TWV Podcast Episode 445: What Supplements to Take on the AIP?

Welcome to episode 445 of The Whole View! This week, Stacy and Sarah take a deeper look into autoimmune protocol and what taking supplements while on AIP could look like. They offer recommendations into their favorite supplements and brands as well as offer insight into why these supplements might help!

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The Whole View, Episode 445: What Supplements to Take on the AIP?

Welcome back to episode 445! (0:28) This week is all about supporting your health from the perspective of what you can control. And what you can work with medical professionals on to optimize your own health as much as possible. Specifically, Stacy and Sarah will be discussing supplements on the autoimmune protocol (AIP) or have been previously and are now in more of a maintenance mode. Stacy remembers when she first encountered coming across this topic while struggling with digestive issues. She was not absorbing anything from the food she was ingesting. This caused her to have to re-nourish herself through the use of supplements. She reminds listeners that what they go over in this show is not har-and-fast. As situations, health, and age change, your needs will change as well. Both Stacy and Sarah are not medical professionals. So be sure to touch base with your doctor when taking your health into your own hands. Sarah shares a comment from a member of the Patreon family that she feels sums up the approach she and Stacy takes toward this show.

Today’s Sponsor

One of Stacy and Sarah’s favorite supplement brands, Just Thrive, agreed to sponsor today’s show! (2:30) They are currently offering Whole View listeners 15% off their order using code THEWHOLEVIEW or you can follow the link above. Bacillus bacteria are particularly important for gut health, even creating an environment where other probiotic species (like the Lactobacillus in sauerkraut) can thrive. Historically, we were exposed to Bacillus in dirt, but in our modern, sterile environments, Just Thrive probiotic has got us covered (no eating dirt necessary!). Not only is Just Thrive a potent probiotic, but it also contains a novel strain, Bacillus indicus (HU36), that produces antioxidants and vitamins right inside of the intestines, including lycopene, lutein, astaxanthin, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene, B vitamins, and vitamin K2! It can help people with IBS symptoms, digestion, infection, healthy gut, cholesterol, and so much more. The individual Bacillus strains delivered by Just Thrive have been extensively studied; plus, the good folks behind Just Thrive have published a human clinical trial showing these strains can reduce leaky gut. They have 11 other human clinical trials ongoing, which is incredible to see in the supplement industry. Other shows sponsored by Just Thrive worth checking out:

• 346: Can You Have A Healthy Gut If You Don’t Eat Paleo
• 417: Vitamin K2 – Hype or Essential

Other shows on supplements:

• 61: Supplements
• 234: Will I Have To Supplement Forever?

 

Listener Question:

A follow-up question from a previous show on Vitamin D inspired the topic of today’s show. (12:42). Listener Sarah says:

I am wondering what vitamin D supplement you recommend? When starting aip I was still taking my regular one but realized it had soy in it. I just listened to the vitamin D episode and realize how important it is for skin health. I need to get a new one and wanted to see what you recommend. I’m already doing Vital Proteins collagen, zinc, and fermented cod liver oil supplements. Anything else you recommend? I’m 3 weeks in and feel a lot better!! But I do miss eggs, chocolate, and rice cooked with homemade broth the most!! I love your podcast so much and get to listen to podcasts while I sew for my job all day!! You girls really made the day go by fast with your puns and science! Thanks for all the knowledge!

Sarah adds that she believes puns to be the highest form of humor and is glad that (listener) Sarah also enjoys them. First, it’s worth mentioning that Stacy and Sarah no longer endorse or recommend Vital Proteins collagen. (See Episode 430 for the details.) Stacy mentions that the formula change in Vital Proteins, depending on listener Sarah’s situation, might negatively affect her if she’s trying to eliminate gluten contaminants from her diet. Stacy also recommends a broth alternative that might help scratch that broth and rice itch! Sarah starts off by letting listeners know that there are many soy-free Vitamin D supplements out on the market. She wants to take Sarah’s question and really talk about supplements on the AIP because it’s gets asked a very common question.

Taking Supplements While On AIP

Sarah breaks supplements while on AIP into four different categories. (18:25) She reiterates Stacy’s point at the beginning of the show that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to this or any specific list you should be taking while on AIP. It all comes down to you and your body as an individual.

1. Missing From Modern Food Supply

This category is all about providing things that are really hard to get from our modern-day food supply. (19:00) Sarah explains that our modern food supply is actually quite depleted of vitamins and minerals than at other parts in history. Produce we get from grocery stores could have half the amount of minerals than what we would have bought 50 or so years ago. This she attributes to the depletion of soil over time. A lot of this can be remedied by buying high-quality, organic if you can afford to. Or even buying locally grown. The better quality dirt produce is grown in and the better quality food the animals consume all play into how much nutrients end up in the products we buy from the store. Also, our food is washed so thoroughly before it makes it to the shelves. Natural sources for many nutrients, such as bacillus bacteria, are from dirt! Historically, this is something we would have gotten much more easily due to smaller industries and more home-grown dependencies. Just Thrive probiotics are things we would have been exposed to originally that we just aren’t getting from our modern food supply.

2. Food-Based Supplements For Nutrient-Dense Superfoods

These are nutrients from superfoods that some might have barriers against getting enough of. (23:10) Stacy and Sarah have talked extensively about bone broth in the past as something that people are not getting enough of. Sarah poses the question of what options you have if you don’t like the idea of consuming bone broth or organ meat to get those nutrients. Paleovalley is another trusted resource of Stacy and Sarah. They make a great Bone Broth Protein and Organ Complex for consumers looking to supplement those nutrients rather than directly to the source. Smidge Liver Pills is another organ supplement that Sarah highly recommends. Sarah has noticed it’s been a lot more difficult to get organ meat during the pandemic. She has relied on supplements much more this last year. Stacy also notes that she switched to Paleovalley organ complex a few months ago. She likes how diverse the supplement was. Sarah and Stacy talked in depth about the benefit of seafood from a nutrient stand-point in Episode 415: Fish oil, Healthy or not? Some people, however, don’t like or can’t eat seafood. For them, Sarah recommends OysterZinc or Cod Liver Oil. In Episode 373: How Many Vegetables (Part 4) Powdered Veggies, Stacy and Sarah talked a lot about the power of freeze-dried veggies. Episode 392: Are Mushrooms Really Magic? Part 2 is another great resource for nutrients that often met with barriers. Real Mushrooms offer a great supplement to fill that gap! Fermented foods are another hurdle that can be bridged by a probiotic like the ones provided by Just Thrive. Stacy adds to watch out for juices and pulps because you’re not getting the whole form of the fruit and/or vegetable, so you may be missing out on some key nutrients. She personally leans into smoothies as a way to “juice” without juicing.

3. Targeting For Severe Deficiencies

This doesn’t necessarily mean targeted synthetic. It could easily mean targeting one of the prior mentioned categories to meet that shortfall. (43:02) This is where you get into Sarah’s “Test Don’t Guess” mindset. Here is where you should work with a professional medical expert who can run tests to tell you exactly where your deficiencies are. Vitamin D is one of the most common deficiencies doctors see. If your Vitamin D levels are already low, it’s very hard to meet that deficiency without supplement help. Iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies are also among the most common. Sarah notes, however, your body could be deficient in something completely different due to genetic issues that put you at a disadvantage for absorbing it. Listeners might still supplement with food-based supplements, like taking Real Mushrooms D2 for vitamin D insufficiency. Stacy and Sarah talked in the past about Vitamin K2 and whether it’s hype or Essential. Listeners might want to add Just Thrive K2 here too. Sarah also notes that it often takes more than just changing your diet to get to the appropriate levels with severe deficiencies. Stacy has personal experience with B12 struggles and Vitamin K2. She shares a little bit about her journey and what she’s learned from it. None of this stuff is something you would take without testing and monitoring from a doctor. Because this is the type of stuff you’d only do with a medical professional, Sarah thinks it’s best to go over what types of things it would involve.

4. Targeting For Other Purposes

The “lowest hanging fruit” is digestive support supplements. Here you’d work with a practitioner to assess digestion efficacy through stool testing. (45:00) This looks for undigested fats and proteins that would otherwise not be there if your digestive system was working optimally. It’s important because you can eat all the nutrient-dense food you want, but your body isn’t breaking them down properly for absorption, they’re not providing you with the things you think they are. Adaptogens, vitamin C, and magnesium are used to treat adrenal fatigue and chronic stress. Sarah adds that adaptogens always need to be adjusted over time which is why store-bought supplements for stress management aren’t as effective as you hope/think they will. Probiotics might be called for severe gut dysbiosis. Just Thrive is in this category! However, a medical professional will test for this and help figure out the path that’s suitable for you. CBD for pain and inflammation. Stacy and Sarah talked in-depth about the benefits of CBD in Ep 420 CBD for Pain Management. DIM or high crucifer intake for hormone imbalances, glutamine for leaky gut, and melatonin for sleep (Ep 314 Is Melatonin Safe) are great avenues a doctor can test for. Stacy adds that you might not need all of this, or you might be someone who would benefit from it. She and Sarah have talked at length about why some supplements they’ve given priority over others. For example, CBD and melatonin are often lower on their priority list.  

Notes for Just Thrive Probiotic

Bacillus is spore-based bacteria naturally found in dirt that are particularly important for gut health. They produce at least 795 different selective antibiotic molecules that inhibit pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and protozoan parasites, helping maintain a healthy gut ecosystem. But, among the over 200 different Bacillus species currently identified, not all are equally beneficial, and some may even have pathogenic potential. That’s why it’s so important to choose a probiotic supplement using only well-studied beneficial strains, like the four strains delivered by Just Thrive Probiotic. Bacillus subtilis drives restoration of microbial diversity during infection, stabilizing the microbiome. They increase the growth of well-known probiotic species, including Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus acidophilus. It supports gut health by producing essential enzymes to aid digestive function, producing amino acids, synthesizing vitamins, degrading cholesterol, and even contributing to intestinal homeostasis maintenance. Bacillus subtilis can help antibiotic-induced diarrhea, ulcerative colitis, bacterial vaginosis, urinary tract infection, and candida vaginal infections. This probiotic species improves gut health by protecting against genotoxic agents and regulating cell growth, differentiation, and signaling. Sarah loves that Just Thrive Probiotic is free of wheat, gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, salt, sugar, artificial colors or flavors, binders, fillers, allergens, and GMO’s. One of her priorities is taking Just Thrive Probiotic daily! Historically, we were exposed to these awesome Bacillus species in dirt (for example, eating unwashed organic veggies from a local farm, compared to other probiotics that we can get from fermented foods). But in our modern, sterile environments, Just Thrive has got us covered — no eating dirt necessary! Sarah also always takes Just Thrive Probiotic with a meal, usually dinner. Bacillus species are among those known to exhibit circadian rhythm in their relative abundance in healthy conditions (and lose circadian rhythm in metabolic syndrome), peaking after meals and ebbing between meals.  

Final Thoughts About Supplements While On AIP

Stacy reminds listeners that AIP is an umbrella term. (1:01:20) She feels it’s important to keep nutrient density in mind, but it’s crucial to make sure you don’t stress yourself out about it either. It’s about balance. While this is a lot of information to a really simple question, Sarah jokes that a short answer would’ve have made a very good show. So they dug in deeper than most people would normally need to go. Take this information about supplements while on AIP as a base knowledge for what might be beneficial to you in certain circumstances. It’s also critical to find a good practitioner to work with for any next-level stuff. Also, don’t forget to check out Just Thrive and their probiotics and other products. Thank you, Just Thrive, for sponsoring today’s show. And thank you, listeners, for hanging in. If you want more of the Whole View and hear how Stacy and Sarah really feel, hop on over to Patreon for bonus unfiltered content. See you next week!