With the start of each new year, a new crop of favourite supplements arises. That's why we have gathered a list of our top supplement picks for 2023 that will help make this year your healthiest year yet!

1) Top Meal Replacement: Real Easy by Natural Factors

Meal replacements are a great way to get more vitamins in your diet without adding too many calories. You may find they help with weight loss or help with the maintenance of a healthy weight without having to cut back on food. Real Easy Protein with PGX is our customers favourite for convenient meal replacements with added benefits. Real Easy Protein mixes PGX, a high-quality fibre that helps you feel fuller, longer. Made with whey protein, it includes a higher range of amino acids, including leucine and is quickly absorbed by your body. These amino acids help you lose weight without losing muscle mass.

Real Easy Protein comes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavours, and their products have been shown to assist in up to 5% of weight loss. 

2) Energy and Mitochondrial Supplements: RegenerLife

Many report feeling tired and low energy on a daily basis. If this sounds like you, Natural Factors has created a new line called RegenerLife to help. What makes RegenerLife special is that it focuses on the health of the mitochondria.

The mitochondria, small structures in your cells, are the energy source of the cells. Each cell in your body contains around 1,500 mitochondria. With age, your mitochondria can become damaged and less able to produce energy. Two common symptoms of this are feeling tired and visible signs of aging. But mitochondrial aging can cause other health issues, too.

RegenerLife now makes it even easier to support a healthy brain and aging process by formulating individual supplements like Resveratrol, Liposomal Vitamin C and easy-to-use 30-day supplement kits. The Longevity Kit contains a one-month supply of all-in-one packets to support healthy aging. Each packet contains nutrients to help mitochondrial health, increase energy production at the cellular level, repair cell membranes in the nerves and brain, defend against free radicals in and outside of cells, and promote healthy aging of the heart and blood vessels.

3) Best Liver Health Supplement: Milk Thistle

If you’re feeling sluggish, it might be because your liver is trying to process toxins out of your body. For many, certain times of the year call for overindulging in alcohol, sugary treats, and/or fatty foods. Not only can these foods make you feel bloated and tired, they can also cause damage to your liver.

Meet milk thistle, an herb with excellent liver-protective potential. Milk thistle, used for centuries to support liver health, contains a compound called silymarin which helps protect the liver from toxins and heavy metals.

Mariendistel milk thistle from Hubner and Naka is one of our best-selling supplements at National Nutrition. This quality, clinical-dose milk thistle is great for detox programs. Made in a fast-acting syrup format, its active ingredients are delivered quickly and effectively to your digestive system, where they are absorbed and go to work in your liver. Furthermore, this milk thistle is recommended by doctors and pharmacists in Europe.

4) Best Immune Health Supplement: Elderberry Syrup

Cold weather is a natural breeding ground for colds and other viruses. When the temperature drops, it’s good to have helpful immune-health supplements in your medicine cabinet, like elderberry.

Elderberry is a natural remedy for colds and can help you recover faster. Elderberry can help prevent and ease symptoms such as sore throat, coughing, and congestion. Researchers have found that black elderberry reduces upper respiratory symptoms and could be used instead of antibiotics for relieving upper respiratory symptoms from viral infections, including the common cold and influenza. Elderberry also helps boost your immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells that help fight germs in your body. Here’s some of the research on elderberry:

  • One study of of 312 air passengers found those treated with elderberry showed a shorter duration of cold symptoms than those who didn't take it.
  • A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled* study of 60 patients suffering from influenza found that those who took 15 mL of elderberry syrup reported symptom relief on average four days earlier than those who took a placebo. Researchers found that elderberry syrup offers a safe and cost-effective treatment for influenza.
  • In another study, researchers noticed elderberry extract slowed the growth of several bacteria and fungi that commonly cause upper respiratory infections.

*a randomized study is one in which participants are randomly assigned to either the treatment group or the control/placebo group (which doesn't receive the medical intervention). A double-blind study means neither the participants nor the researchers know which group the participants belong to.

When it comes to elderberry supplement formats, syrup is the most effective. This is the format that was studied in the research mentioned above. At National Nutrition, we carry several quality elderberry syrup products from Naturopathic Labs, Sambucol, and Suro.

5) Best Supplements for Joint Health: Curcumin and Theracurmin by Natural Factors

Most people like to start the year on the right foot, which usually means a new exercise program! But if joint pain or discomfort gets in the way, it can hinder your goals. Meet curcumin.

Curcumin, a compound found in the popular Southeast Asian spice turmeric, is known for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. These properties can help ease arthritis and joint pain. However, alone, the active ingredients of curcumin are poorly absorbed by your body; therefore, you want to take a curcumin supplement that is easy to absorb.

Natural Factors CurcuminRich is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that helps relieve symptoms linked with chronic degenerative diseases as well as the body's reproduction of healthy cells. Best of all, CurcuminRich has been confirmed by human research to be easily absorbed by your body, so you can get moving again.

6) Best Supplements for Relaxation and Muscle Pain: Magnesium

If you've never taken it, maybe 2023 will be the year you try magnesium. Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a role in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in your body. From energy production to protein synthesis and cell signalling, magnesium does it all. It is involved in muscle contraction and relaxation and blood pressure maintenance. However, you may be surprised to learn that most people are low in magnesium. Indeed, about one-third to one-half of Canadians are lacking in this important mineral.

One of the most common forms of this supplement is magnesium citrate. Magnesium citrate is often used to promote relaxation, calm muscles, and it has a mild laxative effect. We love Natural Calm's magnesium citrate because it mixes easily into warm water (try drinking it at bedtime) and tastes great.

Another great supplement choice is magnesium bisglycinate. Magnesium bisglycinate is ideal for helping lower stress and anxiety and promote sleep. Plus, magnesium bisglycinate is easier on your stomach than magnesium oxide or citrate; therefore, it won't cause an upset stomach or diarrhea. At National Nutrition, we love CanPrev's magnesium bisglycinate because it's easy on your stomach and available in different doses to better suit your needs.

7) Get Better Sleep and Relaxation: Stress Relax

Stress has many negative effects on your overall health, and for many, interferes with sleep quality too.

If you often feel stressed, consider Natural Factors' Stress Relax line. This line was created to help you cope with occasional stress while helping promote restful sleep. The line includes:

Tranquil Sleep - a safe and fast-acting formula that contains 5-HTP, melatonin, and green tea's stress reliever, L-theanine. These natural ingredients work together to promote restful sleep. This formula is available in capsules and chewable tablets, which work quickly to help you sleep.

Stress-Relax Mind Retreat - a formula that works together to increase relaxation. Made with a superior source of the relaxing neurotransmitter GABA, combined with magnesium, lemon balm, and vitamin B6. Mind Retreat helps temporarily promote relaxation and relieve insomnia and occasional restlessness due to mental stress.

The Stress Relax line offers lots of other great products that can help you sleep and soothe day-to-day stress. Pop into our store (or visit us online) to try this new line of products.

These are just a few of our best supplements to consider trying in 2023. Whether you're looking to improve your joint health, rest a little easier, try something new for your mitochondrial health, or learn more about natural health supplements, at National Nutrition we've got you covered with these top picks, plus educational videos on our Youtube channel.