With changing lifestyles, human living conditions, and contamination in food products, the intake of nutrients only from food has become quite impossible. This has increased the demand and need for supplements in the market. Dietary supplements obtain the necessary daily intake of vitamins and minerals needed by a healthy body. Of course, it’s best to maintain these through a balanced diet, but dietary supplements can boost their level in the body. Taking supplements has also become an innovative and effective way to treat illness naturally by giving bodies the nutrients to function correctly. Vitamins play a significant role in breaking down significant nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to support the body’s functioning.
But knowing which supplements to take each day is not an easy task. But with so many supplements options in the market, it is a hidden spinning task to find the ones worth taking. In addition, every product has significant label claims, but it is essential to understand many things before selecting any supplement.
Contents
Why Supplements?
Most healthy people don’t require it. However, some people may need an additional boost in the level of vitamins in the body. Some of the most common reasons are mentioned below:
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- Pregnancy
- Young children. Infants and children may need help with vitamin D and iron intake.
- A restricted or unhealthy diet. Some nutrients, such as vitamin B12 and calcium, are challenging to obtain if certain foods are omitted.
- Old age. As age increases, the body absorbs less vitamin D and B12. From middle age, taking additional steps is necessary.
- Specific genetic or health condition: It may be not easy to absorb nutrients due to-
- Celiac disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Liver disease
- Cancer
- Autoimmune diseases (pernicious anemia, etc.)
- Alcoholism
- Mutations in certain genes
- Dark skin (may have less absorption of vitamin D)
Cranberry Supplement
UTIs are common clinical bacterial infections in females, and about 50-60% of females develop this infection at some point in their lives. However, keeping the urinary tract healthy with cranberries is not just an old story. These berries contain natural compounds that prevent harmful bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract walls and prevent infection (and the associated pain).
It is recommended and proven by data that women with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) should take 500 milligrams of cranberry supplements daily. Taking a cranberry supplement that also contains D-Mannose, a natural sugar, reduces UTI risk.
Multivitamin
In the utopian world, getting all nutrients required by the human body through food can be possible. But in today’s society, where most of the food is processed, contaminated, or preserved through chemicals, getting many essential nutrients is impossible. Which makes it’s so important to get good quality and quantity of multivitamins every day, which you can do by adding supplements to the daily diet. Look for those containing vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin B1, B2, B6, and B12. This helps strengthen the immune system and gives more energy during the day.
Probiotics
Bacteria may seem bad, but probiotics are good, especially in the gut. Unfortunately, with all the antibacterial soaps, detergents, and antibiotics exposed to, the digestive tract often does not acquire the good bacteria to balance.
Probiotics are living microorganisms that can promote intestinal health, boost the immune system, improve digestion, reduce the risk of getting a cold or the flu, and treat irritable bowel disease.
So consume probiotics by consuming yogurt and kefir or adding probiotic supplements to your diet.
Turmeric/Curcumin
When it comes to fighting inflammation, nothing is as good as turmeric. This common yellow spice contains curcumin, a phytochemical that can even fight cancer by reducing inflammation, leading to diseases like stroke, heart disease, diabetes, chronic fatigue, and headaches.
Adding this supplement to the diet helps in relieving joint pain and arthritis.
Vitamin D3
With the changing lifestyle, especially indoor lifestyle and absence of physical activities, the application of SPF sunscreen has increased, making it more essential for the body to make more vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced on the skin when exposed to the sun. However, the current lifestyle prevents the human body from producing enough to meet needs, and as a result, deficiency of this vital nutrient has increased over time.
People worldwide have vitamin D deficiency and low levels of this nutrient increase the risk of depression, osteoporosis, and infections. Therefore, taking vitamin D supplements is a good idea to help maintain healthy levels, especially if you don’t get sufficient sun.
Do not take large doses of this vitamin without the supervision of a doctor. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin so that the body won’t get rid of the excess.
Lutein And Zeaxanthin
Protecting eyes from the harmful blue light emitted by the sun and phone screens is necessary, especially in this digital era. Consuming specific carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin can work for the eyes. These carotenoids gather behind the eyes and act essentially as a filter, protecting the center of vision from damage.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are in certain colored fruits and vegetables. These carotenoids are also in colorful foods such as egg yolks and pistachios. These can be boosted in bodies through supplements. And taking it daily will help in maintaining healthy eyes.
Calcium And Magnesium
These two minerals are essential for the human body, especially bone and heart health. Unfortunately, people worldwide lack these two nutrients in their diet. Taking supplements of these can be helpful for overall health benefits. For example, taking magnesium in the evening has a sedative effect and helps get a restful sleep before bed.
Conclusion
Dietary supplements are a way to bridge the nutritional gaps created by an unbalanced diet. But supplements can be harmful to health also. Some supplements can be detrimental to health, ineffective, or destructive if not used correctly. Therefore, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor before taking any supplements to take the right supplement at the correct dose.
