Nutritional Health Supplements Guide

Everything You Need to Know about Healthy Nutritional Supplements

Safe and Dangerous Weight Loss Supplements

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Weight loss supplements can be dieter’s friend or foe. When used properly, they can greatly aid in your weight loss goals. Not all health supplements available on the market are safe to consume. The reason for this is because weight loss supplements are poorly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Thermogenic herbs are used as weight loss supplements because they increase the blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and the overall athletic performance of a person. The most dangerous is probably ephedra. Ephedra has long been used by the Chinese as a cure for respiratory ailments. In the 80’s it was even used as a weight loss supplement. The FDA has banned this drug since 2006 for its’ links to hypertension, heart attacks and strokes. As a weight loss supplement it was effective for only a few months, the weight lost by the user would eventually return, causing rebound weight gain. (more…)

How to Use Manuka Honey as an Eczema Home Remedy

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

Eczema is a persistent skin condition involving the inflammation of the skin’s outer layer.  Characterized by extreme dryness of the skin, redness, cracking, scaling and weeping sores, this aggravating disease affects both children and adults alike.  Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet cure for eczema that will work for everyone.  Conventional treatments such as corticosteroid and antihistamine creams are limited in their effectiveness and may produce undesirable side effects.  However, there are natural remedies for eczema that work very well–one being the use of manuka honey.

Manuka honey is a sweet treat that hails from the Manuka tree in New Zealand.  This particular honey is known to scientists for its exceptionally powerful healing properties by renewing damaged skin cells, and eliminating dryness and itching.  Manuka honey also contains antibacterial properties, which help to prevent and combat infection when the skin barrier has been compromised. (more…)

10 Habits for Healthy Living

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

In today’s world many people have medical problems that are contributed to by lifestyle. It may be diabetes, obesity, heart problem, damaged eyesight (from staring too long at computer screens) or any other kind of problem that is related to our health.

Our diet has a lot to do with many of these issues, especially when we are not taking care of our body and what we put into it. The food that we are eating does not contain all the essential nutrients that are required by the body for working properly because we live on processed food, or we are simply eating too much of it.  While health supplements can be an important addition to our diets, we must remember that supplements alone cannot give us all of the nutrients and vitamins we need.

Further to that, many people do not follow any kind of exercise routine at all. All these things lead to poor health.

Here are some of the good habits that should be followed for getting good health.

1. We should eat a diet that is low in fat content. It greatly helps in reducing the fat and diabetes and all other kind of problems that are related with these diseases.

2. We should make it a point to follow some kind of exercise routine daily in our life. Many kinds of health problems can be avoided by increasing our activity level.

3. We should listen to what our body is saying to us and if it does not want to eat then we should avoid eating just for the sake of taste.

4. We should avoid taking stimulants such as caffeine and cacao etc.

5. We should include fresh fruits and vegetables in our diet. These are very good for good health. We need to eat more lean and green meals.

6. We should take good care of our dental health.

7. We should drink lots of water during the day.

8. We should keep our body alkaline. We should eat alkaline foods 90% of time.

9. We should take good care of our sleep also. Our body requires proper rest.

10. We should try to include some blended green vegetables in our diet.

Supplements for Better Sleep

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Are you one of the millions of people around the world suffering from insomnia or some other sleep disorder?  If you are, then you already know how stressful, exhausting, and miserable suffering from a sleep disorder can be.  Many people suffering from insomnia turn to medications and sedatives to put them to sleep.  However, these drugs can cause dependence and induce a sleep that leaves you unrested.

However, many people today are finding great success using natural supplements and vitamins to help them sleep.  Which health supplements are best for you will obviously depend on what type of sleep disorder you are suffering from, but here area  few supplements and natural remedies that you may wish to further research.

Melatonin is a supplement that many are now using to help regulate their circadian rhythm, or internal body clock.  Your circadian rhythm dictates when you naturally are more alert and when you are more sleepy.  Optimal sleep can only occur when it is in concert with your circadian rhtyhm, so disruptions in the rhythm cause trouble in sleep patterns.  Melatonin is available in most vitamin and health supplement stores.

Chamomile or “camomile,” generally coming in the form of herbal teas, is a very healthy sleep aid.  Because it comes in the form of an herbal tea, you also get the benefit of numerous antioxidants.  Camomile acts as a sedative and is thought to help you relax, unwind, and fall into efficient sleep if taken near bedtime.

There are numerous other natural aids that may help some people find better sleep.  However, if you have difficulty sleeping, it is important to see your doctor first.  You should also alert your doctor about any supplements that you are taking, because many supplements can have harmful or even deadly interactions with certain drugs and medications.  

If you suffer from sleep apnea, you should check out these sleep apnea treatments.

Why We Need to Take Health Supplements: Video

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

Many people wonder if we really even need to take nutritional supplements, or if they are simply a waste of money.  Here is a great video of a pharmacist explaining exactly why we need nutritional supplements for our health and well being.

What Nutritional Supplements I Personally Take

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

Here at the Nutritional Health Supplements Guide, we will be adding a regular feature where a guest, usually a doctor or some other form of nutritional supplement expert, will share what supplements they take for health, nutrition, or other reasons.  The guest will explain which dietary supplements they take and why in detail.  Today, we have the pleasure of hearing from Dr. Billy.  Dr. Billy is a general practice physician in North Carolina, and is a self described health and nutritional supplement enthusiast. 

Hello all, Dr. Billy here.  Thanks for having me here at the Nutritional Health Supplements Guide.  I do firmly believe that nutritional supplements can be very useful in helping many of us maintain our health and fight off disease.  With that said, I also believe that there is a lot of empty marketing hype involving some supplements.  Today, I’m going to share with you all some of the supplements that I take for my personal health and that I believe are very useful, healthy, and well worth the money. 

  1. A Multi-Vitamin Supplement.  I believe that nearly everyone should be taking a daily vitamin supplement.  While we get many essential vitamins and nutrients from what we eat, most of us do not get adequate amounts of these vitamins every day.  Understand that taking a vitamin is not a replacement for a good diet, but that it can help you bridge the gap.  Nearly everyone should take their vitamins every day!
  2. Whey Protein.  No, I’m not some bodybuilder.  But I do workout regularly and maintain an active lifestyle.  Protein is crucial to building lean muscle, which in turn can help you burn off body fat and become a leaner, healthier person.  You don’t have to be a bodybuilder trying to pack on bulk to benefit from protein.  Even if you are trying to lose weight, a protein supplement may be of help to you if you take the proper amounts in accordance with your diet. 
  3. Creatine.  Like I said, I’m no bodybuilder, but I do take creatine supplements because I do try to keep a muscular build.  I do not take creatine constantly, but I cycle on and off of it.  However, I do not recommend creatine supplements to patients.  With creatine, you have to be careful about dosage, how long you take it, and you have to absolutely drink adequate amounts of water.  I hesitate to even put this on the list because I don’t like to recommend it, but I was asked to list what nutritional health supplements I personally take, so here it is.
  4. Omega 3 Fish Oil Supplements.  That’s right, I’m on the fish oil bandwagon.  More and more studies are showing the importance of omega 3 fatty acids and the numerous health benefits they have.  They are crucial to heart and cardiovascular health if nothing else, and that is the main reason I take omega 3 supplements.  I also recommend these to most of my adult patients. 
  5. Ginseng.  Ginseng is purported to increase energy, perhaps prevent cancer, and has been used to boost libido since ancient times.  Studies have proven ginseng to be effective regarding many of these claims (although it has yet to be proven to prevent cancer in humans).  How could I not add ginseng to pill popping routines?  

So there you have it, the 5 nutritional supplements that ol’ Dr. Billy takes.  And other than creatine, these are taken daily.  If asked for my professional opinion, I would probably recommend that nearly everyone take a vitamin supplement and that all active, regular excercisers (of at least moderate intensity) supplement with a protein shake.  For those at risk for heart or cardiovascular trouble, I would recommend the omega 3 fish oil supplements along with a strict, healthy diet.    I do take other health supplements on occasion, but these are my top 5, regularly taken nutritional supplements.

Nutritional Supplements For Healthy Brainpower

Monday, January 21st, 2008

Among the many benefits people seek from taking various nutritional health supplements, increasing or maintaining memory and cognitive function (i.e. “brainpower”) is one of the most sought after reasons for taking nutritional supplements.  Nearly all of us would like to increase our memories and mental abilities, so let’s take a look at which health supplements are touted as food for the brain. 

  • Antioxidants, especially Vitamin C and Beta Carotene.  Antioxidants protect cells throughout your entire body from oxidative stress and free radical damage.  Basically, this means that antioxidants protect your cells from premature damage and death, including those all important brain cells.  A natural antioxidant supplement may help protect your brain and, consequently, your memory and cognitive ability. 
  • B Vitamins.  While it is generally a good idea to take a good multi vitamin supplement for your general health, your B Vitamins, particularly B6, folic acid, and choline, have a significant impact on your mental ability and memory.  Some studies even show that choline may be helpful in preventing memory loss to due the natural aging process.  If you are not getting these important B Vitamins with your multi-vitamin, you may want to make sure you get them from a seperate nutritional health supplement.
  • Omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega 3 fatty acids are the trendy supplements today.  They are attributed with a wide variety of benefits, especially with cardiovascular benefits and preventing heart and stroke problems.  Omega 3′s also have been shown to boost mental abilities and cognitive function, perhaps through its cardiovascular role and improving bloodflow to the brain.  Omega 3′s are most commonly found in fish.  Since it is difficult for many people to get adequate omega 3′s from diet alone, many people turn to omega 3 supplements or fish oil supplements.

While many brain boosting nutrients are found naturally in the diet, very few people are able to get adequate amounts of these nutrients naturally.  If you are looking to boost your brainpower, taking nutritional health supplements with these nutrients would be a smart bet. 

Do You Need Natural Health Supplements?

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

Do you sometimes wonder if you can really benefit from taking nutritional health supplements?  Many people wonder if they really do need a nutritional supplement, or if their regular diets adequately cover their health and nutritional needs.  Admittedly, I used to fall in this camp:  I thought that since I consumed a reasonably healthy diet and got a decent amount of exercise, health supplements would  simply be a waste of my money.  However, I have since come to see the error of my ways.  The fact is, there is a large and growing body of research that shows that nearly everyone could benefit significantly from taking natural health supplements.

Supplement Your Diet

In today’s hectic, fast paced culture, very few people are able to consistently eat a well varied, healthy diet that consists of proper portions from all of the different food groups.  In fact, you would probably have trouble naming even one person in your life who is able to even come close to sticking to such a diet.  Without consistently eating such a healthy diet, we are already shortchanging ourselves from getting the essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants we need for a healthy lifestyle.

To make matters worse, many of the foods we do eat today are highly processed.  While we love these foods for the convenience factor, particularly with our on the go lifestyles, these highly processed foods are generally stripped of most of their nutrients and have many harmful additives and preservatives added to them.  This gives us all the more reason to supplement our diets with natural, healthy nutritional supplements.

Nutritional Health Supplements for Stress and Disease

Even if you manage to eat a healthy, well varied and well balanced diet, you still may possibly need a nutritional supplement to maintain your good health.  If you suffer from certain conditions such as high cholesterol, asthma, diabetes, or high blood pressure, or if you are at risk for any of theses conditions, then a nutritional supplement may be crucial to your health.  Also, if you suffer from stress (and who doesn’t?), you may need to take a health supplement.

Finally, even if you eat a perfect diet and are disease and stress free, you may still want to consider taking a nutritional health supplement.  Why, you ask?  Chances are that if you do take the time and effort to eat a perfect diet and to perfect stress management in your life, then you probably also exercise regularly as well.  People who exercise, whether aerobically or through weight training or bodybuilding, need excess vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to replenish and rebuild their bodies after workouts.

Nutritional Supplements Help You Maintain Health

If you have read through this article then, chances are, you realize that you could benefit from taking nutritional health supplements.  If you feel that none of the above reasons apply to you then congratulations:  you are the healthiest and luckiest person in the entire world!  However, nutritional health supplements can help most people to maintain health, prevent disease, build a healthier body (more muscle and/or less fat), recharge the mind, boost energy, and even slow the signs of aging.  In my mind the choice is clear: I’m regularly taking natural  health supplements.

Omega 3 Fish Oil Supplements

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

One of the hottest selling nutritional health supplements today are fish oil supplements, which are also known as omega 3 supplements.  But why is everyone going crazy about fish oil and omega 3 fatty acids?  Well there is a whole laundry list of reasons why.  However, this much is definitely clear:  if you are not currently taking fish oil capsules, you need to get on board and pick up some omega 3 nutritional supplements right now!

While the popularity of health supplements in general continues to grow, the sales of fish oil supplements is exploding at an even faster pace.  Fish oil supplements are important because they contain omega 3 fatty acids, a type of fat that has all kinds of great benefits for your health.  Recent research has uncovered several possible benefits of omega 3′s, accounting for the popularity of these nutritional health supplements.

Benefits of Omega 3 Fish Oil

Omega 3 fatty acids are actually a type of fat that is necessary for your survival.  However, most of our diets include very little omega 3 fats, and way too much other types of fat (omega 6′s, etc.).  Recent research has shown that supplementing your regular diet with fish oil capsules can lead to some of the following health benefits:

  • Lower Cholesterol.  Omega 3′s work to lower your “bad” cholesterol.  If you don’t know what this means for your health, let me just say this.  A healthier cholesterol basically means much less chance of stroke, heart attack, heart disease, hypertension or high blood pressure, and a much longer, healthier life!
  • Less Inflammation. Omega 3 nutritional health supplements act as anti-inflammatories.  This means less pain and can help fight inflammation related disorders such as rhumetoid arthritis.  Reduced inflammation also promotes circulatory, or vascular, health.
  • Better Mental Health. Fish oil has been shown to help alleviate symptoms of depression and to boost overall mood in many studies.  Another possible benefit uncovered by research is more focus and mental energy.
  • Prevent Cancer. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to help prevent several types of cancer.

The evidence is clear: omega 3 nutritional supplements can help you feel much better and lead a much healthier life.  If you are not already, you should start supplementing your diet with omega 3 fish oil as soon as possible.  Fish oil capsules are definitely a do it all, essential nutritional health supplement.

Vitamin Supplements for Nutritional Health

Friday, December 28th, 2007

Vitamins are essential nutrients for all living organisms.  Most vitamins, however, cannot be produced naturally in the body in sufficient quantities and, therefore, must be obtained in the diet.  Still, most people do not ingest the recommended amounts of vitamins in their regular diet.  For these people, nutritional health supplements are an important and vital source of vitamins.  Humans require a total of thirteen different vitamins.  Vitamins A, D, E, and K are all fat soluble, meaning they are absorbed in the intestinal track with the help of fatty acids or lipids.  Vitamin C and the entire group of B Vitamins are water soluble:  they are easily dissolved in water.  

A long term shortage in your vitamin intake can result in malnourishment, disease, and death.  A chronic vitamin deficiency in the body can often lead to avitaminosis, which is any disease caused by a long term vitamin deficiency.  For example, up until 1749, many sailors suffered from a disease known as scurvy while they were away at sea.  The condition caused bleeding, severe pain, and death, and the cause was unknown.  Finally, in 1749, it was discovered that eating citrus fruits would prevent the disease entirely.  Scurvy was simply the result of a Vitamin C deficiency.  With some vitamins, there is also the danger of an overdose.  If you are taking several different vitamin supplements, you should be sure to make sure you are not taking too much of any one vitamin. 

Taking vitamin and multivitamin supplements is a great way to maintain or improve your health and nutrition.  Still, it is important to choose your supplements very carefully.  However, it is also important to understand that a multivitamin alone is not the answer.  Nutritional health supplements should be included as part of a well balanced, healthy diet to each maximum benefit for your health.