Supplements may help fill nutritional gaps, but should never replace meals. They may cause side effects and interact with certain medications.
Dietitians typically recommend getting your nutrients from whole foods — such as vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy products and nuts — which provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and other vital elements your body requires for good health.
Vitamins
Vitamins are natural substances with multiple functions. They are found in food sources from both animals and plants, but can also be extracted and used as supplements.
Multivitamins are one of the most frequently taken supplements among Americans; nearly half take multivitamins regularly. Unfortunately, research does not demonstrate their efficacy at lowering risk factors such as heart disease or cancer or any other serious medical problems.
Diet is always the ideal source of vitamins, but some individuals do not consume enough food containing essential nutrients. Furthermore, certain conditions – such as an intolerance to certain foods or a restrictive diet – may make supplementing beneficial.
Women planning or expecting pregnancy should take prenatal vitamins containing folic acid in order to help prevent neural tube defects, although most can meet their nutritional requirements through eating whole foods alone. Speak with your healthcare professional regarding what supplements would best meet your needs.
Minerals
Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic substances with highly ordered atomic structures. These naturally occurring inorganic substances have unique chemical composition, crystal form and physical characteristics such as hardness, luster and streak. Minerals can be divided into two categories; macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals such as calcium phosphorus magnesium potassium sodium chloride chloride need to be consumed daily while trace minerals require significantly smaller amounts (less than 100 milligrams daily). Trace minerals include iron iodine zinc manganese fluoride selenium and copper – macrominerals must also be included within our daily intake regimen of macrominerals in order to remain healthy.
Diet is an effective way of providing all the minerals you require. A variety of foods contain these essential minerals; iron can be found in red meat, poultry and fish as well as legumes, whole grains and fortified cereals; potassium can be found in bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, raisins and spinach while magnesium is most often found in nuts, seeds, avocados dark leafy vegetables and whole grains; while iodine can be found in seafood dairy products and iodized salt; therefore consuming an appropriate diet will give you all of what your body requires!
Amino Acids
Amino acids are organic compounds used as the building blocks of proteins. Since our bodies can’t produce amino acids on their own, they must be acquired through diet alone. There are 20 amino acids in total with nine essential ones (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine phenylalanine threonine tryptophan and valine). They’re used to form long polypeptide chains and thus compose protein structures.
Amino acid supplements may provide numerous health advantages. They may help elevate mood, promote muscle growth and assist with protein synthesis and cell repair processes. Furthermore, amino acid supplements can support an active immune system, regulate blood sugar levels and facilitate wound healing.
Valine, isoleucine and leucine are three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) which play a critical role in protein synthesis and energy production in cells. As such they help prevent muscle damage during exercise while increasing endurance. Furthermore they are essential to immune function, producing proteins such as haemoglobin production as well as aiding neurotransmitter production such as serotonin and dopamine synthesis.
Herbs
Herbs are an incredible way to add flavor, colour and health-promoting properties to food. Most herbs possess delicate fragrances and should be added at the very end of cooking to retain all their beneficial health properties.
Garlic is a beloved herb known for helping reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels associated with atherosclerosis, while simultaneously helping reduce blood pressure. Additionally, garlic helps alleviate arthritis symptoms.
Passionflower can help promote feelings of relaxation by activating GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) pathways.
Herbal products (also known as botanical products) come in the form of tablets, capsules, powders, teas or dried herbs and do not undergo rigorous clinical tests like prescription and OTC medicines; in fact, some interactions may arise when taken alongside them.
