Tips For Choosing Supplements

Most people in the United States take one or more supplements either regularly or occasionally. Dietary supplements come in forms of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, herbal products, and many others. The preparation can be a tablets, capsules, soft gels, powders, and liquid. Because there are so many varieties out there, choosing the right kind of supplement may be challenging. Here are a few basic tips to consider before you decided to start consuming one.

Do some preliminary background check

Research the benefits and possible side effects of the particular compound you’re planning to take. Always consult a health care professional beforehand. Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not drugs and, therefore, are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases. Do not believe whatever claims the manufacturer made before doing some research of your own. Some supplements promise to help make us thinner, smarter, stronger or faster without making any other changes in lifestyle. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Consider the effectiveness of the supplement

Find out how much you need to consume in order to bring out the health benefits for your body without risking the side effects. Many popular products include ingredients in miniscule quantities, just so a much-publicized ingredient can be listed on the label, or vice versa, they include a very high amount of a particular ingredient while in reality our body only needs a minuscule amount. A good, but not perfect guide is to look up the recommended daily allowances (RDA) of that product. However, keep in mind that a product’s chemical formulation and how it is prepared affect how our body is able to take in the ingredients. This is called bioavailability. A high-dosed product, but low bioavailability is not very effective.

Soft capsules generally have a better bioavailabilty than traditional tablets.

Be aware of safety and risk issues

The term ‘natural’ doesn't always mean safe. Many supplements contain active ingredients that can have strong effects in the body. Always be alert to the possibility of unexpected side effects, especially when taking a new product. Dietary supplements can also interact with certain prescription drugs in ways that might cause problems. Watch out for other catch phrases like ‘clinically tested/proven’ and ‘pharmaceutical strength’. Unlike drugs, which must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed, dietary supplements do not require premarket review or approval by the FDA and the manufacturers do not have to provide any evidence about the claims they made before the product is marketed.

Look for quality assurance

Since the quality of nutritional supplements can vary widely, one strategy is to choose an established brand name, or one that's recommended by a health professional. Not every product uses high quality raw materials, or is manufactured according to accepted good manufacturing practices. Besides the FDA, several independent organizations like U.S. Pharmacopeia, ConsumerLab.com, and NSF International offer quality testing and allow products that pass these tests to display their seals of approval. These seals of approval provide assurance that the product was properly manufactured, contains the ingredients listed on the label, and does not contain harmful levels of contaminants.

The Benefits of Antioxidants

What is an antioxidant?

Antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules, preventing the production of free radicals. Free radicals are produced when our body breaks down food, or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. They can start a chain reaction that eventually damage cells, and may play a role in the aging process, development of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other degenerative diseases.

What are the sources of antioxidants?

Plants and animals can produce its own antioxidants or obtain them from food. Examples of antioxidants are gluthatione, beta-carotene, flavonoids, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, lutein, lycopene, coenzyme Q10, and enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidases. Antioxidant are also available as food supplements, but these synthetic forms may not have the same effects on the body as antioxidants that occur naturally in foods.

Listed below are a few examples of antioxidants and their natural sources:

• Beta-carotene is found in colorful fruits and vegetables such as carrots, peas, cantaloupe, apricots, papayas, mangoes, peaches, pumpkin, apricots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and squash. It can also be found in some leafy green vegetables, including beet greens, spinach and kale.
• Vitamin A is found in milk, liver, butter and eggs.
• Vitamin C is found in most fruits and vegetables such as oranges, papayas, strawberries, cantaloupe and kiwi.
• Vitamin E is found in wheat germ and vegetable oil, cereal, liver, eggs yolk, green plants, milk, and.some nuts and seeds, including almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts and peanuts.
• Lutein is found in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, collards and kale, broccoli, corn, peas, papayas and oranges.
• Lycopene is found in pink and red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon, and apricots.
• Selenium is found in tuna, cold water fish (cod, halibut, salmon), turkey, calf liver, barley, garlic, broccoli, and seeds. Brazilian nuts have especially high selenium content.

How does antioxidant benefit your health?

Antioxidants benefit your health by cleaning free radicals out of your bloodstream. Different antioxidants benefit act on different parts of the body. Beta-carotene found maintain eye health and may prevent age related macular degeneration, lycopene can contribute to prostate health, while flavonoids are good for your heart.

Before you decide to start taking antioxidants supplements, remember these supplements are not a replacement for healthy diet or conventional medical care. The best sources of antioxidants are from natural products. A varied diet containing at least 5 servings of fruits and 6-11 servings of grains, including at least 3 servings of whole grains per day will provide you with enough antioxidants to keep oxidative stress away. Be sure to consult your physician before you start taking supplements. High levels of some nutrients, such as vitamins A, vitamin E, or selenium can be harmful for your health.

Importance of Dietary Minerals Part 2: Trace Minerals

Trace minerals are also known as minor minerals. Don't let the term 'minor' fooled you into think they're not as important as major minerals, though. Because they're only found in small amount in the human body, even moderate deficiencies can have impact on normal functioning.

Currently there are over ten kinds of trace minerals identified, but not all of them have been scientifically proven to have any health benefit. Listed below are the ones that have.

Iron

Red meat is a source of iron.

RDA: Adult men: 8 mg/day, women aged 19-50: 18 mg/day,
women aged >50: 8mg/day, pregnant women: 27 mg/day
Iron is an important component for proteins and enzymes. It's required to make hemoglobin, the pigment that carries oxygen in red blood cells. The main sources of iron are red meat, eggs, fish, leafy green vegetables, beans, and grains.

Zinc

RDA: 11 mg/day
Zinc is required for immunity and nerve function. It's important for reproduction. It is found in red meat, calf liver, eggs, oats, asparagus, green peas, and scallops.

Iodine

RDA: Adult: 150 micrograms/day, pregnant women: 220 micrograms/day
Iodine is important for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. The thyroid hormones in turn regulates the body's growth and metabolism. The main sources of iodine are iodized salt and sea products.

Manganese

RDA: Adult men: 2.3 mg/day, adult women: 1.8 mg/day
Manganese is required for enzyme functions, cartilage and bone formation, and wound healing. The main sources of manganese are green leafy vegetables, grains, brown rice, nuts, soybeans.

Copper

RDA: 900 micrograms/day
Copper is required for development of connective tissues, enzyme function, and iron metabolism. The main sources of copper are seafood, whole grains, mushrooms, nuts and seeds.

Selenium

 

Tuna has the second highest selenium content after brazilian nuts.

RDA: 55 micrograms
Selenium is important for thyroid function and supports antioxidant activity. It is found in tuna, cold water fish (cod, halibut, salmon), turkey, calf liver, barley, garlic, broccoli, and seeds. Brazilian nuts have especially high selenium content.

 

 

Molybdenum

RDA: 45 micrograms/day
Molybdenum is a component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase that helps break down chemical toxin ingested from preserved food. It is found in tomatoes, carrot, green leafy vegetables, and onions.

Chromium

RDA: Men aged 19-50: 35 micrograms/day, men aged >50: 30 micrograms/day,
women aged 19-50: 25 micrograms/day, women aged >50: 20 micrograms/day
Chromium boosts metabolism and helps control blood sugar levels. It is found in apples, spinach, oyster, red meat, and eggs.

Importance of Dietary Minerals Part 1: Major Minerals

Like vitamins, dietary minerals both major and minor are required for many biochemical processes in our body. There are seven major minerals found in abundance in the human body: calcium, phosporus, sodium, chlorine, potassium, magnesium, and sulfur. Minor or trace minerals like iron, zinc, manganese, copper, and iodine, are also important for hormones and enzyme activity even though they are found only in a small amount.

Milk is high in calcium.

Calcium

Recommended Daily Allowance: adults <50 years old: 1000 mg/day, >50 years: 1200 mg/day
Calcium is required for bone formation, muscle contraction, the transmission of nerve signals, blood clotting, and supports heart function. It is found in diary products like milk and cheese, green leafy vegetables, nuts and seed.

Phosporus

RDA: 700 mg/day
Phosporus is required for bone growth and energy production in cells. It is found in meat, fish, poultry, eggs, diary products, and grains.

Sodium

RDA: 1500 mg/day
Sodium is an important electrolyte that regulates fluid balance. Besides table salt, sodium is found in many processed foods and in sea products.

Chlorine

RDA: 2300 mg/day
Chlorine is required for stomach acid production and fluid regulation. It is found mainly in table salt together with sodium.

Banana is high in potassium.

Potassium

RDA: 4700 mg/day
Potassium is also an important electrolyte that regulates fluid balance, maintains normal heart function, and muscle contraction. It is found in banana, sweet potato, and soybeans.

 

 

Magnesium

RDA: Adult men age 19-30: 400 mg/day, adult men age 31 and up: 420 mg/day, adult women age 19-30: 310 milligrams/day, adult women age 31 and up: 320 mg/day
Magnesium is required for normal muscle, nerve, and immune system function. It also regulates heart rhythm and maintain bone strength. It is found in green vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Sulfur

There is no RDA for sulfur because it is obtained from amino acids and should be enough in any diet containing enough protein. It is required for amino acid synthesis and enzymatic reactions in our body.