The Best Supplements for Summer

Nutrition | Seasonal | Supplements
Jun 27, 20225 minute read

Summertime means spending time outside in the sun, indulging in sweet treats and maybe attending a cookout or two. While we fully support these activities (in moderation of course), they can drain certain nutrients from your body making you deficient. Being active during the summer is wonderful, but it can cause you to lose more minerals through sweat than you would in cooler months. Sun exposure can cause oxidative damage to your skin, and some less-than-ideal food choices can create inflammation around your body. Add all this up over 3 months or so, and you may not be feeling or looking your best at the end of the season.

That’s why eating a nutrient-dense, whole-foods diet, getting plenty of sleep and exercise, and making sure to hydrate are so important. But we realize that not everyone can get all of their nutrients and minerals from their diet alone, so we’ve put together this list of the 6 best supplements for summer. The biggest things to focus on during the hot summer months are hydration, antioxidants, and skin health. We’ll cover more about why below.

What are the best supplements for summer?

Electrolytes

You may have noticed, you sweat a lot more during the summer. Not a big deal, sweating is your body’s way of cooling off, as well as helping to detoxify. But when you lose that water as sweat, you also lose a bunch of hugely beneficial minerals called electrolytes.

Electrolytes are like spark plugs for your cells. They help conduct electrical charge through your body. They also help make sure water and other nutrients can get into your cells, and waste can get out. So, when you lose electrolytes, it is much easier to get dehydrated. Just drinking more water isn’t always enough, you need to replenish the magnesium, sodium, calcium and potassium that your body sweated out. In fact, by the time you feel thirsty, you’re probably already dehydrated!

While we do get a modest amount of electrolytes from the fresh fruits and vegetables we eat, we can be more deficient in these minerals than a salad can make up for. Watermelon is actually a great source of electrolytes, which is why it is so satisfying on a hot day. One easy trick for boosting your hydration is to add a large pinch of sea salt to a glass of water. This will boost those mineral levels (especially sodium and chloride) and curb your dehydration for a while. We know it sounds counterintuitive, but trust us, it works! But during the hot summer months, we recommend keeping some electrolytes around in supplement form to keep your mineral levels up, and dehydration down, especially if you’re headed outside.

Try our favorite electrolyte supplement:

Designs For Health-Electrolyte Synergy 240 G

This powder has everything you need, and nothing you don’t with Calcium, Magnesium, Chloride, Sodium, and Potassium, a mild lemon flavor, and no added sugar. Trace Minerals is well known for its electrolyte and micromineral supplements, so we know there is research that has gone into developing this supplement.

Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is an antioxidant in the carotenoid family, found mainly in algae, fish and seafood like lobster, shrimp, trout and salmon. (It is what gives those animals their reddish color.) It is reported to have many health benefits, including helping joint pain, improving heart health and keeping skin healthy.

In the summer, most of us are definitely concerned with getting too much sun exposure on our skin, although a little is a good thing. Too much sun can cause oxidative damage to our skin, leading to sunburn, dark spots, wrinkles, and possibly skin cancer. Antioxidants from whole foods and supplements can be a huge help in combating oxidative stress throughout your body, but astaxanthin has been shown to be particularly good at protecting our skin cells from oxidative damage over other powerful antioxidants like Beta-carotene.

We are big fans of getting our nutrients like astaxanthin and other antioxidants from whole foods sources. If you can load up on salmon and lobster and shrimp, we suggest you take advantage of that. Those foods always come packed with other amazing nutrients like Omega-3 fats and protein, plus, they’re delicious. But if fish isn’t your favorite or it’s not accessible, astaxanthin is easy to find in supplement form.

Try our favorite astaxanthin:

Designs For Health-Astaxanthin 6 Mg 60 Gels

This astaxanthin liquid supplement is sourced from a microalga, so it’s an option for anyone eating a plant-based diet. As a liquid, it is easier to take by adding to a glass of water or just dropping under your tongue. This astaxanthin also comes packed with vitamin D3, an incredibly powerful nutrient, as well. D3 supports our immune system, keeps our bones strong, and helps us absorb minerals like calcium and magnesium. Vitamin D3 is fat soluble, so it is recommended you take it with food.

Vitamin C

Everyone knows vitamin C. Broccoli is apparently chock full of it and we’re supposed to take a bunch of it when we get sick. Foods are often fortified with vitamin C since it is so widely known and used, and so useful to our bodies. While there are probably too many benefits of vitamin C to list here, some include helping synthesize collagen, limiting oxidative damage to our cells, as well as helping other antioxidants regenerate in our bodies. As luck would have it, those benefits are directly related to skin health.

Like we mentioned above, when our skin gets damaged by the sun, it is oxidative damage, similar to metal rusting. Additionally, eating a diet high in refined vegetable oils like canola or soy can cause even more damage through the release of free radicals from the toxic oil. Antioxidants, like Astaxanthin and Vitamin C of course, are especially helpful at limiting the damage sun exposure can cause. Collagen that helps make up your skin, which we will discuss more below, can be damaged by oxidative stress from the sun as well, which is what makes Vitamin C such a powerhouse summer supplement.

That said, eating a nutrient-dense, whole foods diet is critical, making sure your body has all the nutrients it needs to manage inflammation, deal with oxidation and free radicals, while healing and repairing quickly. Vitamin C is found in a host of common foods, like oranges, broccoli, spinach, and bell peppers. Look for bright, colorful vegetables and fruits for a big antioxidant boost.

But if you feel like you need a little extra Vitamin C push, it is one of the easiest and least expensive vitamins to supplement. It is often found as a single nutrient in chewable or gummies, in multivitamin or antioxidant blends. Up to you on how you want to supplement Vitamin C, there really is no wrong answer. We’ve always found liquid drops to be the easiest to take and the easiest for our bodies to absorb. Of course, if chewing or swallowing a capsule is more your speed, we got a recommendation for you, too.

Try our favorite Vitamin C liquid:

Codeage-Liposomal Vitamin C Liquid 16 Fl Oz

As we said, liquid vitamins are easy to take. Just a teaspoon under the tongue for 30 seconds and then you’re done. Quicksilver Scientific is one of the leaders in supplement quality research, so you know you’re getting a top-notch product.

Try our favorite Vitamin C chewable:

Pure Encapsulations-Vitamin C Chewables 60 Tabs

Chewables can be dry and chalky, which no one likes. These raspberry-flavored wafers are easy to chew and swallow and are packed with Vitamin C plus Zinc, a powerhouse combo that helps boost your immune system. Like we mentioned above, Trace Minerals is top of their game when it comes to minerals and nutrients, and this is another thoughtful combo aimed at helping you thrive.

N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC)

NAC isn’t as well-known as Vitamin C, but N-Acetyl-Cysteine is a powerful antioxidant, as well as being the precursor to the master antioxidant, Glutathione. Like many of our top summer supplements, NAC plays many roles in your entire body’s well-being. It is touted as helping with cardiovascular health, mental health, blood sugar balance and even fertility. Dealing with systemic inflammation and combating oxidative stress are particularly important in the summer, especially when we are faced with extra sun exposure and maybe some poor food choices.

NAC has been shown to be effective at reducing levels of homocysteine, a metabolite that can build up in our blood over time and contribute to heart disease. Glutathione, which NAC helps to create, is critical for defending against free radicals and cellular damage. So, whether you spend too much time in the sun or have an unfortunate run in with toxic vegetable oils at a summer cookout, NAC can help your body protect and heal itself.

NAC is the supplement form of L-cysteine, one of three amino acids that make up glutathione. Your body can make cysteine with an adequate intake of folate, vitamin B6, and B12, all of which are plentiful in whole foods like salmon, beans, lentils, and spinach. Cysteine is also present in high amounts in many foods like eggs, cheese, bison, halibut, and lentils, to name a few. Of course, we may not get all the antioxidants we need in our diet, so supplementation with NAC may be a good idea.

Try our favorite NAC supplement:

Davinci Labs-N-Acetyl Cysteine 500 Mg 90 Vcaps

Thorne is one of the most well-regarded supplement brands on the market today. We appreciate their rigorous clinical testing, because it means all of their ingredients are shown to be safe and effective. This NAC supplement from Thorne contains 500mg of N-Acetyl-Cysteine.

Vitamin E

Like many of our favorite summer supplements, Vitamin E is best known as a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin E has been shown to protect your body’s cells against the damaging effects of free radicals. It is also shown to be anti-inflammatory, particularly in the skin. Since we’re talking about summer and sun exposure, vitamin E is helpful in preventing inflammation in the skin after UV exposure.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient, like vitamin D and vitamin K, so eating fat-containing foods when supplementing with E is imperative. It’s important to mention here the impact of healthy fats versus toxic seed oils. Healthy, whole fats like coconut oil, avocado oil, tallow, and olive oil help provide your body with structure for cell membranes and have modulating effects on healthy levels of inflammation throughout your body. Seed oils like canola or soy are refined and usually rancid, full of toxic omega-6 fats that create free radicals and oxidative damage in your cells. Taking a supplement like Vitamin E, which must be taken with fat, while eating a diet high in rancid seed oils is deeply counterproductive. You really won’t be getting much benefit from the antioxidants we’ve discussed here, even less from a fat-soluble vitamin like vitamin E.

Vitamin E is most commonly found in leafy greens like beet greens, collards and spinach, nuts and seeds, bell peppers, and asparagus. Again, since vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, we recommend eating any of these green veggies drizzled in olive oil. To get a little extra vitamin and an antioxidant boost, supplements as an individual nutrient or in a multivitamin are easy to find.

Try our favorite vitamin E:

Integrative Therapeutics-Vitamin E 400 IU

We like this vitamin E because it is a blend of naturally occurring tocopherols which are the most bioavailable forms of vitamin E. This just means that they absorb quicker and more efficiently. Pure Encapsulations is another top-quality professional brand with years of experience and clinical research backing up its products.

Collagen

Collagen is a group of proteins that help provide structure for our skin, hair, nails, and connective tissues. It is important for our gut health as well, helping to protect the barrier between our GI tract and the rest of our body. As we mentioned above, vitamin C is critical in helping your body to synthesize collagen out of available amino acids in your body, which is great since getting dietary collagen in the summer can be a challenge.

During the summer when we are in the sun more, the collagen in our skin can get damaged or break down. Obviously, that’s why we want to bulk up on all those antioxidants, to keep the oxidative damage to a minimum. But it can’t hurt to bring in more amino acids to help repair and rebuild the connections between skin cells, especially if they get damaged by the sun.

Collagen is largely found in the connective tissue of animal products, as well as bones and other cartilaginous bits. A great way to get collagen in your diet is by eating slow-cooked meats and stews or making your own bone broth with grass-fed beef bones and chicken feet. The challenge is that during the hot summer months, no one wants to spend time in a hot kitchen over a hot bubble pot of stew or bone broth, we often save those things for colder months. So, during summer we may not be eating as much collagen-containing foods as we might in the fall or winter.

The good news is that collagen peptide supplements are one of the hottest supplements on the market today. They are flavorless and easy to add to food dishes, a smoothie or just a spoonful in your morning coffee. The most common collagen supplements come from bovine hide, but marine collagen can also be found easily.

Try our favorite collagen peptide supplement:

Allergy Research Group-Arthred Collagen Formula 240 G

Vital Proteins-Vanilla Collagen Peptides

Vital Proteins is one of the best and most well-known collagen brands on the market. Their collagen comes in powdered form making it easy to add to most anything without changing the flavor. We recommend a scoop in your morning coffee or tea to add some beneficial amino acids to your day.

Summertime should be fun and full of getting out into the sun, and enjoying time with friends and family. That said, it’s really easy to forget about healthy habits and eating nutritious whole foods, and our health can suffer as a result. Hopefully, this list of supplements will help keep you feeling energized and hydrated with healthy skin all summer long!

Are you interested in learning more about nutrients and supplements? Are you looking for help getting your diet back on track? A Curated Wellness practitioner is available to work with you on your diet and wellness goals. Ready to get started? SCHEDULE NOW.

About the author.
Joel is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who began his health journey when he decided to quit cigarettes for good. By finding the motivation to make lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, stress, and sleep, he feels healthier in his 40’s than in his 20’s, and wants to make sure he will be around for a long time. Once he saw results in himself, Joel wanted to use his passion for wellness to help other people. Joel has a private practice in Northern California where he helps clients achieve better energy, focus, and connection to their bodies through bio-individual diet and lifestyle changes. Learn more about Joel.

The information presented on this website is intended for educational purposes only. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any specific condition or disease, nor is it medical advice and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise. Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health conditions or concerns. One should always consult a qualified medical professional before engaging in any dietary and/or lifestyle change or new health program. Curated Wellness does not take responsibility for any health consequences of any person or persons following the information in this educational content.

The Best Supplements for Summer

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