With thousands of dietary supplements available on the market – vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, weight loss or protein pills, kale powder, and spirulina you might end up feeling that you’re not doing enough for your health if you’re not taking at least one supplement a day. Or, a handful.
For some supplements, there is no proper scientific research that could support the claims of their supposed health benefits. Besides being pricey, some of them can be completely obsolete, or in a worst-case scenario, even harmful for your health.
Experts agree that the best way to get the nutrients you need is from the food that you consume. Dietary supplements are there to fill what your body lacks, depending on your gender, age, lifestyle, eating habits, and specific nutritional needs.
Here are some of the best food supplements that most of us can consume safely and enjoy their powerful health benefits.
Vitamin D
Our bodies need vitamin D. It’s crucial for keeping our bones strong, and achieving optimal muscular and overall health. Some studies even suggest that vitamin D plays an important role in the prevention of COVID-19 infection and mortality.
Our skin needs just 15-20 minutes of sun exposure to create the amount of vitamin D that our bodies need to function well.
However, during the winter, or if you’re spending a lot of time indoors, the odds are high that you’re not getting enough of it. Furthermore, as we now know that sun exposure and UVB lights cause skin cancer, we use sunblocks when we’re outdoors for prolonged periods to protect ourselves.
As this limits the amount of vitamin D we get from sun exposure, we need to make sure that our diet is rich in vitamin D, by eating food such as tuna, mackerel, salmon, beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese. Otherwise, you should check your vitamin D levels and consider taking supplements to correct any nutritional deficiency.
Probiotics
Probiotics are of crucial importance when it comes not only to our guts’ health but for our immune system and our overall wellbeing as well.
They are, in fact, living microorganisms that we ingest by consuming fermented food that naturally contains probiotics, or has probiotics added to them. A diet rich with probiotics includes kefir, yogurt, pickles, sauerkraut, kombucha, and some types of cheese.
However, if you’re not too keen on consuming fermented food, taking a daily probiotic supplement may be the easiest way to help your digestive tract and keep your immune system strong.
Especially if you’ve been taking antibiotics, probiotics are needed to regain the balance in your organism.
It’s important to know that there are different strains of probiotics. Some strains support your immune system, others your digestion, and there are even types of probiotics that can help you balance your hormones or lose weight. To learn more about various probiotic uses, check out Health Matters store.
Magnesium
Magnesium is highly beneficial for our bodies, as more than 300 of our bodily functions depend on it. It’s a key player in hormone secretion, normal heart rhythm, blood pressure regulation, and bone formation. It also plays a vital role in managing stress levels, and it is also great to take in the evening for a good night’s sleep.
Magnesium is widely available in our diets as it’s found in a lot of foods — from dairy to bananas, nuts and seeds, and potatoes. Although it’s always best to get magnesium from foods, you can also get it from a supplement and ensure that your body works right.
Fish Oil
Most of us don’t get enough omega 3 fatty acids from our diet, which is necessary for a healthy heart and brain, as well as for decreasing the inflammation in our bodies.
As we can not produce these acids ourselves, it’s necessary to consume them, whether by our diet or by supplements.
Omega-3 fatty acids are mostly found in oily fish, such as herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, and tuna. It is also found in nuts and seeds, for example in flaxseed and flaxseed oil. If your diet is poor with these foods, taking a fish oil pill or another omega 3 fatty acid supplement may be beneficial for your health.
As a supplement, fish oil is most often used for reducing triglyceride levels, treating heart and blood system conditions, kidney problems, as well as being brain food.
To get the most health benefits, it’s always best to consult with your doctor before taking any supplements. Some of the supplements may even change the way that the medicines you’re already taking work, so it’s essential to follow your doctor’s recommendations.
