GAPS Overview - Supplementation

Continuing our series on the three key elements and what they look like for us personally - first was Diet, second is Supplementation.


Not all people will need to take all supplements, but these are the key supplements to consider. Remember, that none of these posts should be considered complete. Read the book for lots more relevant details!

The essential supplements for GAPS patients:

A.    An effective therapeutic strength probiotic
B.    Essential Fatty Acids
C.    Vitamin A
D.    Digestive enzymes
E.    Vitamin and mineral supplements.

Here's how Supplementation currently looks for each us:

Emily

It is recommended that all supplements be stopped when starting the GAPS introduction diet.  The idea is to go back to the basics and eat very nutritious and easily digestible food, thus starting the process of healing the gut.  Since I started having digestive problems back in 2009 I have thought that I might have some vitamin deficiencies and may not be absorbing the nutrients from the foods that I eat.  I was encouraged by a naturopath to take high levels of Vitamin A and Zinc because people with gut problems tend to be deficient in those vitamins. I recently had a number of different vitamin levels checked to see where I stood and all came back within normal range, even Vitamin D and B-12 although some (zinc) was in the lower end.  This was very reassuring but I wish in hindsight I had had the levels checked pre-GAPS.  I have also recently read this article which indicates that blood tests checking for Vitamin D might be overestimating the amount of Vitamin D in the blood, so who knows...  http://www.wellandgoodnyc.com/2012/07/10/study-hall-new-vitamin-d-tests-are-inaccurate/

Probiotics:

I have started to take Biokult - just one pill per day and it seems to be going fine.  The recommended therapeutic does is something like 10 pills per day so I don't see myself taking Biokult in the long run though I do see the need to take a probiotic and will likely switch over to a different brand. 

EFA:

I have been taking fermented cod liver oil - roughly 1/2 teaspoon per day. The full dose is 1 teaspoon per day so I will be building up to that. It is recommended that FCLO be taken with vitamin butter oil but I wanted to make sure butter wouldn't be an issue for me before I invested in that supplement. 

Vitamin A:

This is one vitamin that they were unable to test and I will have to go back and get more blood taken - until then, I will be getting Vitamin A in the FCLO.

Digestive Enzymes: 
A few weeks prior to starting the GAPS diet I purchased some Betaine HCL with Pepsin after reading that people with gut problems tend to have low stomach acid. The recommendation is to start with 1 pill per meal to see if there is a burning sensation in the stomach that indicates the stomach acid levels are fine. If there is no burning, you increase to two pills per meal, up to a maximum of three pills.  I could easily take three pills with no burning whatsoever - suggesting that I certainly do have low stomach acid.  When I started the intro diet, I stopped all supplements, so have not taken the HCL, but may consider trying it again at some point to see if my stomach acid levels have improved since starting the diet.

Vitamins/Minerals 

Right now I am not taking any additional supplements, other than the magnesium oil and probably won't really take any.

Kathryn
Our first supplement is food! I want to make sure to include this here because I feel very strongly about it. Whole foods, prepared traditionally, are what will nourish us now and in the long term. Everything our bodies need are in the foods - probiotics, digestive enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, carbohydrates and on and on - and they are often provided in the form that is most accessible to us.

However, I do also believe that while we are following the GAPS protocol we will need to supplement to get everything in balance and restore our bodies to the healthiest state we can.


One of the funny things about supplementing is that if you have a leaky gut, your supplements aren't very effective. So it's heal and seal first, then add in supplementation for specific vitamins and minerals.


Probiotics: 
We are going to try GUTPro probiotics and may transition to Prescript Assist down the road. Therapeutic levels of probiotics have really made a huge difference for L already (though we are not taking them now).


EFAs: 
We will be trying fermented cod liver oil and will continue to supplement with that as long as it is tolerated. Also going to try the X-factor High Vitamin Butter oil as a compliment to the FCLO. L is low in butyrate, which you can find in ghee, butter, and butter oil, and it seems very critical in gut health.  


Additional oils, like olive, will be included with meals. We won't use nut or flax oils due to allergies. Hopefully we will find some other seed oils that will work for us on GAPS. Egg yolks seem to be a good source of EFAs if they are pastured (see my post on egg yolks).


Vitamin A: 
That will be included in our FCLO/Butter Oil supplement.


Digestive Enzymes: 
Many people with GAPS have low stomach acid, which impacts ability to destroy harmful microbes.  The most physiological preparation available is Betaine HCl with Pepsin. We may consider this, as we know from testing that L has slightly low stomach acid. Note on Pancreatic Enzymes: These are combination enzymes which are produced in the pancreas. When normal stomach acidity is restored, these should work well to aid in digestion of food, which is why we start with stomach acid. 


Vitamin/Minerals: 
Nothing specific is recommended for all GAPS people, so these are personal.

Magnesium: I am using transdermal magnesium and N occasionally uses it, but L never does.  It stings when applied and is too much for her. Interestingly C does not notice much stinging, which makes me wonder if he doesn't need it. I may try it on L's feet while she is asleep. Eight sprays gives you 100mg and I try to apply it several times a day. I'm rotating locations, to avoid the rash. Apparently we are all deficient in magnesium (meaning ALL of us) so this is a great one to consider for anyone. Have fun Googling for more information and know that like Emily posted earlier, making your own magnesium oil is easy!

We are going to have blood testing done for our levels of various vitamins/minerals, including Vitamin D and Vitamin B12. Then we will decide how and if to supplement. One supplement our osteopath recommended for L is zinc, and we may consider that.