A supplement is something added to something else. Nutritional supplements add vitamins and minerals to the ones already included in the food you eat.

Supplements

Ayesha Raza

Millions of people take daily vitamin supplements to encourage good health. With all the different kinds of vitamins, minerals and herbs flooding the market these days, it’s sometimes difficult to know what to choose.

The first thing you need to know is that vitamin supplements are not a replacement for eating healthy, vitamin rich whole foods. Food contains the nutrients your body needs in their very purest form, and interact with each other and your body in a way supplements cannot. However, taking vitamin supplements in addition to eating a vitamin-rich diet can be a great way to stay healthy and protect against damage from harmful free radicals.

When shopping for vitamin supplements, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

Reading labels is a wise practice you should do every time you shop for supplements. Labels can tell you more about dosages, ingredients, safety precautions, and other important information.

Always choose products with “USP” on the label. “USP” is the abbreviation for the U.S. Pharmacopeia and the inclusion on the label means the product has been tested and checked for quality and safety.

Expired vitamins can lose their potency. Always make sure there is an expiration date printed on the bottle, and never purchase or use expired supplements.

Do not choose supplements that offer extremely high doses of a particular vitamin or vitamins. Too much of anything can be harmful, sometimes even fatal.

Always keep your vitamins out of the reach of children. Store in a cool, dark, dry place as heat and humidity can affect the integrity of the vitamins.

Research is always a good idea before deciding to take vitamin supplements. Consult with your doctor. Perform some Internet searches or visit your local library. There is a wealth of resources available for you on the topic of vitamin supplements and the benefits they offer.

perfectly balanced diet and adults would have the time to create that menu for themselves and the children in their lives. Unfortunately, we live in the real world and perfection is more than a little distance away. So what about those vitamins we need? The alternative to a perfect diet is a regular regimen of vitamin supplements.

Before you grab up the latest, cutest, most expensive or cheapest vitamins you can find, take a minute to evaluate what it is that you expect to accomplish. Start by carefully evaluating your typical daily food intake.

Take a count of the foods you eat over a period of a few days. You may find that you’re getting sufficient amounts of most vitamins simply through your diet. Even a less-than-healthy diet overall may be offset by certain habits – drinking significant quantities of Vitamin D fortified milk, for example. If you typically drink at least two cups of milk each day, you’re probably getting the Vitamin D recommended for a normal, healthy adult.

But what if you realize that you really aren’t getting the vitamins you need? Then it’s time to add a vitamin supplement, but you should be smart about it. For most children and adults who aren’t getting the recommended daily allowances of vitamins, a very general vitamin is probably your best bet. There are plenty of options out there and it really becomes a matter of personal choice. If the kids like some particular brand better than others, that brand is probably fine. Just be sure that it’s providing recommended daily allowances of the top vitamins needed by children.

The same is true of adults, though it tends to be the claims of the manufacturer that grabs the attention rather than the fact that the vitamins are in the shape of a cartoon character. Be wary of any vitamin brand when the manufacturer makes incredible claims. There’s no doubt that having sufficient vitamin intake on a daily basis will make you feel better, but there’s also no doubt that vitamins aren’t going to turn back the clock, give you the vitality of a toddler and make all your aches and pains go away. Be smart about it. Read the back of the bottle to find out what vitamins are actually packed into that little pill. You may be surprised to find the ingredients of the cheapest store brand and those incredibly expensive vitamins are exactly the same.

Herbal dietary supplements often contain more than one herbal ingredient meant to enhance your everyday diet. Some ingredients are vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other dietary substances. There herbal dietary supplements are not intended to treat or cure various diseases, or conditions, but to help prevent certain ailments, and to also add nutrients to the body. But, undeniably, herbal dietary supplements have healing properties for several body conditions.

There are many supplements that help treat a wide variety of conditions. Some of these are:

” Ephedra is a dietary supplement that helps prevent colds, treat asthma and other upper respiratory ailments.

” Magnesium is herbal dietary supplements that aids in preventing kidney, thyroid or heart disease.

” St Jonh’s wort is effective herbal dietary supplements for depression

” Vitamin E is herbal dietary supplements that are potent antioxidants.

” Copper is herbal dietary supplements that aids in the absorption of zinc in the body and maximizes its beneficial effects effect. It helps the body function normally, prevent heart disease, promotes healthy skin and hair color and other benefits.

” Folate is herbal dietary supplements that contribute to the production of red blood cells, manufacture of DNA for cell replication and aids in metabolism of amino aids.

” Iron is herbal dietary supplements that supplies energy to every cell in the body and a vital component of hemoglobin which supplies oxygen to muscles.

” Vitamin B6 and B12 belong to Vitamin B complexes which treat a host of ailments such as alcoholism, depression, diabetes, hair problems, lupus, multiple sclerosis and stress.

” Tea is herbal dietary supplements that contain antioxidant effective in preventing cancer, heart disease and reduce blood pressure among numerous other benefits.

” Vitamin D is essential herbal dietary supplements in preventing osteoporosis.

” Selenium contains antioxidant that could counter various ailments including cancer.

” Vitamin A and carotenoids are herbal dietary supplements that promote good eyesight.

I want to get my health back on track. What kind of nutrients would you recommend I should look into in the area of women health supplements.

There  are plenty of supplements out there that can be of great aid to women’s health. One problem that plagues women, especially later in life, can be the dreaded . Since your body needs a steady supply of calcium, if you do not meet your body’s calcium requirements, it will begin to sap the calcium from your body’s teeth and bones, leaving them brittle and weak.

To prevent this, a calcium supplement can be of great aid. Coral calcium is one product on the market that can help prevent this ailment. Harvested from long-dead sea beds, the calcium found in coral sediments can help to pave the way for clear health.

Antioxidants are also key parts in maintaining the health of both males and females. Helping to stop the damaging effects of free-radicals (highly reactive chemicals that capture electrons and modify chemical structures), antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E may reduce the risk of cancer and muscular degeneration. Iron is also a key element that needs to be regularly consumed to help maintain the female body.

The body needs this mineral to produce red blood cells, and an iron shortage can result in anemia, a condition marked by a lack of red blood cells. Many of these simple minerals can help maintain your body’s structure and help lead you to great health. Some supplements even offer combined compounds that help to meet your daily requirements in a few of these categories.

I hope this article has helped you to learn more about your body and the things it needs to be working in its fittest form. Best of luck on your quest for nutrition!.

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