Introduction
Like most people, you probably think about your health regarding the food you eat and the exercise you do. But what if I told you there are ways to improve your health—even boost it—by simply taking supplements? That’s right. There are several supplements out there that can help improve your diet and keep you feeling great throughout the year. In this article, we’ll look at five essential nutrients that will help optimize your body’s function and performance: omega-3s, vitamin D3, probiotics, magnesium, and zinc.
Omega 3’s
Omega 3’s are essential fatty acids that your body cannot produce independently, so you must get them from food or supplements. They have many health benefits and can help decrease inflammation, lower blood pressure, and cholesterol levels (which may reduce your risk of heart disease), improve brain function, and aid in weight loss.
Omega 3’s are found in fish oil supplements like cod liver oil and krill oil. They’re also present in certain types of seafood like wild salmon (but not farm-raised salmon), sardines/herring/mackerel/trout (again–not farmed varieties), oysters & mussels.
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium, which builds strong bones. Vitamin D3 also plays an essential role in immune system health and muscle strength.
In addition to its essential role in bone health, Vitamin D3 can help prevent heart disease, blood pressure problems, and some cancers by keeping your arteries healthy.
Like Vitamin D2, Vitamin D3 is naturally produced by your skin when exposed to sunlight. You can also get it from fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel.
Probiotics
Probiotics are good bacteria that help your body digest food and fight off harmful bacteria. They’re found in yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha. Probiotics can also be taken as supplements–but it’s best to get them from food first!
Probiotics help your body by:
- It helps you digest food better by breaking down carbs into simple sugars that are easy for your body to use as energy or store as fat. By doing this, they improve how well you absorb nutrients from the foods you eat, which means more energy throughout the day!
- Fighting off harmful bacteria by competing with them for space in your digestive tract (the gut). The more good bugs there are around, the less room there is for bad ones, which makes it harder for those nasty germs to thrive there.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a role in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also aids in converting food into energy, which can be helpful if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.
Magnesium deficiency may be caused by:
- Poor diet
- Taking certain medications (diuretics) that cause you to lose excess fluids and minerals through urination; this includes water pills (diuretics) such as spironolactone (Aldactone), triamterene/hydrochlorothiazide (Dyazide), amiloride/ hydrochlorothiazideVarious superfoods and healthy food supplements. Goji, chia, chlorella, acai, matcha, spirulina and turmeric
Zinc
Zinc is a mineral that is important in many aspects of your health. It involves immune function, wound healing, skin repair, and helping fight infections.
Zinc also helps boost insulin production (the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels), which can be especially beneficial if you have diabetes or prediabetes.
With the right supplement plan, you can fuel your body to be the best it can be.
You can use supplements to help you reach your goals, but they should not be a substitute for healthy eating. Supplements are not a magic bullet; they can be expensive, so it’s essential to research before purchasing them.
Supplements should be taken with food or water and not on an empty stomach because this could cause digestive problems and nausea in some people. Also remember that the dose of vitamin C in an orange is much higher than what you would get from taking an orange flavoured chewable tablet – so if your goal is simply to increase your vitamin C intake then eating an orange may be more effective!
Conclusion
We hope this article has provided helpful information about which supplements are best for your unique needs. With the right plan, you can boost your health and feel better!
