Health Supplements
In the recent times people have become extremely health-conscious. In the quest for a healthy lifestyle, they are now turning towards health supplements. Health supplements are specially made pills, powders or syrups which offer extra nourishment or medicinal benefits. If taken along with a healthy diet, these supplements can go a long way if producing excellent health effects.
Health supplements are usually made from natural ingredients, which include a plethora of herbs, vitamins, minerals, natural extracts and vegetables. Apart from being extremely effective, these supplements have minimal side effects and are apparently harmless.
Health supplements have an unending list of applications. From skin care to weight loss, anti-aging to body building, memory-loss remedies to anti-stress therapies, health supplements are available in a wide variety of strengths for different problems and age groups. Though there is much scientific evidence which testifies to the safety and effectiveness of these supplements, it is always advisable to consult a doctor before taking up any supplements.
Harnessing the qualities of herbs and integrating them with vitamins, minerals and special extracts has led to the birth of these health supplements which have, in a way, revolutionized the medicinal industry. Complete with the list of ingredients, applications and advantages, these supplements have made common people more self-sufficient as far as taking care of their health is concerned. Apart from beauty and weight-related remedies, these supplements also offer highly effective treatment options for a large number of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, stress, arthritis, high cholesterol, asthma, migraines and more.
Herbs and natural ingredients had been a part of the medicinal system of the Orient for ages. Now their reincarnation as supplements has added a whole new dimension to the medicinal industry. These supplements have been a boon for the health conscious.
Health Supplements provides detailed information on Health Supplements, Natural Health Supplements, Discount Health Supplements, Alternative Health Supplements and more. Health Supplements is affiliated with Discount Nutritional Supplements.
Sources of Vitamins When D Is What the Doctor Ordered
Getting enough Vitamin D is much typically not a huge issue for most people today, but it was just a few years ago that a lack of this vitamin was a serious health issue. As recently as the early 1900s, many children suffered from rickets, a severe malformation of legs caused by a lack of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is vital to the formation of strong bones. When both children and adults don’t get enough Vitamin D, they may have a tendency toward skeletal problems, such as osteomalacia, rickets and weak bones. This is also one of the vitamins that can help regulate growth, making it very important for children in their formative years.
You may think that milk is a natural source of Vitamin D, but milk is actually fortified with several vitamins, including Vitamin D. The practice began in direct response to the high number of rickets cases that hit the United States in the early 1900s. While milk is a good source of Vitamin D because it’s fortified with this vitamin, it’s not a natural source.
Some fish are high in Vitamin D and make excellent sources of this vitamin during a typically daily intake. Two of the more common are tuna and salmon. That means that a tuna sandwich for lunch each day can provide a significant start on the amount of Vitamin D needed to maintain healthy bones. Mackerel, sardines and cod are also sources of Vitamin D – which means those doses of cod liver oil had some serious health benefits for the pioneers who had access to few real medicines.
Eggs are another natural source of Vitamin D. You can use eggs in many ways to increase the amount of Vitamin D in your daily diet. Egg salad sandwiches are a quick “on the go” option, but boiled eggs also make a good “fast food” for breakfast or as a mid-morning snack.
Many people don’t like liver, but beef liver is a good source of Vitamin D. There are other benefits of liver, including the fact that this is an excellent natural source of iron – important if you’re trying to boost your iron or battle anemia. Unfortunately, it takes quite a large serving of beef liver to significantly increase the amount of Vitamin D in your diet.
One thing to remember is that many dairy products are fortified with Vitamin D, but are not natural sources. That means that milk, cheese and other dairy products won’t help you get the Vitamin D you need unless those products have been fortified with this important vitamin. Be sure to check the label before you assume that you’re getting the Vitamin D you need from your daily dairy consumption.
Bob Benson is the founder of Vitamins online. You can check out our website at http://www.nutritional-vitamin-supplements.info.
Three Problems of Supplements Today
1.Most of the supplements available on the market today are found to have poor bioavailability. To ensure that the body benefits from the supplement, the active ingredients of the supplements need to be absorbed into the blood stream and reach the organs so that they can do their job.
There are few
ways nutrients can get into the blood stream: injection, via the lining of the walls of upper
intestine and colon. When you consume a supplement, it reaches the stomach and active ingredients are
released. The environment of the stomach is very acidic (ph1.0-3.5). At this stage, majority of the
active ingredients are destroyed by the stomach acids. Some may not be damaged but most are almost
severely affected. As a result, only about 10% of active ingredients manage the absorption process and
enter the blood stream. Some poor quality supplements may even pass through the body with no
absorption at all!
Poor bioavailability of supplements is very common issue in supplements industry today. Unfortunately
very few companies have the know-how knowledge and technology to incorporate the delivery technology
into the supplements.
2.Many supplements are contaminated with metals, unlabeled prescription drugs, microorganisms,
or other substances. In U.S., dietary supplements are regulated by FDA (Food and Drugs Administration)
as foods. The government is not responsible for the safety and effectiveness of the supplements. It’s
the supplements manufacturers’ responsibility to ensure the effectiveness, safety, potency and
efficacy of the products. Many manufacturers took for granted. Most supplements today are produced in
less than optimal environment. As a result, the products are contaminated with leads, metals,
chemicals, bugs, and other substances.
Following are just few reported cases:
- FDA warns consumers that Actra-Rx(dietary supplements for sexual enhancement) undeclared
prescription drug ingredient. - 2 out of 21 magnesium products are found to have lead in a study conducted by independent body,
Consumerlab.com. - Several popular nutritional supplements are found to be contaminated with steroid.
3.Many supplements have false claims and inaccurate labels. Because dietary supplements are loosely regulated, there is no pressure to ensure the accuracy of the labels of the products. This means that you may be taking less, or more of the ingredients stated on the labels. In addition, there are products that promise to cure diseases and wide spectrum of health problems. Most of these claims are rather questionable, for example:
- A product called “Sea Silver” said their product have 98% bioavailability because liquid can
bypass the digestive system. As mentioned earlier, the only way for liquid to bypass the digestive
system is through injection, not drinking - Barefoot coral calcium supplements is said to be able to ‘neutralize’ the toxic acidity of
blood. The truth is, calcium supplements can only change the acidity of body fluids
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Yi Lai is editor of http://www.health-supplements101.com: How to choose the most potent supplements for your health. Contact her at http://www.health-supplements101.com/archive.htm