Top Supplements/Ingredients Even Experts Use And Why

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.

Turmeric

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.

• It turns out that curcumin is strongly anti-inflammatory, it is so powerful that it matches the effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs (Source). In several studies, its potency has compared favorably to anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical drugs, except without the side effects (Source; Source).

Magnesium

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.

• Some experts believe the low magnesium content of modern food may be the cause of many cases of depression and mental illness (Source).

You are also at an increased risk of diabetes if you are not getting enough magnesium. For instance:

• Research suggests that people with a low magnesium intake have a higher risk of developing diabetes (Source, Source).

Your requirement for magnesium increases depending on your activity level. For instance:

• During exercise, you may actually need 10–20% more magnesium than when you’re resting, depending on the activity (Source).

Almonds, edamame, quinoa, spinach, and dark leafy veggies are some great sources of magnesium. You may even benefit from a high quality magnesium supplement.

Protein

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:

• A large review study found that high doses of whey protein supplements significantly reduced C-reactive protein (CRP), a key marker of inflammation in the body (Source).

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.

Vitamin D

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.

Probiotic

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.

• A recent study we conducted showed that taking a probiotic in the evening with food, over 12 weeks of exercise training, reduced gastrointestinal problems in novice triathletes.

Similarly, many other studies have confirmed that probiotics are good for people recovering from illnesses. For instance:

• A 2014 review by Cochrane—an independent network of experts who serve as rigorous arbiters of medical research—found that probiotics may be particularly useful in a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. The addition of beneficial bacteria to a nutritional regimen seems to significantly reduce the likelihood of developing necrotizing enterocolitis, which is a devastating, poorly understood and often fatal gut disease that primarily afflicts preterm infants—especially the smallest and most premature among them.

Prebiotic

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.

Omega 3

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.

• Interestingly, getting enough omega-3 has been linked to a reduced risk of macular degeneration, one of the world’s leading causes of permanent eye damage and blindness (Source, Source).

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:

• Several studies have found that children with ADHD have lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, compared to their healthy peers (Source, Source).

Those who are suffering from obesity may benefit from omega3 supplementation because it controls insulin resistance. For instance:

• Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce insulin resistance and inflammation, and improve heart disease risk factors in people with metabolic syndrome (Source, Source).

A Thing to Keep in Mind

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.

• “As dietitians who focus on wholefoods for optimal nutrition and wellbeing, vitamins and micronutrient supplementation are not generally our initial recommendation,” An expert told The Huffington Post Australia.

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.

When Should You Consider Taking Supplements?

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:

• You may want to include a multivitamin supplement in your routine if you are pregnant or trying to conceive. You really need to increase your intake of folate because it lowers risk of neural tube defects.
• You may have to take supplements when you are on a strict vegan diet. You may not be getting important nutrients that come from animal and dairy products – you do not get enough vitamin B12 and iron when your diet includes vegetables alone. Supplements may help bridge the nutritional gap in this case.
• You may have to take supplements when you are suffering from an autoimmune disease, such as cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, or coeliac disease. Supplements, in this case, may help correct nutrient deficiencies.
• You may want to take probiotics or prebiotic supplements after completing a course of antibiotics because these drugs can directly affect the number of healthy bacteria in the gut.

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.

About the Author: Sarah Taylor

One of the smartest people we have ever met; whenever we have a question, Sarah usually knows the answer. This is especially true of anything biology- or chemistry-related.

Sarah has a book collection that could give most libraries a run for their money and a love of tea that fits the typical English stereotype.