A healthy, functioning body shouldn’t ever be taken for granted. Those who live a happy, fulfilled life often refer to vitamin and mineral supplements as being a big part of what makes them tick. You too can enjoy better functionality by taking supplements to support a healthy system. It doesn’t matter whether you’re young or old, there’s never a better time to start listening to your body and feeding it what it really needs. We’ll delve into which supplements are best below, but first – why bother taking nutritional supplements in the first place?
Why Take Nutritional Supplements?
There are many cynics of nutritional supplements who argue that you can extract the same value from foods and other natural sources. However, although you can gain various minerals and vitamins from many different foods, it’s often not in high enough levels to make a meaningful impact to your life. That’s why many people turn to supplements to help.
With this in mind, here are 5 nutritional supplements that support a healthy system:
1. Vitamin D
1.There’s extensive research to suggest that vitamin D map help control blood sugar, contribute to strong bones and benefit overall health. Vitamin D is a fat soluble nutrient, one of the 24 micronutrients essential for human survival. This is why it’s commonly regarded as one of the most important vitamins in your body. Therefore, if you’re deficient in vitamin D, you should be taking supplements.
Though we can get vitamin D from the sun, it’s not always in high enough doses, especially if you’re not often exposed to sunshine. Foods which contain good sources of vitamin D include:
- Cod liver oil
- Egg yolks
- Beef liver
- Fortified breakfast cereals and bars
- Fortified milk
- Fatty fish
Those with diabetes in particular can benefit from vitamin D intake, as it’s been suggested it can improve insulin resistance. With, coupled with its ability to regular blood sugar levels, makes it the ideal vitamin for them to take. People with and without diabetes should have their vitamin D levels checked annually to establish whether they need to be including more vitamin D into their diet.
2. Cod Liver Oil
Most cod liver oil is extracted from the liver of Atlantic cod and is made available in liquid or capsule form. There’s solid evidence to suggest that omega 3 fatty acids are necessary for a healthy heart and brain. However, there are many other health benefits attributed to taking cod liver oil supplements. Some of those benefits include:
- Supporting eye health
- Reducing risk of heart disease
- Improving symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Helping to heal stomach and gut ulcers
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of taking cod liver oil is its inflammation reducing qualities. It can greatly help bones, muscles and joints. Some people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have even claimed that taking fish oil capsules such as EPA fish oil have decreased their symptoms significantly.
Because we can’t produce cod liver oil like many other of the necessary nutrients and vitamins in our body, it means it’s only available from capsules or large amounts of fish.
3. Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral found in the sea, earth, plants, animals and humans. Interestingly, about 60% of magnesium in a person’s body is found in their bones, with the other 40% being spread across muscles, soft tissues and blood. It plays an important role in hundreds of enzymatic bodily reactions, including our metabolism and the transmission of nerve impulses. Though magnesium is abundant in the earth, many people may find that they’re deficient in the mineral. That’s why the following foods are ideal for those experience low levels of magnesium in the body:
- Nuts and seeds
- Spinach
- Bananas
- Whole grains
- Potatoes
Including such foods in your diet can be an excellent start to getting magnesium levels up in the body. For those who still experience the feeling of fatigue and low energy, magnesium supplements may be necessary. They can also be beneficial in lowering blood pressure, migraine prevention, improving PMS symptoms and fighting depression.