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

Introduction.

If you’re a serious sportsperson, regardless of your sport, having a fit and healthy body will essential to your success in that sport, be it as amateur or professional performer. One aspect of having that fit and healthy body is developing your body frame through bodybuilding techniques, which might also include using body building supplements. When working on body building, or developing your sports physique if you prefer, many people actually find that sports nutrition supplements can help them to more quickly reach the standards they seek and, then, help to maintain them.

Building muscle.

Fatty acid supplements help to build muscle

Can’t I get my fatty acids from my meals?

Yes, it is true that fatty acids occur naturally in many foods that we commonly eat and, perhaps most importantly, would be considered to be good/healthy foods to eat. Foods like fish, eggs and some seeds all contain fatty acids. However, when vigorously exercising our bodies to build muscle mass- we do need more fatty acids that we can normally consume – hence, taking a fatty acid weightlifting supplement is important. When weightlifting our bodies assimilate the fats stores and insulin we have more rapidly and so, to continue building muscle your body needs more muscle building fuel to work with.

Sports Nutrition is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

A long term complication associated with diabetes is nerve damage. Correctly known as diabetic neuropathy it causes the progressive loss of feeling and pain in the limbs of diabetics. It is believed that this nervous condition brought on by diabetes is due to free radicals damaging the nerve cells, which in turn arises due to the excessive levels of glucose in the blood. As an anti-oxidant the health supplement alpha-lipoic acid has the ability to counter that damage for people with Type II diabetes and can even help people to respond to their treatment with insulin.

Reducing the risk of nerve damage in type II diabetes

How alpha-lipoic acid works.

It should be stressed here that alpha-lipoic acid is not a replacement for insulin and if you have already been diagnosed with any stage of diabetes – you should continue with the medication recommended by your physician and consult them before embarking on a course of alpha-lipoic acid tablets. However, for those with Type II diabetes as well as following the dietary recommendations of your physician you could discuss this health supplement with them as, alpha-lipoic acid has been shown to lower the glucose levels in blood and, by generally increasing the blood flow to nerve ends, it enhances the ability of the nerve ends to receive impulses – thereby reducing the feelings of numbness and tingling associated with nerve damage.

Taking alpha-lipoic acid.

If your physician agrees take alpha-lipoic acid tablets in 100mg or 200mg doses three times a day. You can take these with meals or without, adding other health supplements to remove free radicals from your blood will also help; so do also consider taking vitamin C and vitamin E supplements. When taken correctly alpha-lipoic acid has no known serious side effects. However, it has been known to cause mild stomach upsets and skin rashes. To counter these effects first try reducing the dosage then, if that has no affect, stop taking the supplement.

Diabetes Nerve Damage is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

No sooner does summer seem to be over than we start thinking about preparing ourselves for the colder weather to come. Never mind enjoying the Fall for all those glorious colors, it’s straight in to worrying about how to keep your circulation going – especially if you live in a northern state and snowfalls can be expected anytime around early October. So here’s some tips on health supplements you can take to help increase your circulation. However, remember to consult your physician if you’re already taking prescribed drugs/medicines.

Blood circulation.

The signs of poor blood circulation.

Inflammation and circulation.

If you suffer from systemic inflammation then your circulation will be poor, so any anti-inflammatory health supplements will be of help here. So that means Omega-3 fatty acids to inhibit those fats in your body causing the inflammation. Along with the inflammation you’re probably experiencing pain too, so if you don’t want to use prescribed pain killers try 300mg Devils Claw tablets three times a day or have tea drinks made from ginger, turmeric or green tea itself. Also, there’s Boswellia, a tree resin extract – take a 150mg tablet of boswellic acid three times a day. To be taken on an empty stomach are health supplements that will improve your circulation by breaking down the inflammatory agents in your blood stream, these are enzymes like Bromelain Papain.

Keep Your Circulation Going is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

You’ve only got one liver so its well worth spending a little time and money on looking after it. To look after your liver is really quite easy all you have to do is eat a well balanced diet, keeping fatty foods to a minimum, and to only drink alcohol in moderation. If, either through a hereditary disease, due to a previous illness or just bad luck – should you be experiencing problems with you liver is there anything you can do yourself to help to look after your liver? Or, indeed, even if your liver is currently quite healthy – what should you be doing to keep it that way?

Look after those liver cells.

Yellow skin and eyes can indicate liver disease

Detox that liver.

If your liver is there to detox your blood – how can you detox your liver? Well, to help your liver to remove toxins in your blood a mixture of four vitamins will help to keep your liver in tip-top condition. These are vitamins: A (Beta Carotene), C, E and the vitamin B complexes. However, please be aware that if you already have a chronic liver complaint too much vitamin D and E, especially with an excess of Iron, could be harmful to you – so check with your physician first.

Look After Your Liver is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements

Introduction.

Any one in their right minds these days will not be going out when the sun is shining strongly without a good layer of protection from one of the better sunscreen products. Sales of which recently have been at unprecedented levels following the searing heat levels and scorching conditions we’ve recently experienced in the USA. However, one problem with using sunscreens, unless they’re full on sun-blockers, is that you can end up with a blotchy and uneven tan – which is where sunscreens and vitamins touch base thanks to vitamin A.

Vitamin A and you.

Vitamin A is one of the vitamins essential to us all for continued good health. As well as taking a vitamin A supplement or even a multi-vitamin supplement containing vitamin A – it occurs naturally in foods such as fish, eggs and liver. However, if you don’t eat those foods regularly – you really should;d be taking a vitamin A supplement of some sort. Vitamin A is important to us as it helps to prevent serious conditions such as blindness, is important to our reproductive cycles and is generally one of the body building vitamins. However, regarding your exposure to the sun and, therefore, sunscreens – it is one of the vitamins that helps to maintain your skin. With prolonged exposure to sunlight being known to damage skin cells, and in extreme cases to cause melanoma or skin cancers – keeping yourself topped up with vitamin A is a wise thing to do.

Vitamin A in sunscreens.

The value of vitamin A in protecting our skin is that important that many sunscreen products you can buy will include vitamin A in their preparation, so that as well as getting vitamin A into your body orally it is also absorbed directly through the skin from the sunscreen. This form of vitamin A, topical retinoids, are also known to assist in preventing any blotchiness of the skin when using sunscreens and to help reducing skin roughness and drying out due to the action of the sun. Whilst these are all good points regarding vitamin A in sunscreen products do be aware that, for some people, the over use of some sunscreen products containing vitamin A can casue skin defects and irritations. So, every now and then there’s no harm in just covering up rather than using sunscreens every day.

Bet he wished he'd used a sunscreen all over!

Sunscreen And Vitamins is a post from: Vitamins and Supplements