（全⽂阅读时间约4分钟。Approximate reading time 4 minutes)
从小到大，我吞服的药⽚和喝下的棕⾊汤汁无以计数。往我的身体⾥灌下这么多异物，并且了解了药物的⽆数种副作⽤之后，我对各种形式的药物产⽣了巨⼤的⼼理排斥。我本⼈除⾮是迫不得已，绝不碰药。当我女儿生病的时候，我会和⽼公会因为⽤不⽤抗生素而陷⼊战争危机。现在，我仍然坚信，任何⼈都应该尽量少吃药，尤其是化学合成药物。但对于营养补充品，我却完全扭转了观念。
Growing up, I have had my share of pills and brown concoctions of various Chinese herbs. After ingesting so many foreign substances, and after learning the myriad side effects of pharmaceuticals, I developed an intense resentment and caution to meds, in any form. I try not to take any medication unless I absolutely have to. I got into huge fights with my husband over antibiotics use when my daughter was sick. Today, I still firmly believe people should take as few pills as possible, especially when it comes to pharmaceutical drugs. But as far as supplements are concerned, I have come around.
当然，⻝物应该是我们最为主要的营养来源，⽆论是对于每天的营养所需，还是对⼀些慢性病的治疗。但我开始意识到，适当的营养补充品可以为你的健康大大助力。原因不止⼀个。
Of course, foods should always be the first and primary source for the nutrients our bodies need, whether it’s for every day function, or even some chronic medical conditions. But I have come to believe in the efficacy of appropriate supplementation, for many reasons.
你是不是经常困惑，为什么所有的东⻄吃起来和⼩时候味道不⼀样？再也做不出妈妈做的鸡汤？苹果吃起来如同嚼蜡？市场上的⻄红柿好像可以隐隐约约让你想起来⼩时候吃的那种红红的，酸甜好吃的东⻄？
Ever wonder why on earth everything tastes different than when you were small? You can never have the same chicken soup mom made before? An apple is no longer an apple? A tomato remotely reminds you of that juicy and delicious red thing you had as a child?
不，这绝不是你的思想在作怪。它们的确不同了。
No, it’s not just in your head. They are indeed different.
⻝物的营养取决于其生长的土壤的营养。土壤变了，⻝物也就不⼀样了。当前的世界⾯临着土壤枯竭的危机。我们95%的⻝物，生长在地球表层的⼟壤：表土。在过去150年的时间⾥，我们丧失了地球50%的表⼟。原因是现代社会普遍使⽤的耕作⽅式：大量使⽤合成化肥，除草剂，杀⾍药，基因改良，单⼀种植等等。玛丽亚·海伦娜·塞梅是联合国⻝物和农业组织的⾼级官员。她警告说，如果我们的土壤以现有的速度退化，我们将在60年内耗尽地球的表土。
Foods can only have as much nutrients as the soil they grow in. When the soil changes, the food changes. Globally we are facing a soil depletion crisis. Top soil, the upper layer of the soil on the planet, is where 95% of the world’s food is grown. In the last 150 years, half of that top soil was lost, thanks to the conventional farming practices, which includes heavy use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, GMO seeds, monoculture production, etc. According to Maria-Helena Semedo, a senior official of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, if we continue to degrade the soil at the rate we are now, the world could run out of top soil in about 60 years.
这当然令⼈担忧。我们还需要意识到，⽬前我们剩下的表土也和以前完全不一样了。结果是，⻝物的营养水平比过去⼤幅降低。有很多研究证明了这一现实。久志研究所通过对1975年⾄1997年营养数据的分析发现，12种新鲜蔬菜中的平均钙⽔平下降了27％；平均钙含量下降了27％。铁⽔平下降了37％；维生素A含量下降了21％，维生素C含量下降了30％。
This is of course very concerning. What we should also realize is that the soil we have left has been drastically changed. As a result, the nutrition level in the foods we are eating today decreased significantly from the past. There have been numerous studies that have demonstrated this. A Kushi Institute analysis of nutrient data from 1975 to 1997 found that average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables dropped 27 percent; iron levels dropped 37 percent; vitamin A levels dropped 21 percent, and vitamin C levels dropped 30 percent.
下⾯这个图⽚可以更清晰得说明这个问题：
This chart tells a more vivid story:
最下⾯黄色的那行显示的是矿物质的平均下降水平。你⼤致可以这么想：我们今天吃的东西和50年前⽐起来，营养含量是原来的⼀半。
The bottom row highlighted in yellow is the average decline of those minerals. Generally speaking, you can consider that most plant foods we eat today have about 50% of the nutrition value compared to those from 50 years ago.
这意味着什么？你知道蔬菜⽔果对身体好对吧？你即便是努力多吃，你仍然很有可能在微量营养方面有所欠缺。
What does this mean? You know vegetables and fruits are good for you, and you load up on them, but very possibly, you still have some level of micronutrients deficiency.
杰森 • 卡尔顿，“微量营养素奇迹”的作者，曾经对美国四种很流⾏的饮食方案进⾏了研究：遵循这些饮⻝⽅案是否可以让你达到FDA推荐的微量营养素每⽇摄⼊量？结果发现，所研究的27种微量营养素中，这四种饮食标准能够达到每⽇摄⼊量的平均只有11.75种。如果要满⾜所有27种营养素的每日摄⼊量，你每天需要吃下约2.7万卡路⾥的食物！
Jayson Calton, the author of “The Micronutrient Miracle”, studied four popular diets in the US to see if following these diets could meet the micronutrients RDI (Reference Daily Intake) value recommended by FDA. The results showed that all four diets, on average, are RDI sufficient in 11.75 of the 27 of the micronutrients studied. To meet RDI sufficiency in all 27 nutrients, you need to take in around 27,000 daily calories!
你再也不会只将营养不良和图片中那些瘦⻣嶙峋的孩子联系起来了对吧？现实是，我们大多数⼈都是吃地过多，却营养不⾜。
You no longer just associate malnutrition to those skinny kids you see on pictures, do you? The fact is, majority of us are over-fed and under-nourished.
当然， ⻓期营养不足会导致各种各种的健康问题。虽然我极不情愿吞噬任何非⻝物的东西，我也不得不承认我们需要补充营养的现实。引⽤⻢克 • 海曼医⽣的话：
Of course, long term micronutrient deficiency can lead to all kinds of health issues. As much as I am reluctant to swallow any non-food items, I have succumbed to the need for supplementing. Quoting Dr. Mark Hyman:
“我们真的需要服⽤营养补品吗？不需要，只要我们还是依靠传统的狩猎和采集来⽣活，只吃野生的植物，野味和⻥类；只生活在空⽓，⽔和土壤都极其纯净，不受任何污染的地⽅；有⼤量的体育锻炼和阳光的直射；每晚美美睡上9个⼩时；⽽且不受任何现代生活压力和焦虑的困扰”。
“Do we really need to take nutritional supplements? No, not as long as we follow a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle, eating only wild plants, game, and fish; live where the air, water, and soil are pure and untouched by pollution; get lots of physical exercise and direct sunlight; sleep soundly nine hours a night; and stay untroubled by the stresses and anxieties of modern living”.
你明白他的意思。
You get the gist.
如果确实需要服⽤营养品，应该服⽤哪些呢？
If supplementing is important, exactly what should we supplement with?
最理想的当然是根据个⼈微量营养素的缺失首先进行食补，如果仍然不足，再进⾏针对性的补充。但这对每个⼈来说并不都是可能或者容易做到。所以多种维生素对⼤部分⼈来说是个好的选择。除了多种维生素，还可以多补充⼀些⼤多数⼈普遍缺失的微量营养素。如果你从来不吃营养品，很有可能下⾯这些微量营养素在⼀定程度上你会有所不足：
Ideally, we should know exactly what nutrients we lack and first try to get them through foods, when that is not sufficient, we supplement accordingly. But that is not always easy or even possible for everybody, therefore, a multi-vitamin makes sense for a lot of people. In addition to a multi, here are some of the micronutrients that are most commonly deficient for modern living that you may consider adding to your supplementation regimen. If you have never supplemented, more likely than not, you will find yourself deficient in these nutrients:
维⽣素D
Vitamin D
严格来说，维⽣素D是⼀种肾脏⽣产的荷尔蒙。它控制血液中钙的浓度，⽽且对于人的免疫健康非常非常重要。⼈体中几乎所有的细胞中都有维⽣素D的受体。
Strictly speaking, vitamin D is actually a hormone produced by the kidney. It controls blood calcium concentration and is extremely important for immune health. Nearly every cell in our body has vitamin D receptors.
我们都知道多晒太阳可以增加维⽣素D。那是因为人体需要的维⽣素D只有10%可以从⻝物中获取，另外90%是身体自己合成的。这个合成过程需要有阳光。现代⽣活给予人晒太阳的机会不是很多。这是⼤多数⼈缺少维⽣素D的原因之⼀。我在开始服⽤维⽣素D之前，每年的体检都会发现我⽋缺这种营养素。
We all know sunshine is important for vitamin D. That’s because only about 10% of the vitamin D the body needs comes from food. The body needs to make the other 90%. This chemical process is facilitated by exposure to sunlight. Modern living does not give us ample opportunities to bathe in the sun. It is one of the reasons that majority of people are vitamin D deficient. Before I started taking Vitamin D, every year my physical exam would show I was deficient.
维⽣素B12
Vitamin B12
这是唯⼀⼀种没有办法直接从植物中获取的微量营养素。所以如果你是吃全素的，⼀定要补充B12。你的神经和血细胞需要B12来保持健康，B12还有助于DAN的制造。B12的缺失可以造成⼀系列的健康问题，包括疲劳，食欲不振，神经问题，失去平衡，甚⾄是抑郁和痴呆，等。
This is the only micronutrient that you cannot find in plant foods. So if you are a vegan, it’s critical to supplement with B12. B12 helps keep our nerve and blood cells healthy. It also helps make DNA. Deficiency in B12 can cause a slew of health issues, including fatigue, loss of appetite, nerve problems, loss of balance, and even depression and dementia, etc.
欧⽶加3脂肪酸
Omega 3 fatty acids
我以前只会给父母买⻥油，因为对心脏有好处。我认为只有⽼年⼈才需要吃那些东⻄。真是⼤错特错。现在，每天我和⽼公和孩⼦都按时服用， 从不间断。欧⽶加3对脑部健康非常重要，⽽且帮助身体制造清除炎症的荷尔蒙。⽽炎症是几乎所有慢性病的罪魁祸⾸。
I used to buy fish oil only for my parents, thinking it’s good for their heart. For me, that was a supplement only seniors need. I was so wrong. Now, I and my husband and my daughter take Omega 3 supplements diligently every single day. Turns out Omega 3 is extremely important for brain health. It is also building blocks for hormones that combat inflammation, and Inflammation is the ultimate cause of almost all chronic diseases.
镁
Magnesium
对于镁的讨论并不是很多，但很多⼈缺失这种矿物质，在美国有约50%的人镁不足，部分原因是因为⼟壤的重⾦属污染和退化。 人体所有组织中都含有这种矿物质，它负责300多种酶类的反应。镁被称作是最为有效的放松矿物质， 因为它可以帮助你的身体和精神放松。镁的缺失可以导致很多症状，比如肌⾁痉挛，易怒，好动，疲劳，⾼⾎压，糖尿病，骨质疏松等等。如果你受失眠的困扰，可以考虑测试⼀下你体内镁的⽔平，因为失眠是⼀种典型的缺失镁的症状。如果镁太低，你会难以⼊睡，并且易醒。
Magnesium is not as talked about as the other nutrients, but many people are deficient, partly because of soil contamination with heavy metals and soil erosion. Magnesium is found in all of your tissues and is responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions in our body. Called the most powerful relaxation mineral, magnesium helps you relax physically and mentally. Deficiency in magnesium can cause a myriad of symptoms, such as muscle cramps, irritability, ADD, fatigue, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, etc, etc. If you suffer from insomnia, it’s a good idea to check your magnesium level, because insomnia is another common symptom of magnesium deficiency. People with low levels of magnesium often experience restless sleep and could wake up frequently during the night.
如果你决定服⽤营养品，我们建议注意以下几点
If you decide to take some supplements, there are a few things to keep in mind:
• 营养品是⼀个很⼤的市场，很多产品，很多⽣产商。有时候会让你无从选择。我遵循的⼀个基本原则，我也想建议给你的是，选择那些你可以负担得起的最⾼价格的产品。同⼀样维⽣素，可以⽤极低的成本制造，也可以⽤很好的原料⽤更⾼的成本制造。⽐如多种维⽣素。多年前，我在服⽤⼀个家喻户晓的大牌子。但我总感觉不太舒服，有时候还想吐。为了减轻不适，我⼀定要在饭的正中间服⽤。有⼀次因为饭后服用，我真的是直接吐出来了。我坚信我们的身体是很睿智的。如果它这么抵抗，肯定是不适合。有⼀段时间我完全停掉了服用维生素。后来换了另外一种，发现大为不同。
• Supplements are a big market, and there are numerous products and providers. It could be overwhelming to pick the right one. The rule of thumb for me, and what I would suggest, is to go with the most expensive one that you can afford and are comfortable with. For the same vitamin, you can make it very cheaply, or you can can make it with more costly material and superb quality. Take multi-vitamin as an example. Years ago, I used to take this household name brand. But it does not sit well with me. Sometimes it makes me nauseous. I had to take it right in the middle of my meal to avoid discomfort. Once I took it after a meal, and it really made me throw up. I strongly believe in the intelligence of human body. If my body reacts this way, it is trying to tell me something. I stopped taking vitamins altogether for some time. Later, switching to a different provider made all the difference for me.
• ⼤部分营养素是化学合成的。也有些是⽤全⻝物做成的，更容易吸收。这些⼀般来说会更贵⼀点。但如果你的身体可以更有效地吸收，我想是值得的。
• Most supplements are synthetics. There are supplements who are made from whole foods, which are much easier to absorb. They could be on the more expensive side. But if your body can use it more efficiently, I think it’s worth the price.
• 同⼀个微量营养素可能有不同的形式和不同的主导功能。⽐如，镁有10多种不同形式，包括柠檬酸镁，氧化镁，氯化镁等。如果你主要想帮助睡眠，则⽢氨酸镁是⽐较好的选择。
• The same micronutrient may have different forms that have dominant functions. For example, magnesium has more than 10 different forms, including magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, etc. if you are using it mainly for sleep purpose, magnesium glycinate is a better option.
• 做足功课。看看⽣产商的⽹站。是哪些⼈在做这些产品？他们有没有研发能力？产品是不是经过GMP（良好生产规范）认证？你甚⾄可以联系厂商索取产品的检测报告。
• Do your homework. Check manufacturer’s website. Who are formulating the supplements? Do they have research capability? Is it made in a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified facility? You can even ask for test results of their products.
• 将你的营养品隔开服⽤。如果你的营养品不止⼀个，不要全部放在⼀起吃。营养素在吸收通道上是有竞争的。你很难知道哪些和哪些会竞争。所以分开吃最好。除非说明上说要空腹，最好是和⻝物⼀起吃，可以促进吸收。
• Space out your supplements. If you are taking more than one supplements, try not to take them altogether. Nutrients compete for pathways. You never know who is competing with who for absorption. So try to take them at different times of the day. Also, unless it is specifically stated to be taken on an empty stomach, always try to take it with food to enhance absorption.
• 轮换着吃。我家⾥有几十种营养品，但并不是每天都吃。有些是需要的时候，有些会隔一段吃一些。
• Rotate your supplements. I keep dozens of supplements on hand, but I don’t take all of them every single day. I take some of them only when needed, and rotate some of them.
• 有些营养品和药物是有冲突的，或者对于某种健康状况不太适⽤。服⽤前最好是做些研究，咨询⼀下医⽣。
• Some supplements could interfere with your medications, or are not suitable for certain health conditions. Always do your own research and check with doctors.
