivitamin. Zinc - often low in those suffering from malabsorption issues - helps get rid of skin rashes and helps to restore normal taste. Children and adults need between 10-50 mg daily. (Kirkman Labs) Magnesium - necessary for the body to utilize calcium and potassium. Take care - some forms can loosen stools. Oxide tends to firm stools, Glycinate A is very gentle, Citrate, Sulfate and Chloride tend to loosen stools. Calcium - Very important for dairy free diets! We try to keep lots of calcium rich foods in our diets and supplement with the unflavored Calcium Powder from Kirkman's. Calcium supplements should not exceed the amount listed below for age groups. It should be taken in at least 2 servings throughout the day. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences recommends: age 1-3: 500mg daily age 4-8: 800mg daily age 9-18: 1300mg daily adults: 1000mg daily Where do you find calcium on a dairy free diet? These numbers have been culled from many places - the amount of calcium is approximate, but this gives a good starting point.
*****Spinach, swiss chard and rhubarb have calcium, but we are not able to use it. |