Search the internet or flick through social media and you will find countless supplements packed with ‘magical’ ingredients to manage stress, improve sleep quality, gain muscle, and even lose tons of fat. Unfortunately, losing weight or getting rid of piled up stress is not as simple as popping a pill every day.
So many of those so-called magic pills are simply gimmicks, but interestingly, some of them are effective, especially when they contain ingredients that even experts use. If you want to use a supplement, be sure to check the availability of the following ingredients.
An important part of South Asian cooking, turmeric adds an earthy warmth to your dishes. Interestingly, it offers such amazing health benefits that even experts have it in their diet. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties and works great to help wounds heal. It contains a substance called curcumin that helps to protect against diseases like cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, dementia, and even some types of cancer.
Important for many enzymatic bodily reactions, including synthesis of fatty acids, metabolizing food, and transmission of nerve impulses, magnesium works amazingly well to help you manage stress in a much better way. By managing stress better, you will be able to sleep better. Improved sleep quality offers a number of health benefits and lowers your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and more.
You are also at an increased risk of diabetes if you are not getting enough magnesium. For instance:
Your requirement for magnesium increases depending on your activity level. For instance:
Almonds, edamame, quinoa, spinach, and dark leafy veggies are some great sources of magnesium. You may even benefit from a high quality magnesium supplement.
Since protein is available in meat and plant-based foods, you usually get enough from your diet. You may benefit from a protein supplement if you are a physically active person. Athletes who follow an intense training program need to increase their intake of protein. Not only does it help you gain muscle, it suppresses appetite and helps you lose weight in a more efficient way. Your body takes longer to process protein, so you are less likely to deal with hunger pangs after eating a protein-rich meal. It also boosts your metabolism that helps with weight loss.
Eating the right amount of protein may also protect against chronic diseases caused by inflammation. For instance:
Again, it is better to get your protein from dietary sources, but experts believe that it is a good idea to include a protein supplement in your diet to gain and preserve muscle mass.
You may develop a vitamin D deficiency if you spend a lot of time inside or live in a cold country – your body needs sunlight to synthesize vitamin D. Many experts take and recommend vitamin D supplements because contrary to popular belief, it is not just a vitamin for healthy bones but it is equally beneficial for your immune system and muscle function. By preventing its deficiency, you can prevent and manage depression in a much better way.
Even experts believe that probiotic supplements have some benefits. Maintaining the right amount of healthy bacteria in your gut ensures good mental and physical health. Poor diet, excessive intake of antibiotics, and chronic stress can disrupt the balance of bacterial species.
You can get healthy bacteria from foods like kefir, yogurt, and kombucha. However, you can also include a probiotic supplement in your diet to get good results.
Similarly, many other studies have confirmed that probiotics are good for people recovering from illnesses. For instance:
Just like probiotics, experts believe that there is always a place for a prebiotic supplement in your diet.
Prebiotics are essentially non-digestible carbs that promote the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria. Some supplements provide you with certain types of fiber that feed healthy bacteria in your gut, and lowers your risk of developing health issues, including metabolic syndrome. It lowers inflammation and improves allergy and eczema symptoms.
Fish oil has always been a popular supplement among experts. It is beneficial because it provides you with long chain omega 3 fatty acids. You will find several studies suggesting that omega 3 fatty acids are good for your brain and heart.
Since your body cannot produce these fatty acids, you need to get them from dietary sources or you need to take an omega3 supplement. Interestingly, omega 3 supplements may be beneficial for children as well. For instance:
Those who are suffering from obesity may benefit from omega3 supplementation because it controls insulin resistance. For instance:
While supplements certainly help, there is nothing compared to a balanced diet.
Instead of looking for certain ingredients in supplements, you can also look to avail those ingredients through dietary sources.
According to accredited practicing dietitians from The Biting Truth, the first and best way to get nutrients is from your food.
The best way to get vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients is to eat a well-balanced diet because you get vitamins in the most biologically available form when you opt for raw food. The presence of many complimentary nutrients is another reason why your body can process vitamins and minerals better when obtained from dietary sources. When you eat a piece of fresh fruit, you do not just get important vitamins, but you also get phytochemicals, antioxidants, fiber, and many other nutrients as well.
The thing you need to understand is that you usually do not need any supplements when you are generally healthy – you just need to pay more attention to your diet and that is enough. On the other hand, you will not experience any health benefits if you are eating a poor diet, smoking, and drinking, and think that everything will be fine if you start taking a supplement. When you want to take vitamin supplements, you have to ensure that you are not taking more than your daily requirement.
You may consider taking supplements when food alone may not be enough to meet your nutrient needs. Here are some situations when even experts recommend taking supplements:
Other than these situations, you may want to include a supplement in your diet if you are training hard or have limited food options available. You may benefit from supplements when you feel fatigued all the time. If you really have to take supplements, ensure that you begin with the low dosage recommendations.
At the same time, ensure that the supplement you are going to select is free of any artificial colors, fillers, and other unnecessary ingredients. And even when you are taking supplements, be sure to continue eating real food.
Disclaimer: Our reviews and investigations are based on extensive research from the information publicly available to us and consumers at the time of first publishing the post. Information is based on our personal opinion and whilst we endeavour to ensure information is up-to-date, manufacturers do from time to time change their products and future research may disagree with our findings. If you feel any of the information is inaccurate, please contact us and we will review the information provided.
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