Supplements Guide – A Brief Introduction

In one of our previous articles, we spoke briefly about some of the supplements that you can buy for various reasons. In this article, we are going to take a look at some of those in a little more detail. Also, we will have a look at some of the other supplements that you can buy for different reasons. There are a vast number of supplements that you can buy, but each of them will fall into specific categories. Therefore, in this supplements guide, we will talk a little about each of the following:

• Aesthetics
• Allergies and Immune system
• Anti-aging
• Antioxidants and Anti-inflammatory
• Bone and Joint
• Cardiovascular
• Cognitive function
• Energy
• Eye health
• Fat loss
• Gut health
• Insulin sensitivity
• Liver health
• Men’s health
• Mood
• Muscle and exercise
• Sleep
• Testosterone boosters
• Women’s health

Supplements Guide

Depending on what you are looking for, you may want to look into one or more of the following. We will give a brief introduction to each of them and what benefits you are likely to receive. Always consult a doctor if you are unsure about which you need and if they are suitable for you. 

Aesthetics

Aesthetic supplements will enhance the look of one or more parts of the body. The main areas that aesthetic supplements will target are:

• Skin. – Skin supplements are prevalent. They often cover aspects such as moisture, hydration, elasticity, strength, pigmentation, acne treatments, redness, inflammation, etc. 
• Hair. – Hair products are just as popular as skin. They can provide benefits in the following areas: Growth rate, thickness, strength, shedding rate, and general health. 
• Nails.– Although not quite as popular as hear and skin products, there are still a large number of nail products to help with the growth rate, discoloration, and brittleness. 

Allergies

Allergies are a common occurrence in many people for many different reasons. Having the right supplements will assist you in coping with some of the worst times that you encounter. Whether that is an allergy to stings, pollen, lactose (milk sugar), or pet hair. There is a wealth of supplements that aim to completely eradicate the symptoms or at least make them more bearable. 

There are also other supplements available to allow you to replace some food allergies with other nutrients. For example, you can buy a commercial egg replacement that will enable you to use it in a direct replacement for eggs in baking and cooking. 

Anti-Aging

The design of anti-aging supplements is for slowing the body’s response to old age and slow the degradation of the body from age-related issues. They may slow down damage to chromosomes and their function, along with the task of your mitochondria. The mitochondria generate almost all of a cell’s supply of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). That is an organic chemical form of energy that your cells need to allow proper bodily function. 

When you age, your body starts to lose these mitochondria, and thus, you age both mentally and physically. Some supplements enhance the ability of those cells and enable them to survive longer. 

Antioxidants

Antioxidants slow down the rate at which “free radicals” will affect the body, and maybe even stop them altogether. Free radicals found in the body are associated with a lot of human diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, atherosclerosis, and even cancer. To combat free radicals, the body will produce antioxidants of its own. However, sometimes, there are not enough of them in the system to prevent those diseases. 

 

Therefore, antioxidant supplements boost that bodily function to enable a better fighting mechanism. 

Anti-Inflammatory

According to recent medical findings, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and age-related dementia have a familiar interface: an inflammation that can cause damage completely unnoticed, for example, in the blood vessels, nerve cells, or other body cells. Our lifestyle often has an inflammatory effect today. For example, there is clear evidence that improper eating habits, smoking, taking hormones, or even being overweight and lack of exercise can increase the risk of such inflammation and, thus, of the diseases mentioned. Unfortunately, environmental toxins and electromagnetic radiation can also increase the risk of unnoticed inflammation.

Anti-inflammatory supplements will fight some of the causes of those lifestyle problems. However, you will still need to tackle the root cause. 

Bone and Joint

Bones need the right nutrients to gain strength and mass. Therefore, healthy eating and getting lots of exercise is essential. We reach the highest bone density at the age of 30 to 35 years, after which the breakdown begins slowly. Reason enough to do something preventive for your bones and joints.

As already mentioned, a healthy bone structure and well-functioning joints are also part of an excellent muscular system. Appropriate nutrition is, therefore, necessary. What do you need? Minerals for the bones, collagen for the joints and carbohydrates and protein for the muscles.

Cardiovascular

Many supplements promise to prevent heart disease. Others are said to have a positive effect on the success of therapy in cardiac patients. They can help prevent and treat the following: Arrhythmias, heart failure, and strokes. 

Cognitive Function

Most people think of ginkgo Biloba, ginseng, or guarana when they talk about healthy eating. They have no idea that the vitamins of the vitamin B complex are much more critical for the healthy functioning of the brain. Because, if the brain suffers from a lack of B vitamins, this can manifest itself in a series of mental and cognitive symptoms, such as mental exhaustion, exhaustion, lack of concentration and poor memory. Since the body cannot store most of the B vitamins, they must be taken in regularly and in sufficient quantities through our food or supplements.

Supplements Guide – Energy

Everyone wants a little more energy than they have. Well, if that is you, then you are in luck. There are many supplements that you can take to increase your day-to-day energy. Whether that is to feel more awake in the mornings or make yourself get out into the wilderness and take a run. Many things can give you the extra boost. 

Eye Health

Whether it is to see well in everyday life into old age, meet the individual requirements of VDU work, strengthen night vision, or maintain eye health. There are still quite a few supplements that offer those benefits to you. 

Fat Loss

The best known are fat burners, which increase the number of calories burned by the body. However, there are appetite suppressants, and moderators of appetite, which help to fight against cravings, thermogenic supplements, or sugar catchers. Some act on the oxidation of fats or diuretics/drainers etc. These supplements can be used during a diet to help the person accelerate their fat loss and overcome the difficulties that can cause them to fail.

Gut Health

Gut health refers to the balance of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. Looking after the health of the gut and maintaining the right balance of these microorganisms is vital for physical and mental health, immunity, and more. These bacteria and yeasts — of which there are around 100 trillion — are also called the “gut flora.” Many microbes are beneficial for human health, and some are even essential. However, others can be harmful, especially when they multiply.

Immune System

Winter is synonymous with the season when it is difficult to obtain fresh local fruits and vegetables, which naturally provide us with vitamins and nutrients to fight the extreme cold. The change of season can be a challenge for the immune system.

Therefore, we recommend paying better attention to the essential elements of good health: practice physical activities, keep a good sleep routine (8 hours a night), constant hydration, and a healthy diet. Since Mother Nature asks us to be better armed, it is sometimes worth turning to a few supplements to add to this healthy routine, which will undoubtedly help you have a better winter, away from the boxes of tissues!

Insulin Sensitivity

The best way to transform your body is to optimize your sensitivity to insulin. Insulin is the most anabolic and anti-catabolic hormone in the body. It improves the assimilation of amino acids in the muscle and therefore participates in protein synthesis. It also prevents amino acids from being oxidized as an energy fuel. On the other hand, it is the hormone that stores the most fat, recruiting lipids and glucose in adipocytes (fat cells).

Your ability to benefit from the positive effects of insulin (muscle building, fat burning), therefore, depends on your sensitivity to it. If you have good insulin sensitivity, you can have reasonably large carbohydrate intakes. If, on the other hand, you are resistant to insulin, it will be necessary to review your consumption of carbohydrates down, under penalty of storing the calories ingested in the form of fat. But rather than eliminating carbohydrates, it is possible to improve our body’s ability to use carbohydrates well through supplements.

Liver Health

You may have heard of a heart-healthy lifestyle or a friendly diet. But do you know what nutrients you need for liver health? Where the heart occupies an essential place in many therapeutic regimes, the liver is like the security guard who ensures that toxins do not penetrate very far into your body. And if they do, the liver makes sure they come out as quickly as possible. The liver protects you by fighting infections, cleanses your blood from waste products and toxins like drugs and alcohol, and turns the food you eat into usable energy and nutrients, among other things.

Genetics, poor diet, or excessive drug and alcohol use can contribute to liver disease. However, some supplements can help you regenerate and protect the liver and keep it functioning as well as possible. 

Mood

With the number of people using anti-anxiety and depression medications in the US, there is no doubt that mood improvement is a massive area of ​​concern these days. We work harder than ever, and pressure levels are high, whether you are at home, school, or work. All of this stress can result in a lack of energy, motivation, tension, and satisfaction in life. But there are also mood-enhancing supplements that can help restore balance, improve your mood, and promote feelings of well-being. Most of these supplements work by modulating dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters in the brain to chemical imbalances.

In other cases, increasing the blood and oxygen intake of the brain can be very beneficial, not only leading to a better mood but also improved motivation and energy. There are a few options for mood-enhancing supplements that work.

Supplements Guide – Muscle and Exercise

There are quite a few different types of supplements available for the body concerning muscle building, exercise, and fitness. However, they often fit into three main categories:

Muscle Building

For muscle building to work optimally, you must supply the body with enough nutrients. It is not for nothing that nutrition is a critical factor for your success. To optimize the daily menu, many athletes rely on supplements or dietary supplements. These have the advantage that you can use them to ensure that all the nutrients in the body are readily available in sufficient quantities.

If you want to get an idea of ​​dietary supplements as a beginner, you would be surprised how extensive the range is today. There are not only a variety of nutrients in the form of supplements, but they also in very different types and variants. The classic version is probably still the powder. That is available either in larger containers or directly portioned as capsules or tablets. As an alternative to powder, food supplements can also come in the form of gels or bars. Liquid variants are also widespread.

Shakes, in particular, have become an accessible version. These can either be bought directly in the finished drinking form or also as a powder. In the latter, you have to do the mixing yourself. Sometimes dietary supplements can also be found in types that you would not expect as a beginner. A perfect example is protein pancakes.

Pre-Workout Booster

If you have worked or studied all day, you may be so tired that when you arrive at the gym, you will no longer be able to concentrate and will, therefore, be unable to get what you need out of your exercises to progress. That is precisely when a pre-workout supplement is required to give you strength for the next two hours, strengthen your concentration and support you with muscle training, energy supply, and regeneration.

You must be physically and mentally focused when you start training. If not, your training isn’t intense enough to make progress. Whether you’re just tired or you skipped a meal before going to the gym, you’re still able to do your workout. In such cases, you don’t have to pull yourself together, you take your pre-workout supplement, and you lift your weights within five minutes!

Post-Workout Recovery

Intense workouts are a vital part of improving your fitness. Pushing your physical limits helps you feel strong. When you benefit from an endorphin surge, your energy, and your positivity reach new heights. However, waking up the next day with pain and stiffness is another story. Although you have certainly succeeded in your workout, you have not taken the right steps for a good recovery.

Just as important as training is what you will do in the next 24 hours to help your body recover. That is the stage in which muscles rebuild and strengthen and where you prepare for your next exercise session. No matter how nutritious your diet is, there can be times when the extra support of a supplement will have its benefits.

Sleep

Over 80% of people report having some difficulty sleeping, and almost 25% suffer from sleep disorders that are severe enough to affect their overall health. Rest is one of the body’s natural defenses and is essential in the fight against diseases. Researchers have determined that lack of sleep can contribute to long-term medical problems such as:

• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes.
• Obesity.
• Depression.

Melatonin, a natural substance secreted by the pineal gland, plays an essential role in our sleep-wake cycles. With age, the body’s production of melatonin decreases, so supplementation can be a great way to restore optimal levels and prevent sleep disturbances. Choosing a high-quality melatonin supplement can help regulate your sleep-wake cycle without the adverse side effects of medical sleeping pills.

Testosterone Boosters

Testosterone acts on mood and decreases the reaction to stress. Testosterone also has an anabolic role: it promotes bone and muscle development and stimulates the production of proteins, hence the attraction of high-level athletes. At the same time, testosterone stimulates the production of blood cells (hematopoiesis), which has the consequence of reducing the recovery time after exercise. 

Testosterone may not be produced in sufficient quantities in humans if the testis or hypothalamus, the region of the brain that controls the production of testosterone, does not work correctly. The lack of testosterone then leads to problems of sexual impotence and reduced libido. A lack of testosterone can also be an issue for overweight people since the increase in fat mass stimulates the transformation of testosterone into estrogen, a feminizing hormone which is likely to create breast growth. There are testosterone booster supplements available to help combat those issues. 

Conclusion

This article is only a quick look into some of the primary supplements that you have available to you, no matter what you want them for. In future articles, we may look deeper into each of them. However, as we have said, please ensure that you seek advice from a medically trained professional before using any of the supplements, as there can be adverse effects between medications, and you may be intolerant to some of them that we have spoken about. Remember to have a look at the nutrition section of our website for more information.