Introduction.

Eat fast foods – you'll need some vitamin supplements.

Looking after the heart.

Any fast food eater should surely, by now, appreciate that fast foods are not good for the heart – a primary reason for avoiding excessive consumption of fast foods. However, simply taking a daily dose of folic acid and vitamins B₆ and B₁₂ can help to counter the harmful effects of fast foods. Also recommended for protecting your heart is vitamin C, especially when taken in conjunction with the health supplement lysine, an amino acid – which is currently thought to be capable of opening up blocked arteries. Returning to the vitamin B₁₂ supplement, as we get older it is also a good idea to take this vitamin supplement as with age it becomes more difficult for the stomach to absorb vitamin B₁₂ from the stomach.

Multi-vitamins.

Its a fact that without the correct intake of all the vitamins we’d soon end up malnourished and in a bad way. So, if you really are addicted to fast foods you’ll need more than just the vitamin supplements that will help to protect your heart. So, if you’re only occasionally eating fresh fruit, fish, greens and salads then taking a daily multi-vitamin tablet is strongly recommended. This won’t give you immunity form developing health related issues due to your poor diet – but it might at least help to give you time to address your over-consumption of fast foods.

NB. If whether due to your life-style or personal choice you find that you simply cannot avoid eating fast foods more than once a day, or even once or twice a week for some people, you really should seek expert advice on how to change your diet.

Vitamins For Fast Foods is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Although generally more likely to get worse as you get older – dry eyes can affect anyone at any time. Dry eye syndrome can present itself in several ways but, most typically, the sufferer feels as if they constantly want to wash their eyes with water or that it feels as if they have grit in them. This phenomena is rarely to do with grit being blown about or generally dry atmospheric conditions – but will be as a result of having a deficiency in your diet meaning that your body isn’t able to counter your dry eyes correctly. Below we’ll advise you about some health supplements you can take to help reduce the risk of developing and alleviating dry eyes. However, if your condition persist – do seek advice from an optician.

Omega-3 fatty acids.

Time after time a lack of the essential health supplement – Omega-3 fatty acids – can be the cause of many ailments that can be relatively easily dealt with, and dry eyes is one such ailment. Omega-3 fatty acids should be part of your well balanced diet and can be found in plenty in fish such as salmon and sardines. Although these fish are good for you in all sorts of ways, not just Omega-3 fatty acids, they’re not to everyone’s taste. Omega-3 fatty acids help our bodies to produce various lubricants needed to keep us in good health – including moisture in our eyes. So, if the thought of eating salmon or sardines is just too much for you – you need to take a fish oil supplement to give your Omega-3 fatty acid levels a boost. An alternative is to eat ground flaxseeds, so that you can ingest flaxseed oil – which is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Vitamin A.

Vitamin and health supplements can help to clear up dry eyes.

Dry Eyes is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

There have been quite a few articles recently re-igniting the debate as to whether or not health supplements actually can be beneficial to your health, compared to eating a healthy and well-balanced diet and exercising regularly. Well, in response to anyone doubting the veracity of the pro-supplements lobby – the American Medical Association (AMA) has for some years now actually been encouraging American adults to take vitamins on a daily basis. That being the case, that they accept many folk need vitamin supplements the same is surely true for some of the other health supplements too.

Your diet – the biggest reason for taking supplements.

Most Americans need to take health supplements to compensate for poor diets!

Food is actually part of the problem!

If reading an article like this actually spurs you on to changing your diet to a more healthy one – then well done you. However, modern farming methods and nutrient deficient soils are actually creating health problems – even in folk who think they have a healthy and well-balanced diet. For example, research out of the Center for Food Policy, London, has established that to get the same amount of vitamin A as our grand-parents would from one orange – we now have to eat 8 oranges! Similarly we need to almost double our intake of vegetables to get the same level of nutrition from them that our grand-parents did. The upshot of all that – even for people who think they eat a healthy and well-balanced diet might yet need to take vitamin and health supplements. One group of people can be excluded from such fears – those who eat only organic foods. However, and as we all know, organic foods are considerably more expensive than the foods available at reasonable prices and are simply too expensive for many of us – making supplements the obvious answer to keeping ourselves healthy.

The Supplements Debate is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Especially for people that work full-time – having the time to regularly prepare and cook their own food can, simply, be just too time consuming; which inevitably means we don’t eat enough fresh food, vegetables and fruit to get a balanced diet of vitamins and minerals. Whilst a lack of vitamins and minerals can be compensated for by taking a combine multi-vitamin and mineral supplement – there are other supplements we need that a diet of convenience/supermarket food simply can’t provide us with. Some of the most crucial supplements missing can be those that will ensure that we continue to enjoy healthy joints – so this article guides on the two main healthy joints supplements you need to consider.

Cod liver oil.

If you’ve been blessed with fairly healthy joints then they probably won’t mean they start to become a problem until you’re nearing or in retirement. Unfortunately, for that age group cod liver oil has particularly bad associations with being made to drink spoonfuls of the stuff as children. Well, if you now have problems with your joints, put aside those fears as taking cod liver oil will prove tremendously beneficial to your joints and there are new preparations of cod liver oil that make taking it all the more palatable. Cod liver oil has four supplements in that help to keep us healthy and two of them in particular work on our joints. DHA is a constituent of cod liver oil that helps maintain healthy nerves and EPA which is an anti-inflammatory and will reduce any pain due to stiff joints and even arthritis, which is important as it will help us to keep our joints moving. Cod liver oil also has vitamin A in it to keep our skin healthy and young and vitamin D, so important for healthy bones.

Glucosamine chrondroitin.

Health supplements can help to keep your hip joints healthy.

Healthy Joints Supplements is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

The importance of vitamin B₁₂ for the over-50s is already well known in terms of general health benefits, notably – reducing the risk of heart disease, the onset of depression and the possibility of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The fact that the body doesn’t store vitamin B₁₂ makes it even more important to take a B₁₂ supplement if you believe it could be lacking in your normal diet. However, new research out of Australia is pointing to another advantage of taking vitamin B₁₂ supplements in that it is also now believed to improve both the short-term and long-term memory of adults, compared to a control group who did not take the supplement.

The research into vitamin B12 and memory.

Vitamin B12 can help combat memory loss in the over-50s.

How B₁₂ might improve your memory?

Vitamin B₁₂ is known to be beneficial to nerves and can help to avoid developing neurological disorders, by protecting the sheath like substance, myelin, that surrounds nerves. However, it is the positive effect that vitamin B₁₂ can have in reducing heart disease that is thought to be the main reason that B₁₂ can also help reduce memory loss. High levels of homocysteine in the blood are linked to the risks of developing heart disease, whilst taking folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ help the body to process homocysteine and, thereby, reduce the risk to the heart. The current thinking, behind this research, is that homocysteine is also responsible for a loss in mental ability as we get older and so taking a folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ supplement will help to combat it.

B12 Health And Memory is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

The internet is full of all sorts of advice about health supplements and vitamins – but how many men actually take any notice of them? The problem here is that all to often internet articles about vitamins and health supplements will include an alluring image of a woman, in all probability looking in great shape and health, which we guys quite naturally think … hey, she’s good looking – but this must be an article only for the ladies. So, what’s clearly needed is an article that is irrefutably aimed at supplements for men.

Beneficial supplements for men.

Supplements will help to keep you fit and healthy.

Over 40 – doesn’t mean over the hill.

It’s a fact, when many men get to 40 years of age they begin to think – that’s it, I’m over the hill now so I might as well give up and watch the football on TV from the couch with a beer in hand. Well, first of all you need to change your mind set to – life begins at 40 and rather than retiring to the couch why not get out there and coach the local junior team; or do something active wherever your interests are.

Supplements For Men is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

If 2012 is the year that you aim to start a family in – then knowing how supplements and pregnancy can work together will be of interest to you. Of course there are many things you can do as well as taking health supplements to help your chances of becoming pregnant such as eating a well balanced and healthy diet, drinking alcohol sparingly, not smoking and making sure your weight is correct for your height – and certainly avoiding becoming obese. However, as for the vitamin and mineral supplements that are known to have a positive effect on pregnancy – well just read on.

Vitamins and pregnancy.

Two vitamin supplements in particular are recommended to aid female fertility and pregnancy. The first one, folic acid, is known to be so vital to successful a pregnancy that, in some countries, it is automatically added as a supplement to the bread on sale in most stores. Folic acid is, of course, a water soluble member of the vitamin B complex and taking a folic acid supplement prior to conception and continuing it during pregnancy, can reduce the risk of neural tube defects by up to 50%. NTDs include birth defects such as cleft lip and palate to more serious ones including brain abnormalities. Although you only need a low dosage of folic acid, 0.4 to 1mg a day, it is important to take it as folic acid is not stored in the body for very long, meaning it is constant need of replenishment. The other vitamin women need to take here is vitamin D. This will help to maintain the bone density of women who become pregnant and help the fetus’s bones to grow and develop in conjunction with the mineral calcium.

Supplements can help female fertility and a joyous and successful pregnancy.

Minerals and pregnancy.

Following on from the above comment about fetus’s bone growth – taking a daily 700mg Calcium mineral supplement will work alongside the vitamin D to protect the bone density of pregnant women. The other mineral supplement to be recommended is Iron, for which a dose of not more than 30mg three times a day is recommended. Iron is essential to avoid the risk of developing anemia when pregnant. However, please note, Iron supplements shouldn’t be taken on their own unless supervised by a physician. So, look for a combined calcium and iron supplement or a multivitamin/mineral combination. Finally, of course, if you are under any current medical supervision – do consult your physician before taking any supplements.

Supplements And Pregnancy is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Professor Robert Smith of the Department of Neuroscience at Penn State University, recently put his support behind a publication in the “Archives of Internal Medicine” regarding vitamins and female mortality. The report focuses in particular on the positive effects of both vitamin supplements and some other minerals regarding their ability to reduce female mortality.

The main report findings.

When taken in isolation the three vitamins – D, C and B complexes – were all found to reduce female mortality by as much as 8%. Making sure you have sufficient of the vitamin B complex in your system can reduce your mortality by up to 7%, regularly taking vitamin C shows a 4% reduction in mortality whilst maintaining the correct levels of vitamin D in your body can reduce your mortality by up to 8%. Regarding mineral health supplements, having sufficient Magnesium in your body can help to reduce your mortality by up to 3%, as too can having the correct doses of Selenium and Zinc in your body. You may be surprised that calcium isn’t in this list? Calcium supplements are recommended, see below, but Magnesium too can help reduce the onset of osteoporosis – through the production of calcitonin which preserves your bone structure.

Other findings concerning supplements and mortality.

To enjoy your old age together – take vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins And Female Mortality is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Winter is upon us and if you’re going away on vacation, perhaps for Christmas or the New Year – then what winter vacation preparations should you be making in terms of your health and vitamin supplement regime? In case you haven’t started thinking about this topic – here are some of the things you need to think about because we’re sure you don’t want to spoil your winter vacation by going down ill whilst away.

Preparing for travel.

Don't fall ill on vacation – be prepared.

Looking after your stomach.

Going on vacation to some countries can mean eating food you’re not used to and drinking water that’s, well, perhaps not as good as back home. You can prepare your stomach for your vacation and look after it whilst away with these simple health supplements. As your stomach naturally contains bacteria you can help prepare it for your vacation by topping up the good bacteria with pro-biotic yoghurts, which will mean that your stomach can then better deal with any bad bacteria from strange/foreign food. When out there, prior to eating, take grapefruit seed extract – which is a powerful anti-bacterial, fungal and parasitic agent. Alternatively, line your stomach with silicol gel before eating, which will create a protective membrane to bind any harmful bacteria or viruses you may consume. If the idea of silicol gel isn’t to your liking, try a tincture of Tormentil Complex instead which is great for dealing with diarrhea.

Winter Vacation Preparation is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

For many people Christmas is a time of excess, be it eating and drinking – or just one of those things, so why not detox before Christmas so that your body will be better able to cope with the festivities. There are several vitamin and health supplements that can help your body during the Christmas detox period, plus some changes you can make to your diet before the onslaught of Christmas parties and meals with friends and work colleagues begin – let alone the big day itself. Don’t forget too that a little abstinence goes a long way in helping to detox.

Get ready for Christmas with a detox program.

Liver detox.

If you like a drink or two throughout the year, you really do need to start taking care of your liver. As well as giving your liver a day or two a week off from alcohol – you can use a liver detoxifier like Milk Thistle. Milk Thistle is actually made from a type of sunflower plant called Silybum Marianum, and is often mixed with the herbs turmeric and dandelion root, to help restore your liver to good health and protect it against future over-indulgences. However, don’t think Milk Thistle is a miracle cure that can save you from permanent liver damage if you already have liver damage or continue drinking to excess – it won’t! However, as a detoxifier for people who drink within the recommended guidelines it can be effective. Milk Thistle works by encouraging the gall bladder to contract, opening bile ducts and draining bile so that the toxins in the liver are released from it. Take up to 200mg of Milk Thistle extract three times a day.

Vitamins for detox cures.

Quiet the wonder vitamin – vitamin C is always an essential component of any detox cure. 500Mg of vitamin C a day will help your immune system to recover, so that you’re better able to fight off those coughs and colds that could otherwise derail your Christmas partying. Vitamin C will also repair damaged cells, especially important for smokers here, by neutralizing those harmful free radicals. Vitamin C will also help to improve your cardiovascular system and reduce the risk of macular degeneration eye disease. Good bone strength is as important for men as it is for women – and they too shouldn’t neglect their levels of vitamin D, which can be drained if your diet doesn’t include the right foods and is over-dependent on alcohol for your calories. You can take 10mcg of vitamin D a day as a vitamin supplement, to regulate the levels of calcium and phosphorus in your blood to promote strong and healthy teeth and bones.

Detox Before Christmas is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements