Are the health supplements safe?

Health supplements are now a common addition to our diet and in many situations they are the only solution to our health problems. However the Internet is simply flooded by SPAM and pop-up advertisements promising a quick relief from various illnesses if only we take (put a name here) health diet supplement and they are treated more and more like some kind of wonder pills. On the other hand, the benefits and dangers of using them are more and more discussed among physicians. The use of various supplements in bodybuilding process and the dangers of abusing them do not help.

The point is that health supplement really do work, but not for everybody and certainly they're not for every occasion.

Nutritional deficiencies
Basically dietary health supplements were originally developed to help people overcome their nutritional deficiencies. If, for any reason, an individual is unable to follow a balanced diet, health supplements help them to keep your organism intact. However in most cases when an individual eats healthy food (a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. For example), health supplements are no longer needed and taking them will have only little effect (and not always a positive one).

Bodybuilding/fitness
Another common reason of taking health supplements is bodybuilding. When we want more than to be fit, the normal diet is not enough and we need to take something more serious if we hope to keep up the unhealthily quick pace of the muscles grow. That's where the health supplements come. However as they are often taken without any medical knowledge (and they need to be taken in large quantities if they are to have a visible effect), their final effects may no longer be positive.

Conclusion
In short, health supplements are OK, but only as long as people use them for the reasons they were made for - to fight nutritional deficiencies. Bodybuilding or the general need of feeling healthy are not good reasons for taking those pills (even herbal ones). Our body is a delicate mechanism and we shouldn't tinker in it too much without a serious reason.

Are Prenatal Vitamins Really Necessary?

One of the first things that happens when a woman visits a doctor either in a visit to discuss becoming pregnant or the first visit after becoming pregnant is that she will receive a prescription for prenatal vitamins. It is such a common occurrence that most women don't give it a second thought. Vitamin supplementation is generally a debatable topic, but medical doctors agree that it is imperative for women who are pregnant. Consider the last time you had a nasty cold, for example. It is probably the case that your doctor did not prescribe that you take high doses of vitamin C as a treatment method.

Quite often, doctors are reluctant to prescribe vitamins for any health condition. So, why is it that they don't hesitate to prescribe prenatal vitamins? Quite simply, pregnancy means that a woman has to consume enough nutrients for two lives (more if multiple births are expected).

If people in general don't consume sufficient vitamins, it only makes sense that women would have a huge deficit of nutrients if they were to become pregnant. Not all prenatal vitamins are the same. While a woman will need sufficient amounts of all essential vitamins and minerals, the most important to a baby are folic acid and calcium. Folic acid is a B vitamin that is essential to prevent birth defects, especially those of the spinal cord and brain. A pregnant woman needs extra calcium so that the baby's teeth and bones can grow healthy and strong. The additional supply of calcium prevents the baby from the baby having to draw calcium from the mother's bone.

Of course, every woman has different needs. If you are a vegetarian, have a low tolerance for certain foods, or are on a restricted diet for health reasons, prenatal vitamins can provide you and your baby the nutrients you need that would otherwise not obtain. The exact vitamins you need is a determination that your doctor will make. Some women neglect to take prenatal vitamins and attempt to use a multivitamin instead. This is not a good idea since multivitamins rarely contain the additional nutrients that a woman needs when she is pregnant.

Are Liquid Supplements Right For Your Healthy Diet?

Liquid nutrition products like Ensure (tm) and Boost (tm) have been used almost exclusively in nursing homes and hoispitals, until recently. Lately we have seen nutritional companies marketing these drinks to people of all ages and all stages of health.

Liquid supplements are supposed to be the answer for busy moms running around with the kids, business people running out the door out without time for a sit-down breakfast, and older adults wanting to insure that they will be able to enjoy their grandchildren. But what do these liquid nutrion product really offer?

In general, these supplements are composed of water, sugar, milk and soy proteins, oils, vitamins, and minerals. An 8-ounce can generally has 250 calories, and the deluxe version may have as many as 355 calories. Most are lactose free, some have added fiber, and some are specifically designed for children or adults with certain health problems.

These companies are also selling supplements in the form of pudding cups and candy bar type products, with varous nutrientional content.

What nutritional need are companies trying to help consumers answer? Below are some of the reasons companies give for buying their products.

These companies ad campaigns are using fear tactics to make you worry that you are not getting proper nutrition from your ordinary meals. True, some people are consuming less than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for some nutrients, this doesn't mean they will develop a deficiency disease. If you truly feel you are not getting enough nutrients from your food, you should contact a registered dietitian or a KSU Extension Specialist in nutrition. They can help you determine your needs for additional supplements.

These “Eat on The run” Liquid supplements may be a quick way to get vitamins, minerals and protein, but there is more needed for good health! Scientists continue to discover new ingredienets in foods that provide health benefits. Consider this; the canned supplements have a severe lack of fiber and other healthy components but are really high in sugars and calories. Although this was ideal for the original intent of the products, most healthy consumers don’t want or need all the extra calories that the supplement provides.

In summary, while there is a need for liquid nutritional supplements in some medical conditions, these products are unnecessary for the average, healthy person. In addition, one must consider the cost of an 8 once can of these liquid supplements to determine if they should be included in their dietary regimen.

All about vitamin A

Vitamins are essential for good health and well being. They are defined as any group of substances required in small quantities for healthy growth and development. They cannot be manufactured in the body so they are therefore vital constituents of the diet.

There are two types of vitamins according to whether they are soluble in water or fat. Vitamin A (Retinol) is a fat soluble vitamin and this is not excreted from the body in the urine so excessive intake can have a negative effect on health. Vitamin A is present in animal origin foods eg. liver, milk and egg yolk. It is formed in the body from the pigment Beta-carotene which is present in certain vegetables eg. carrots, cabbage and lettuce.

Vitamin A has a number of roles in the body. It is necessary for normal cell division and growth. It is important for maintenance of mucous membranes of the repiratory, digestive and urinary tracts. Retinol is a pale yellow solid which dissolves easily in oil and fat and it is essential for good eye sight, particularly vision in dim light as well as having an important role in normal development of the embryo. It can be produced synthetically and therefore used to enrich margarines.

The best source of retinal is liver and a small amount 3g meets the body’s daily requirements. 700mcg per day is a sufficient amount per adult which can also be derived from the beta carotene foods eg. 2oz raw carrots.

Deficiency of Vitamin A causes stunted growth, night blindness and drying up of mucous membranes which increases the risk of infection. A continued lack of Vitamin A can lead to worsening of vision an

About Women Health Supplements

Herbal Diets Suplements. Question: I want to get my health back on track. What kind of nutrients would you recommend I should look into in the area of women health supplements?

Answer: Great question! There are plenty of supplements out there that can be of great aid to women’s health. One problem that plagues women, especially later in life, can be the dreaded osteoperosis. Since your body needs a steady supply of calcium, if you do not meet your body’s calcium requirements, it will begin to sap the calcium from your body’s teeth and bones, leaving them brittle and weak.

To prevent this, a calcium supplement can be of great aid. Coral calcium is one product on the market that can help prevent this ailment. Harvested from long-dead sea beds, the calcium found in coral sediments can help to pave the way for clear health.

Antioxidants are also key parts in maintaining the health of both males and females. Helping to stop the damaging effects of free-radicals (highly reactive chemicals that capture electrons and modify chemical structures), antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E may reduce the risk of cancer and muscular degeneration. Iron is also a key element that needs to be regularly consumed to help maintain the female body.

The body needs this mineral to produce red blood cells, and an iron shortage can result in anemia, a condition marked by a lack of red blood cells. Many of these simple minerals can help maintain your body’s structure and help lead you to great health. Some supplements even offer combined compounds that help to meet your daily requirements in a few of these categories.

I hope this article has helped you to learn more about your body and the things it needs to be working in its fittest form. Best of luck on your quest for nutrition!

About alternative health supplements

These days, there are plenty of pills out there offered by your local pharmacy to cure what ails you. But you can never be too sure that the products pushed on us by the food and drug administration are the best thing for you. A lot of these pills have side effects, and some of them are not tolerated well by certain people.

To that end, there are numerous alternative health supplements offered that can help your body get into the best shape it’s ever been. Here are the facts on some of them:

Coral calcium- This supplement is great to help your body. You probably know that your body needs calcium to maintain its bones and teeth, but most people don’t realize that you need a certain level of calcium in your bloodstream as well.

If you don’t keep replenishing this calcium, your body will begin to sap the calcium from your bones and teeth to maintain the level in your blood. This can result in bone and teeth shrinkage, and can make them brittle and cause movements to be painful. Coral calcium is a source of calcium that surpasses most of the others. Available in supplement form, coral calcium can be a great buy.

Another one of the alternative health supplements offered is fish oil. Harvested from fatty fish, this oil contains substances known as omega-3 essential fatty acids. Containing the fatty acids DHA and EPA, fish oil has been linked to memory improvement and general brain health, considering DHA is a substance that needs to maintain its presence in the brain. Also, the American Heart Association recommends that you take fish oils to help maintain heart health. It can help to decrease your risks of heart disease or cardiac arrest!

These are two of the alternative health supplements offered these days that can help lead your body to great health. Hopefully they can help you!