Introduction.

One of the common ailments of winter is earache. At best uncomfortable and at worse leading to a severe infection and debilitating illness – there are several supplements for earache that will both alleviate the symptoms and prevent any earache from worsening. The following earache supplements will also have a preventative effect to some degree, particularly if taken before before a cold and/or wet period of weather. However, should you experience a raised temperature, stiff neck, dizziness, severe headaches or seepage from your ears – seek medical advice as you may have an infection requiring antibiotics. Also, if you’re already on any medication or have a known condition, check that these supplements for earache won’t interfere with them.

How supplements can help with earache.

Earache – painful and debilitating!

Earache supplements.

The following are only intended as short-term solutions, if they don’t help – seek medical advice. Garlic oil or Mullein Flower oil form the basis of many ear drops for earache that you can buy from an online health store, as they are both very effective . However, do exercise some caution when administering ear drops, so as not to simply push the problem causing the earache further down into the ear. If the outer ear is the source of the earache, then try rubbing lavender oil to the outside of the ear, being careful not to allow any to drop into the ear! Another thing to try is a eucalyptus oil steam bath. Pour a few drops of eucalyptus oil into a bowl of steaming hot water and then let the vapors circulate around the earache – this can be most soothing. As a preventative measure against earache – take 500mg of vitamin C a day to help boost your immune system. Also, please see our previous article “Boosting your immune system” for further help on this matter. Should you still develop an earache, add 250mg of flavanoids a day to this regime, where flavanoids act as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Supplements For Earache is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

OK, so we’re all gearing up for the New Year and, moving into 2013 that means, for most of us, our thoughts turn to that New Year Diet. Now then, this isn’t just another article banging on about this or that diet. But, coming from healthsupplementer.com, it is an article about the sort of supplements you need to consider taking if you are going to embark on a diet – whether a New Year one or not!

How you diet.

More than just knowing about what's good to eat!

Your diet – Your supplements.

Generally speaking dieters will increase the amount of fruit and vegetables they eat which is good for you as this means you will automatically increase your intake of vitamin C, magnesium, folates, potassium and beta-carotene. However, by doing so your body can become deficient in iron, leading to anemia, zinc, riboflavin and iodine which, apart from causing fatigue – could actually work against your diet causing you to gain weight! Dieters will also often reduce or even remove dairy products from their diet. This is good for losing weight – be could be disastrous for your calcium intake and the health of your bones. The solution to these problems is to avoid crash diets and make sure you eat lean meat to replenish your body stocks of iron, zinc and selenium. Look for low fat dairy products to maintain calcium levels and starchy vegetables for vitamin B. Also, it will not do any harm to take a multi-vitamin tablet once a day or, better still, a combined multi-vitamin and mineral tablet once a day.

New Year Diet is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Whether you’ve over-indulged yourself with food this Thanksgiving, have already started going out for meals to celebrate Christmas or just simply always feel uncomfortable with indigestion after eating – then why not try and pep yourself with peppermint to relive that discomfort. Peppermint, an aromatic herb, has been used world-wide and for centuries to treat all manner of digestion and indigestion issues and it is even said to provide relief from headaches and colds. So, read on to find out if peppermint could provide the ‘pep’ you need to start feeling better.

What peppermint does.

To give it its scientific name, peppermint is really known as Mentha Piperita – which is a natural hybrid of spearmint and water mint. As a medicine and for use in health supplements, the leaves and stems of the peppermint plant are harvested in the summer time, just before the flowers bloom. The active ingredient peppermint oil is then extracted by steam distillation from the harvest. Three products are thus obtained: Menthol, containing 30-355 of the oil; Menthone, 15-30% of the oil and Menthyl acetate, containing 3-10% of the oil. Peppermint oil relaxes the muscles in the digestive tract which, in turn, means that the muscles are less inclined to cramp and/or trap gas. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is an increasingly common form of stomach discomfort, the antispasmodic capabilities of peppermint mean that it can also alleviate the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. As peppermint encourages the production of the natural digestive juices and bile it is an ideal non-prescription supplement to aide digestion.

Taking peppermint.

Peppermint oil capsules could help to alleviate your IBS.

Pep Yourself With Peppermint is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Having a high level of cholesterol in your blood is definitely something to avoid as it can lead to an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke. If, after having had a blood test to test for the cholesterol in your blood, your physician decides to put you on a course of statins to lower your blood cholesterol you must, of course, follow their advice. However, statins do have side affects and are not suitable for everyone. So, what can you do about controlling cholesterol without statins?

Good and bad cholesterol.

There are actually two types of cholesterol in your blood – commonly referred to as good and bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol is properly known as high density lipoproteins (HDL) whilst bad cholesterol is called low density lipoproteins (LDL). There are recommended levels for your total cholesterol and LDL levels, generally speaking liver specialists look for a value of around 5.5 millimoles per liter of blood with your HDL level being as high as possible. However, higher or lower than normal total or LDL levels are a cause for concern. Regarding low levels of cholesterol/LDL, there are instances of people who have been taking statins to lower their cholesterol having their cholesterol levels drop too low – putting them at risk from the very things the statins are supposed to be protecting them from! So, what can you do towards controlling cholesterol without using statins at all.

Exercise and a well balanced diet – essential factors in controlling your cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol controlling supplements.

Fortunately, if used before you develop high cholesterol, there are some vitamin and health supplements you can take to help control your cholesterol levels. Two vitamin supplements, used in conjunction with a garlic extract, will help – 250mg of vitamin E twice a day and 500mg of vitamin C twice a day, together with one 500mg garlic tablet containing 4000mcg of allicin potential once a day. The mineral supplement chromium will reduce LDL and promote HDL, take 200mcg of chromium twice a day. Taking a 300mg dose of the health supplement Beta-sitosterol twice a day is also recommended, this may need to be taken over a long period to be of any true benefit. Finally, don’t underestimate the positive effects of eating a well balanced and low fat diet and increased exercise can have on the levels of cholesterol in your blood.

Controlling Cholesterol Without Statins is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

As we grow older our eyesight inevitably starts to deteriorate. There are several reasons and causes for this – some of which are easily corrected and some of which can pose a serious threat to our eye sight if left untreated. One such serious threat is that of Dry Macular Degeneration. There is also another and more serious form of this disease – Wet Macular Degeneration. It is important to distinguish between them as the “dry” form can be treated whereas the “wet”one, by and large, cannot. Either way Macular Degeneration can lead to blindness. However, there are some preventative measures you can take to avoid developing dry Macular Degeneration, including using some health supplements to reduce the threat of blindness.

What is Macular Degeneration?

The macular is at the center of the retina and the light sensitive area controlling our central visual field and the colors that we see. Macular Degenration is an hereditary disease that causes the macular to thin and break down. The result of this is that we can only see peripherally, with no or little central vision and often resulting in a black spot where the center of our viewing field would normally have been. Cell damage by free radicals is cause of this phenomenon and so diets high in saturated fats and tobacco smoke will exacerbate the condition as too can excessive exposure to sunlight.

Avoiding Macular Degeneration.

Health supplements can help to ward off the effects of dry macular degeneration.

Dry Macular Degeneration Supplements is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Whilst some folk can pass through this life without ever being depressed for other folk life can be one long battle against depression. Depression can strike down anyone and anytime and can affect you in many different ways from feeling just a bit down and blue to having suicidal thoughts. Given that depression can have very serious implications the following advice is only offered for those who are feeling somewhat down and not their usual cheerful selves. If your symptoms of depression continue, you are strongly advised to seek professional help.

The 5-HTP supplement for depression.

Although there are many drugs available to treat depression, most notably Prozac, you don’t have to resort to prescribed medication to try to deal with mild depression. The health supplement 5-HTP is known to be of benefit for those who are feeling mildly depressed or are exhibiting depressive symptoms such as migraine attacks and insomnia. 5-HTP is the short name for 5-hydroxytryptophan , which the body will make quite naturally from the food we eat – most notably high protein foods like beef, chicken, fish and dairy products. As a supplement 5-HTP is made from the seeds of an African plant – Griffonia simplicifolia and it stimulates the production in the brain of a chemical called serotonin. Serotonin, which again is a naturally occurring substance in our brains, is essential for us to “feel good” and not become depressed or develop the symptoms associated with depression.

Taking 5-HTP.

Taking 5-HTP can help to lift your mood from mild depression.

Supplements For Depression is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Having returned from your vacation you were no doubt feeling full of life and ready to take on the challenges ahead of you leading up to the Festive Season. The problem is, for many of us, sustaining that new surge of energy and zest for life as the days gets shorter, darker and colder. What you need to do is boost your vitality to maintain that higher level of vim and verve that you are now experiencing.

How to boost your vitality.

The key to boosting your vitality is to maintain a high level of energy within your body so as to avoid feeling tired and to keep your immune system in good health, so that you’re able to easily cope with all those coughs, colds and germs that affect other folk as the Fall and winter set in. As always, of course, if you’re already under medical treatment – consult with your physician before taking any supplements.

Boost your vitality with health supplements

Maintaining energy levels.

Maintaining your energy levels isn’t about taking in more and more fuel in the form of food. The problem with just eating more food to fuel the body is that if you eat the wrong foods and in the wrong amounts – then you could just simply put on weight, which in the long term will just make you feel more lethargic. Eating a well balanced diet with just the right amount of calories for the energy you expend is an essential component of boosting your vitality. Supplements to take that will help to maximize the amount of energy you can draw from your food are: the mineral Magnesium and a vitamin B complex to make sure that your body releases energy from the body’s reserves. Any fuel needs oxygen to ‘burn’ and an Iron supplement will make sure that hemoglobin in your blood carries oxygen around your body efficiently.

Maintain you immune system.

There are many health supplements you can take to help maintain a healthy immune system. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements will help to remove antioxidants from your system and, especially when combined with a multi-vitamin supplement, will help you to maintain strong and healthy cell membranes. Fatigue can often be a sign of an immune system in need of a boost. So, using St john’s Wort will help to alleviate any fatigue problems related to viral conditions whilst dandelion root tea will address any feelings of sluggishness due to free radical damage, such as might accumulate in the liver.

Boost Your Vitality is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Whether you’ve come back off your summer vacation determined to maintain that new relaxed and healthy feeling or, having been on vacation, realized that you really need to do something about your health and fitness – then don’t forget how important having the correct intake of vitamins and supplements is to your health. The idea of “take vits keep fit” is, of course, not quite that simple as that. You do need to combine taking the following essential vitamins and supplements with a well balanced diet and exercise program. However, just what are those essential vitamins and supplements you should be taking?

For both Men and Women.

There are some vitamins and health supplements that both men and women should take to help them to attain or maintain a peak of good health and fitness. First up we’d recommend taking a daily multivitamin supplement. Multivitamins are ideal for making sure you’re not missing out on any of the daily recommended doses for vitamins and all within one easy to take tablet/capsule. Even better, why not consider taking a combined multivitamin and mineral supplement. Another highly recommended health supplement is a fish oil supplement. These will help to protect you against heart disease and senility/dementia. This is all down to the Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils, so this supplement is an absolute must if you don’t eat oily fish in your normal diet. Co-enzyme Q10 is another health supplement known to help ward off heart disease and a range of inflammation complaints including arthritis.

Vitamins and supplements can help you to stay fit and healthy.

Just for Men or Women.

The following are a few supplements we’d recommend men or women taking. However, if you do take a multivitamin and mineral supplement – check to see if your daily doses for them aren’t already in the other supplements you’re taking. For men adding Boron to your mineral intake is recommended as this mineral can have a positive impact on your levels of testosterone and, therefore, fertility. So too will the mineral selenium, which can also help to protect against certain cancers and heart disease. For women the risks of developing osteoporosis in later life are well documented, taking a Calcium supplement can be crucial in avoiding problems later in life for women with their teeth, bones and muscles, calcium supplements also need an adequate supply of vitamin D to be processed fully by the body. Finally, for some women, an iron supplement could be beneficial to them – especially if they are fatigued or find themselves bruising easily. Iron helps to transport oxygen around the body and will help the body to repair itself more efficiently. As always, if you are concerned about any aspect of your health – do consult with your physician.

Take Vits Keep Fit is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Sunburn is the reddening and inflammation suffered when the outer layers of the skin are over-exposed to the sun. That is to say mild symptoms of sunburn could be so described. However, severe forms of sunburn can be very debilitating and could even result in death. Indeed, without using a sun cream or barrier, medical opinion is that you shouldn’t be in direct sunlight for more than 20 minutes a day. However, don’t think that only applies to when there are no clouds in the sky – hazy sunshine can be every bit as harmful as on a blisteringly hot cloudless day. If you should get sunburned – there are some sunburn supplements that will help to alleviate the symptoms.

Sunburn – not a good look and painful too.

The great sunburn soothers.

One health supplement above all others is associated with the treatment of sunburn – and that is chamomile. Chamomile can be bought as several preparations, but is usually used for sunburn as an oil or cream. Whilst Chamomile cream can be applied directly to the sunburned area chamomile oil is added to a cool bath to aid soothing. Add just 10 drops to cool water in a bath and you’ll immediately feel the soothing affect on your sunburn. Lavender oil will also work in a similar way and, again, add just 10 drops of the oil to a cool bath of water. Whether you use chamomile or lavender be prepared to soak in the bath for up to 30 minutes to maximize the beneficial effects of these health supplements.

Other sunburn supplements.

Remember that health supplements won’t stop you getting sunburn – but can offer relief for anyone affected by it. Aloe vera applied directly to the skin will also help to reduce the burning and inflamed sensations so readily associated with sunburn. You can, if you can get them, rub fresh aloe vera leaves on the affected area. However, you’ll more likely need to get some aloe vera gel from an online health supplement supplier. Taking a couple of vitamin supplements will also help to reduce the damage to the skin that sunburn can cause. 500Mg of vitamin C twice a day and 250mg of vitamin E twice a day will help to control the amount of free radicals in your body, that released into your body from the damaged skin.

Sunburn Supplements is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Most commonly referred to as period pains the correct term for women experiencing pain before the onset of a period or during their menstrual cycle is dysmenorrhoea. When the pain is experienced before a period begins another common term is applied to it that of premenstrual syndrome, often abbreviated to PMS. Period pains can begin shortly after a women begins having her periods but will typically diminished around the age of 25 or after the birth of a first child. However, for a significant minority of women period pains can continue on into middle-age, causing much discomfort for many years.

How supplements can help with period pains.

Health supplements can help with period pains

Other period pain information.

As with all health supplements – check with your physician before taking them as it could be that your PMS is actually symptomatic of another illness like an under active thyroid gland. If your premenstrual syndrome features considerable breast pains you should also see your physician, or if you are abnormally depressed during your periods, avoid taking St John’s wort and see your physician. Physical exercise can alleviate period pains for some women as too can avoiding caffeine, alcohol and salt.

Period Pains is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements