Why should you need a girlfriend or a boyfriend if you have a beautiful wife or a handsome husband respectively? Well, human tendencies are like that! We always love the idea of getting something "extra" in every field of life. We, ourselves give our taste buds the extra freedom to enjoy and explore the provocative tastes and flavors and then we start complaining about the lack of availability of nutritious foods! We then begin the search for that "extra" nourishment apart from what we are getting from our regular diet. This is why, dietary supplements appear to be so important to us.
What are Dietary Supplements?
A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to act as an add-on the diet in order to provide nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids or amino acids that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities by an individual through his diet. These vitamins and minerals, as we all know, give our bodies greater chances to be healthy and to fight off the damages caused by stress, pollution, viruses and poor food qualities.
Most Important Dietary Supplements That You should Take
- Vitamin C: The body needs lots of Vitamin C every day.It is highly concentrated in the adrenal glands and used in large quantities if you are under stress.A500mg tablet is fairly large and you should take one at least twice and up to six times daily under stressful situations or to fight off cold or other viral infections!
Benefits: It is good for cell integrity, eye health and for the well-being of the teeth, gums, bones and muscles, blood vessels and the immune system. - Vitamin D: In the last several years there has been a growing interest in the value of Vitamin D.It is actually a group of related compounds, the most important of which are Vitamin D2 and D3.One of its main functions is to enhance the absorption of calcium from the intestine and to facilitate the bone building process.It is now believed that adequate Vitamin D is needed to prevent many types of cancer. As a fat-soluble vitamin, it is stored in fat and can be taken intermittently, because it stays in the body for long periods of time.You need to take a conservative dosage between 1,000 and 2,000 IU per day.
Benefits: Studies have found that getting more vitamin D may also lower your risk of getting affected with autoimmune diseases such as type1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. And not getting enough has been linked to bone, joint and muscle pain, fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. - Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Fish oil and flaxseed oil is a must for everyone. Quality is important in fish oils.If it smells bad or leaves a fishy taste from your stomach, then seek out a better brand.In some people, flax seed oil gets easily converted to these fatty acids, while some others may lack the enzyme that facilitates the transformation process. Also, flax seed oil turns rancid fairly quickly.Don't buy more than what you can use before it expires and keep all opened containers refrigerated.Once exposed to air, Omega oils turn rancid quickly.
Benefits: Research shows the omega-3s in fish oil may also help lower your risk of stroke and non-lethal heart attacks while relieving anxiety and depression and reducing the risk of cognitive decline. - Calcium and Magnesium: The phosphates in soft drinks wash calcium out of your body.Our soil has been mostly depleted of Magnesium due to an increased use of pesticides. So the crops cultivated on these lands offer us foods with less nutritional value. The quantities needed are large and sufficient amounts cannot be accommodated into a daily vitamin tablet.
Benefits: Magnesium is a sedative and will assist in inducing sleep. It is also a laxative which promotes bowel movement. Magnesium protects against migraine headaches and reduces restless leg syndrome (an urge to move the legs to combat unpleasant sensations). - Vitamin E: It is an antioxidant that promotes heart health.While looking for vitamin E, look for the d-alpha tocopherol, which is more authentic than the synthetic dl-alpha tocopherol.
Benefits: It boosts the immune system and is responsible for the overall well being of the heart, lungs and the prostate gland. - Vitamin B-complex: The supplements must be balanced with all eight essential B vitamins.
Benefits: A high quality vitamin B-complex promotes the health of the cardiovascular system while aiding in energy production and helping the body to use carbohydrates, fats and proteins. It is now known that Folic acid, a type of B vitamin is extremely important to be included into a pregnant woman's diet. It helps prevent birth defects.
You may be a bit confused while looking for a well-balanced multi-vitamin. A good multi-vitamin should be able to address the needs of the human body. A good multivitamin, should offer you 100% of the daily requirements for trace minerals. But before starting on a dosage, you should seek your doctor's approval. And keep in mind, that greater amounts of supplements do not mean extra health benefits! They may cause toxicity. Therefore, you should avoid overdoses.
