As a certified GAPS coach I cannot recommend supplementation to my clients. That is outside of my scope of practice, but I can share with you the supplements I have used, and loved, with my son over the course of our GAPS journey.
Let’s start with the supplements that Dr. Natasha recommends in the GAPS book. You can get either version here or here.
Dr. Natasha recommends using food as medicine as often as possible but she does recommend some supplements for the vast majority of people.
Recommended Supplements:
Cod Liver Oil – my personal favorite brands is Green Pastures. I like to get it from Green Pastures or Radiant Life.
Probiotic – Dr Natasha recommends this specific probiotic and I do believe she is working on releasing her own probiotic formulation in the near future! I will keep you posted on that when it comes to fruition.
I have used a few different probiotics for Raleigh over the years. The first one was from Get Smidge and it specifically didn’t have any histamine strains. If histamines are a big issue for you I would recommend this one until some healing has happened.
Another good one if histamines are an issue is this one.
Just Thrive has a great spore based probiotic we have used and loved as well. You can get 15% off your order with this code: FindingForrester
Dr. Natasha does recommend working up to a therapeutic dose of a probiotic along with consuming fermented foods. You can find the right therapeutic dose for yourself or your child in either of the GAPS books.
Iodine – Iodine is a halogen that many people are deficient in. Most GAPS-y individuals are deficient and can benefit from iodine painting on the skin. Some people will need internal support but for this please work with a certified GAPS practitioner as there is a very specific protocol to follow.
Digestive Enzymes – Sometimes these are necessary. This is the brand I used for Raleigh for quite some time.
Betaine HCL + Pepsin – For those who need stomach acid support this is very helpful. This is a good brand. There are also a few food-related things that can naturally help ramp up stomach acid production. Taking sips of meat stock that has been made with peppercorns between bites of food can help. You can also drink a few sips of freshly pressed cabbage juice or eat a small cabbage salad right before a meal.
Some people will need additional support via supplementation. When Raleigh first began the diet he needed a few extras. I was working with a GAPS practitioner who helped us hone in on what he needed. She ended up putting him on a zinc and magnesium supplement along with HCL + Pepsin.
Other Supplements I’ve loved:
TRS – this is a heavy metal detox. Dr. Natasha does not recommend any heavy metal or parasite detox until at least 1 year on GAPS. The reason for this is to make sure the body is strong enough to handle the detox. TRS is a gentle heavy metal detox and did amazing things for Raleigh. I have blogged about it in the past. You can read about our journey here and here. You can purchase TRS here. I am happy to answer questions about TRS as I do distribute it. Please reach out via the contact tab.
Dessicated Kidney– Kidney is a fantastic support for those with histamine issues. It supports the production of the DAO enzyme. I would highly recommend consuming kidney in some form if you struggle with histamines.
Liver – I also highly recommend consuming liver. Fresh and cooked is ideal but second best is a dessicated liver. This one or this one are great options. Liver is nature’s multivitamin and covers a great many nutritional holes.
If you are new to GAPS and trying to navigate both supplementation and the diet I always recommend focusing first on the diet. Food is truly medicine and as the gut heals the body will begin to glean more and more nutrition from the food you eat. Sometimes supplementation is necessary but always err on the side of “less is more.” Be sure to bring in a GAPS practitioner if you feel you have gaping nutritional holes or any concerns. They can help you figure out what does and doesn’t need to be added supplement-wise.
