Georgia Browns Health Supplies

it is important to realize that more than the cost of a supplement has to be considered in order to get the best value for your nutritional dollar.Anyone interested in living a healthy life-style, not just diabetics, should research the different recommended vitamins and minerals that can supplement the average lacking American diet.Nutritional supplements can supply these nutrients and with careful shopping can be quite affordable.

Nutritional supplements are best added into the diet slowly, starting with small dosages and working up to the manufacturers’ recommended amounts over time. Also, some supplements, such as herbal medications that may stimulate processes in the body, are best taken intermittently, allowing the body occasional rest periods without the supplement. Herbal medicines and nutritional supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as prescription and over-the-counter medications are. The World Health Organization (WHO) published guidelines on the use of herbal medicines in 2004, including recommendations on cultivating, collecting, classification, quality control, storage, labeling and distribution. Formulation has it’s own specific results: Supplements for body building help increase mass. Sports nutritional supplements are supposed to help athletes keep their game up until the final second.

Nutritional supplements can come in all different shapes and sizes - many different nutritional supplements can make a huge difference in your life. Nutritional supplements are exactly what they imply; they are the vitamins and minerals and other nutrients that your body needs to be healthy. Arthritis treatment plans can incorporate nutritional supplements. But the key word is carefully.

As you can see nutritional supplements can help you in weight loss and overall health. Please note that we are recommending supplements that help your body, not supplements, diet pills, etc. Nutritional supplements can make such a dramatic difference for women at mid-life. At higher than usual dosages, nutritional supplements can have a positive pharmacological effect. In any chronic illness, oxidative stress is increased and leads to the compounding of problems.

If a surgical procedure is contemplated or untoward event occurs, it is important for the physician to ask the patient about any use of alternative medications. This will allow the patient and physician to discuss any potential for adverse interactions and plan for any discontinuation of the supplement before surgery. Ask for help from nutrition store clerks or health professionals to find brands that are trustworthy. Contact the supplement company directly and ask them about their quality control and proof of Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) testing. Vitamin B6 is required for the production of serotonin and helps to maintain healthy immune system functions.

Natural products are important as they help with the healing process and increase it. In no way are our products intended to cure or heal a disease.

It depends on whom you ask. According to the FDA, the sexual effects of aphrodisiacs are based in folklore, not fact. For example, it may be desirable to administer the bitter tasting ingredients in a form that masks their taste (e.g., capsule or pill form) rather than incorporating them into the nutritional composition itself (e.g., powder or bar). Thus, the invention also provides a pharmaceutical pack or kit comprising one or more containers filled with one or more of the ingredients of the nutritional compositions of the invention (e.g., nutritional supplement in the form of a powder and capsules containing green tea and caffeine).

My biggest gripe against supplements is that people see them as the easy way out, they see meal replacement bars or protein shakes as a complete meal. The shakes, bars, cookies - whatever it be, are meant to ’supplement’ what whole foods cannot give you, hence, the importance to combine carbs and protein.

Through supplements, cartilage and joints strengthen,

with the benefit of improved flexibility, bone strength, and pain relief. Natural dietary supplements have become popular alternative treatments for arthritis and osteoporosis. Taking handfuls of vitamins is not useful, and there is nothing “natural” about it. There are a few vitamins and minerals that, in an extra dose, can be helpful in certain situations; these should be discussed with your doctor. The recommended course of action is to take a given formula for a few months.

Nutritional supplements can supply these nutrients and with careful shopping can be quite affordable. However, it is important to realize that more than the cost of a supplement has to be considered in order to get the best value for your nutritional dollar. Therefore, changing a diet and using diabetes nutritional supplements can help promote better metabolism, overcoming abnormalities. Anyone interested in living a healthy life-style, not just diabetics, should research the different recommended vitamins and minerals that can supplement the average lacking American diet. In fact, these studies suggest that the biochemical imbalances that nutritional supplements can correct are, in and of themselves, the direct causes of addiction.

The commitment to eat healthy and give yourself the nutrition needed for aging gracefully. Another aspect is a distinct need for diabetic people to have nutritious flavored drink compositions that help maintain blood sugar levels and which will not add excessive calories, but still have adequate nutritional value and an attractive taste. You’ve taken an active part in searching out places and practitioners that can help you improve your current health situation and I commend you for your efforts. But don’t stop here! Research is done, now follow through and improve your life!

Results from a national survey in 2007 showed that, 17.7 percent of American adults had used “natural products” in the past 12 months. These natural or herbal supplements didn’t include vitamins and minerals.

Of late there have been a slew of discussions, debates, and studies that have questioned the efficacy and safety of herbal supplements, e.g. herbal supplements viz. Echinacea, Glucosamine, Kava, etc. could lead to dangerous side effects during plastic surgery. And an NIH supported study found that the herbal supplement black cohosh used alone or with other herbal dietary supplements, wasn’t effective in relieving hot flashes in postmenopausal women.

Nevertheless, the following are 5 promising health benefits of several herbal supplements.

1. Prostate Cancer Prevention - An increased consumption of dietary isoflavones is linked with reduced risk of prostate cancer. One source of the compound is Red clover (Trifolium pretense). However, there’s little information about these supplements’ safety. These results were reported in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

2. Prostate Cancer Treatment - According to a report published in the October 2005 edition of Nutrition and Cancer, Zyflamend - a unique herbal extract preparation, suppresses the growth of prostate cancer cells and causes them to self-destruct.

3. Managing Cocaine Cravings - A study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology’s (ACNP) annual conference 2005, showed that the compound N-acetylcysteine (NAC) could modulate the effects of cocaine addiction. NAC is an herbal supplement known for its antioxidant properties and is sold over-the-counter.

4. Fertility Boost in women - Chasteberry was the herb that showed an improved ovulation and restoration of progesterone balance in women. These results published in the April 2004 issue of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine were an outcome of a small pilot study in by Stanford researchers.

5. Combating Liver Cancer – The aqueous leaf extract (ALE) from the plant Acanthus ilicifolius – found across India, increased the survival of cancer ridden animals (mice) to a significant extent. Suggesting that the plant extract may be used to guard against liver cancer. The study appeared in the World Journal of Gastroenterology (volume 13, issue 48).

It’s exciting to see that effective cures and treatments could very well lie outside the purview of conventional medicine. And that researches only help separate the wheat from chaff.

There is no denying it: there are just way too many herbal supplements sold in the market today. It can difficult to choose from among them. It is very important though that you select the best herbal supplement that is well-suited for you depending on your lifestyle and needs. If you don’t, you may only be spending your hard-earned money on nutritional supplements that are good for nothing.

Unfortunately, nutritional supplements do not go through any form of regulation. This means that you are not really sure whether the supplements are effective or if they contain what they say they do. Considering this, how is it possible to choose the best herbal supplement for you? Enumerated are some guidelines to help you:

Check for GMP Complicance. GMP happens to be the highest standard that companies need to conform to. Since GMP require strict standards and conditions, nutritional supplements accredited by GMP will most likely be effective and risk-free.

Go only for an herbal supplement with pure and standardized herbal extracts. Note that an herbal must contain purest extract that guarantee quality ingredients. Generally, this is where your supplement’s value will depend on. Therefore, it is best that you take the ingredient quality aspect very seriously.

Don’t hesitate to ask for the laboratory test results. It is the COA which will help you ensure that the an herbal supplement really contains the exact nutrients and the right amounts displayed in the label. This can also assure you that the reputable maker have done lab tests for effectivity and safety.

Read the label. The packaging of an herbal supplement usually reveals quite a lot about the product in question. The label written on a reliable herbal supplement must contain the name of the company, the number of capsules, the active ingredients along with their amounts, additives and other ingredients contained, and of course, the name and contact details of the manufacturer.

Do not give in to false promises. Try your best not to immediately believe in claims which might sound too good to be true for you. Trust your instincts. Remember that an herbal supplements are not miracle medications.

Go natural. You will be better off if, you should only go for an herbal supplement contains 100% natural components. By natural, this means free from allergens, artificial preservatives or dyes. Additives found in supplements are most often and they actually serve a purpose. However, try to take one that has no harmful allergens.

If you choose an wrong supplement, you are like tossing your hard-earned cash down the drain. Even worse, if you come accross an unreliable company; taking in an unreliable herbal supplement with the wrong formulation may end up endangering your health.

You might have a vague idea that eating right and exercising regularly are good things, but have difficulty making that leap towards actually doing something about your health. If you need some real, concrete reasons while you must start pursing a healthy lifestyle starting today, just take a look at these completely true benefits of being healthy.

1. Bone Density

After age thirty or so, you very slowly, over time start to lose bone density. This process can lead to brittle bones and osteoporosis. The more load bearing exercise you perform before age thirty, the stronger your bones will be. And performing load-bearing exercise later in life will help maintain bone density. Load bearing exercises can be things like weight lifting, jogging, and stair climbing.

2. Improved Mood

You may think that ice cream and pizza and playing a lot of video games make you happy, but it doesn’t even compare to the kind of contentment you experience when you are physically fit. Firstly, the exercise itself feels wonderful. When you exercise, your body produces a morphine like hormone called endorphins. The endorphins make the exerciser feel contented, focused, and stress free. The mood benefits of a fit lifestyle get better over time. Some studies on patients who suffer from depression show that regular exercise can even be as effective as anti-depressants in treating depression.

3. Reduce the risk of several diseases

There is nothing really pleasant about suffering from heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. A major illness can throw your life upside down, and affect your relationship with your loved ones and how you enjoy your favorite hobbies. Pursuing a healthy lifestyle can prevent these and other chronic diseases from ever forming. When you eat right and get active, you activate your immune system and lower your cholesterol. You will have fewer sick days in your life and have more time to do what you enjoy doing.

4. You will look great

There are few things more satisfying than looking in the mirror and being proud of what you see. It’s a wonderful feeling, but it can only really be accomplished through a healthy diet and regular exercise. Looking great will also lead to feeling great, which will then lead to you pursing your work, home life, and hobbies with more zest and confidence. Even a slight improvement in your appearance can raise your self-esteem to heights you may have never experienced before.

5. You will be smarter

There is lots of new evidence that is proving that the commonly held belief that the world is divided between nerds and jocks is completely unfounded. In fact, some traditionally jock-like behavior can even make your smarter. In 2004 the University of Illinois released the findings of a two-year study on the connection between physical activity and test scores. One of the professors says the study revealed that there is a “strong relationship between academic achievement and fitness scores.” So if you feel like you could use a better memory, stronger concentration, and a more powerful cognitive ability, you should definitely be spending more time outside being active.

Many of our readers asked for simple nutrition tips for women. Women today are busier than ever before. Their stress is exacerbated by today’s fast paced, pre-packaged, convenience based society and the toxins that come from antibiotics and household cleaners. Iron-deficiency anemia is very common in young women. Women need nutrition and they need to be CLEAN from toxins. Here’s a nutrition tip for all women — berries are your friends.

While women’s role in the food chain is essential to produce that all-important resource, food, it paradoxically does not guarantee women even minimum levels of nutrition. Women are often responsible for producing and preparing food for the household, so their knowledge  or lack thereof  about nutritions effect on the entire family. Women with adequate stores of iron and other micronutrients are less likely to suffer fatal infections and are more likely to survive bleeding during and after childbirth. Women in developing countries are also regularly deficient in vitamin A, iodine, and energy. Women of child-bearing age are recommended to take folic acid supplements and consume a folic-rich diet. Women are also at higher risk for developing osteoporosis and need more calcium and vitamin D to prevent it. Studies showed that women with vitamin D insufficiency absorb less than 10 percent of available calcium.

However, even among the poor, different groups of women are affected differently by macro development policies, such as the commercialization of agriculture or family planning. The conflict between women’s (economic) earning role and (biological and social) mothering role results to some degree in a squeeze on child care, with consequences for child health and nutrition. While women will be mothers too, motherhood is just one part of the inexorable life cycle. We need programs to increase women’s awareness, self-confidence, and motivation to act. Men must be educated about the cost to society of neglecting women and the need for affirmative action for women, which arises both from the fact of their greater work burden and their unique reproductive roles. The issue of women’s nutrition status and roles is crucial to the proposal for nutrition as a basic right for all in the 1990s, in which human development goals are paramount over economic goals. Programming for women’s health must extend beyond their role as mothers to encompass their non-reproductive and work-related energy and health needs.

The nutrition tips for women broadcast on the news often imply that nutrition may magically cure all kinds of diseases. The role of nutrition is to feed our bodies. 1 nutrition tip for women is to regularly include iron-rich foods such as meat, shellfish, beans and enriched cereals in your diet. The effects of high levels of protein-energy malnutrition and anemia among women. The nutritional handicap accumulated in the life of a woman is passed on to the next generation through low birth weight, which considerably reduces survival and jeopardizes growth. The ultimate constraint of time affects the extent to which women can acquire nutritional goods and services and allocate them to improving their own well-being or that of their families. The best way to give your body the balanced nutrition it needs is by eating a variety of nutrient-packed foods every day. In some respects, men and women have different nutritional needs, largely due to differences in male and female hormones.

“If you look at the current federal dietary guidelines for kids, there is no difference in nutritional needs for males and females until age 9,” says Elaine Turner, PhD, RD, associate professor in the department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Pregnancy drives the role of women and nutrition. If you need fewer calories, the calories you take in need to pack a lot of nutritional punch. One way that traditionally-minded woman can continue to keep their strength and health within the cycles of the creation,is through the use of berry plants. Remember, too that although berry plants have much nutritional value, they are only meant to supplement and enhance a well-balanced diet.

Anemia is the most common form of malnutrition, afflicting an estimated 47 percent of women worldwide, and anemia in pregnancy is one of the leading causes of maternal death. For maximum effect, improving women’s nutrition should begin long before pregnancy. Improving nutrition by maintaining a healthy diet before and during pregnancy and also during lactation can help to ensure adequate gestational weight gain, prevent weight loss during lactation, help strengthen the immune system, and delay HIV disease progression. Good nutrition is important for all pregnant and lactating women irrespective of their HIV status. Ignorance about the symptoms of malnutrition, such as the lethargy and depression caused by iron deficiency, may be dismissed as “normal” or unimportant, further exacerbating the problem. Addressing women’s malnutrition has a range of positive effects because healthy women can fulfill their multiple roles  generating income, ensuring their families’ nutrition, and having healthy children  more effectively and thereby help advance countries’ socioeconomic development. Well-nourished mothers are more likely to have infants with healthy birth weights, and such children are less likely to ever suffer from malnutrition. For reasons including women’s reproductive biology, low social status, poverty, and lack of education, they suffer from nutritional imbalances. After the first year of life adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition.

Herbal supplements are more popular now then ever before. People are looking for new ways to improve their health, and they are turning to natural remedies rather than pharmaceutical drugs more and more. Therefore, many people use natural health supplements and natural beauty products to treat various health conditions as well as to promote general well being. Nutritional supplements are an important part of a balanced health regiment, as they can provide essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that you may not be getting from your diet.

What are the benefits that you can get from health supplements and natural beauty products? First of all, supplements help you overcome nutritional deficiencies. We need all the nutritional in their proper amounts for optimum health. Since our diets most likely can not fill in those gaps. Nutritional supplements also help boost our immune system. The stronger your immune system, the more resistant your body can be against disease. You probably know that popping a tablet or two of vitamine c can help you avoid colds and related illnesses. This is exactly how useful supplementation is.

Health supplements and natural beauty products are also useful in getting rid of the toxins which we herrendously take in every day. The environmental stresses we go through, chemicals we are in touch with, as well as our lifestyles. These all subject us to harmful toxins which can lead to serious health problems. supplements, most especially anti-oxidants, can help our body keep toxins to a minimum. There are much more benefits that health supplements and natural beauty products can provide. The main point is that these supplements help you have the optimum health you deserve and minimize the risk of diseases.

Vitamins are micro-nutrients. They were discovered by Eijkman (1897) in Indonesia, Java, while studying a disease called beriberi common among natives whose main diet was rice. He noticed that fowl fed on polished rice, developed beri beri, but not when fed on crudely milled rice.

In 1911 Funk obtained an alcoholic extract of the outer husk of rice which cured beri beri. This was thought to be a vital amine introducing the name vitamine. The “e” was later dropped to read “vitamin”.

Vitamins Functions And Sources:

As micro nutrients, vitamins are required in small quantities. Generally your body cannot manufacture or synthesize vitamins from scratch. So you need to get them from the food you eat or from supplement pills. Though, vitamins can be synthesized by some bacteria, yeast, mould, algae and some plant species. Some vitamins like vitamin B5 have been found to be synthesized by bacteria in the human large intestines. However it is not clear if the vitamins are available for absorption and use by the body.

Vitamins are required by the body for a variety of biological processes. These include growth e.g Vitamin B6; mental alertness e.g Choline, Niacin; resistance to infection e.g. Vitamin C and Vitamin E. They also act as catalysts in the body chemistry as well as precursors to vital body factors. This enables the body to use carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Vitamins in themselves do not have calories and therefore do not give energy to the body. Natural vitamins are found in living things that is plants and animals and are organic food substances. There are many artificially synthesized vitamins.

Vitamins exist in varying quantities in an array of food sources from yeasts, wheat bran, cooked egg that provides Biotin, citrus fruits and milk that provide Vitamin C, green leafy vegetables and legumes that supply Folic acid .

Vitamin Classification:

There are mainly two types of vitamins classified based on their solubility. These are water soluble and fat soluble vitamins.

i) Water soluble vitamins include : Vitamin C also called citric acid, Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), Vitamin B9 (folic acid), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), Vitamin B12 (cobalamin), Cholin, Biotin.

Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body in any appreciable amounts. The surplus is washed out mainly through urine. They requires consistent replenishing using the diet we consume. This makes them safe because they do not collect in the body toxic levels, making large doses of vitamin supplementary safe. But caution should still be practiced because mega doses have side effects and even can be fatal.

For example, there is a low risk of vitamin toxicity from nicotinic acid with mega doses. Nicotinic acid a derivative of vitamin niacin, one may experience flushing, itching, nausea and vomiting, liver cell damage. So supplement with daily value doses. Do not use megadoses unless under ongoing expert advice.

ii)Fat soluble vitamins includes: Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K. Being fat soluble these vitamins are stored in the fat in our bodies. They can easily accumulate to toxic levels so if you choose to supplement be cautious.

Vitamin Deficiency:

The lack of these food factors i.e vitamins results to deficiency diseases. Vitamin defiency diseases are a manifestation of malfunctioning bio-chemical processes due to lack of the vital vitamins. Since the same vitamin may be used in a number of processes, deficiency in some vitamins can be quite serious and even fatal. For example over two hundred enzymes require the niacin vitamin coenzyme. So a lack of niacin makes this two hundred enzymes malfunction.

Vitamin deficiencies have been associated with long term latent deficiency diseases. These diseases occur after a long time of deficiency of some nutritional factors like vitamins. Long term latent deficiency diseases can be as severe as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. In our society today, these diseases are becoming the highest health concern.

The situation is grave because they are not only preventable but also cheaply preventable. A proper nutrition is all it takes to get all required nutrients including sufficient quantities of vitamins. General health benefits of vitamins include protection from a variety of diseases and conditions.

In case of a nutritional gap between what your body and what your diet provides, supplementing is necessary.

Whole foods are and will always be the best source of vitamins. This is because whole foods provide a combination of nutrients to the body including minerals and phytonutrients.

But many people do not receive all nutrients they need from their food choices. Either because they cannot or will not eat enough, or they cannot or will not eat right foods. This may be because of medical or physical conditions, your lifestyles, i.e. job, time, availability or even due to poverty. In such cases, supplementation is necessary.

Vitamin Supplementing:

Today’s lifestyles make it more necessary to supplement our diets. There are groups of people to whom supplementing may really not be a choice.

This will include you if;

i) You are sixty five years and older:- At this age some vitamins are not easily absorbed by your body system. Multivitamins may improve your immunity and lower risk of some infections.

ii) You are a post menopausal woman:- Supplement with calcium and vitamin D to help against osteoporosis.

iii) You do not eat the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

iv) You are on a low calorie diet. E.g. You are trying to lose weight

v) You smoke The tobacco interferes and diminishes vitamin uptake of vitamins like vitamin B6, vitamin C, folic acid and even niacin.

Ps: This will not make up for the health risk of smoking.

vi) You drink excessively that is more than a bottle a day. Long term excessive drinking will reduce absorption of vitamins. Vitamins affected are thiamin (Vitamin B), Folic acid, Vitamin A & D, as well as Vitamin B12.

vii) You are pregnant or trying to be pregnant.

There is a wide choice of vitamin supplements in the markets to choose from. When choosing vitamins, consider the following:

a) Bioavailability of the vitamin: Choose vitamins supplements whose source of ingredients is from the human food chain. Many vitamins are extracted from “natural sources”, like algae, which we do not normally eat. This may not be easily available to your body.

b) Wide spectrum of vitamins: Prefer to use multivitamins that give a number of positively interacting vitamins. Remember we require all nutrients in varying quantities. It is better to have a multivitamin providing daily values instead of megadoses of a single or few vitamins.

c) Expiry date of the vitamin: Vitamins do expire. Buy to use only for the month. When you need more you can always purchase again.

d) Store Vitamins safely: Store in a cool dry place away from sunlight and children

e) Health concern: If you have a health condition e.g diabetes or having medication, please first consult your physician.

Also note, if you are in a weight loss program you need to consider your vitamin intake and find out if you your meal plans have any deficiencies. If there are, supplement.

Actually the key to having a healthy lifestyle is to remember to have all things in moderation - including exercise. While too many sweets are definitely a bad thing, not having any is an extreme that few people want to experience. Artificial sweeteners can help you cut out some sugar, but don’t rely on them to completely fix your sugar tooth.

Research has shown that people who consume too much artificial sweetener may actually gain weight because their bodies actually think they are getting calories they aren’t and then crave those missing calories! A better idea is to eat naturally sweet things like fresh fruit or dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has antioxidants that are good for your body, and as long as you don’t go overboard it’s actually good for you!

Another tip to have a healthy lifestyle is to incorporate more vegetables into your dinner and lunch. Many people eat a lot of meat and bread, but if you replace either of those things with more vegetables, your body is getting more vitamins and less heavy carbs and calories. Also, one tip many people use to eat less and feel lighter is to eat an apple half an hour before every meal. This fills you up a bit so you won’t eat such a big portion at dinner!

Exercise is the most important component to a healthy lifestyle. You don’t have to go run six miles every morning to get the exercise that your body needs. Take stairs instead of elevators, park far away from the store, take the dog for an extra walk in the afternoon, play frisbee with the kids after school, dance with your spouse while dinner is in the oven, there are hundreds of fun ways to get more activity without having to spend countless hours on the treadmill.

You can even exercise while you watch tv! Just flex your leg muscles or curl a can of soup to work your biceps! Another part of a healthy lifestyle is to limit alcohol, tobacco and drug use.

While in moderation these things may not have a big impact on your life, everyone knows that too much of anything is a bad deal, especially when it comes to things that can ruin your organs and mental health.

Last, remember to relax! A healthy lifestyle involves lots of relaxing, family fun time, and laughter. Don’t overwork yourself and remember to take time to do things you enjoy. You only get one life, so you might as well have fun and not waste it!

Nutrition supplements are not only necessary but are indispensable even for those persons eating balanced diets. There are several advantages that bodybuilding nutrition supplements are able to provide humans that normal food is not able to give.

Let us take a brief look at the benefits of nutrition supplements, as the first step in nutrition guide.



Healthy nutrition increases energy both in body and in mind

It provides relaxation to the mind and the various body parts

Bodybuilding supplements help in beating stress and fatigue

Nutrition supplements sharpens the mind and improves memory power

Healthy nutrition is a great facilitator of detoxification and in overcoming addiction

Nutrition supplements assist you in achieving internal calmness and a connected feeling

All the above processes help in elevating the overall mood, resulting in higher work efficiency



Healthy nutrition is a natural process that gives you the same or even higher energy boost and mood relaxation from tea, coffee, tobacco, liquors, drugs, etc., without their harmful side effects

Body-mind complex should not be violated

The major difference between these bodybuilding nutrition supplements and the above listed harmful materials is that the natural nutrition supplements work with the innate design of your body and not against it. All addictive materials definitely work against the body-mind system, though they might appear to be working with them.

They do provide stimulation and relaxation. That could not be denied. However, the harmful side effects from drinks, drugs, and tobacco far exceed the momentary benefits derived from them. They become an addiction. They leave you exhausted and run down in the long run, because they work against the natural body system. Constant exposure to such violation of the body and mind leads to the dislocation of internal harmony. Disastrous results ensue.

Right nutrition guide to healthy life

Nutrition supplements are the exact opposite of the above listed harmful items in functioning. They not only work the body-mind system but enhance the natural abilities inherent in our complex physical structure. There is nothing miraculous about healthy nutrition and bodybuilding nutrition supplements. By nature, they are designed to supplement and compliment the various body functions and mental activities.

They are similar in nearly all the aspects to the various chemicals and fluids that we have in our body and brain. Vitamins, minerals, and amino acids present in our body control the function of the various body parts and the activities of the brain. The nutrition supplements just enhance the energy present in the body to higher levels, increase the focusing power of the mind, and usher in overall well being.

n Supplementation is huge worldwide. Most of us take vitamins now or have taken vitamins in the past. The US ranks top in dietary supplementation globally. 18.9% of Americans had taken at least one dietary supplement in 2004. Over 100 million Americans use vitamin and mineral supplements everyday. The global market has become a multi-billion dollar industry and the dietary supplement sector is growing the fastest.

The most common reason for supplement use is “to improve overall health and general well being.” It is a popular belief that vitamins are antioxidants and can therefore protect us from oxidative stress that causes many health conditions.

The most common supplements taken are:
multivitamin/multiminerals - 22%;
multivitamins plus vitamin C - 15%;
vitamin C as a single vitamin - 13%;
herbal and botanical supplements - 7%;
vitamin E as a single vitamin - 6%.

Over the years, more and more reports on the health benefits of vitamin supplements have emerged, ranging from cardiovascular benefits to cancer prevention. This is mainly due to the antioxidant properties of vitamins that can protect us from oxidative stress. As a result several studies have been conducted to confirm these reports. Some of the latest studies summarized below reveal surprising results to say the least.

One of the very first studies to comprehensively investigate the health effects of vitamin supplements was conducted by Danish researchers in 2007. They performed a meta-analysis on data pooled from several clinical trials which used supplementation of the antioxidant vitamin A, vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C and selenium used as stand-alone or as combination supplements to treat a wide range of health conditions, from cardiovascular disorders to cancer. Their results were a surprising, even troubling. For one, no benefits of these “antioxidant supplements” were found. Second, supplementation with vitamins A and E and beta-carotene (but not vitamin C and selenium) actually increased overall mortality. This study prompted other researchers to take a second look at the benefits of vitamin supplements.

In a more recent review paper, the same researchers performed another meta-analysis of more data from several clinical trials, this time involving over 200,000 people who are healthy as well as those with existing health conditions. The researchers only considered studies which compared the efficacy of antioxidant supplements against placebos in the primary and secondary prevention of different medical conditions. The authors reported that they “found no evidence to support antioxidant supplements for primary or secondary prevention. Vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin E may increase mortality.”

Another meta-analysis investigated the anti-cancer properties of antioxidant supplements, particularly against gastrointestinal cancers. They looked at data of trials which studied beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and E and selenium. The authors concluded that “we could not find convincing evidence that antioxidant supplements prevent gastrointestinal cancers.”

One of the most recent developments in vitamin supplement research is the long-term SELECT (Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial) study of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The study evaluated the efficacy of selenium and Vitamin E in preventing prostate cancer and enrolled 35,000 male participants in the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The participants were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: group 1 were given vitamin E supplements only, group 2 were given only selenium, group 3 took both supplements in combination, and group 4 were given placebos only. Five years into the study, the NCI decided to stop the trial because of some “concerning” findings, namely:

1. The analysis found no lower risk of prostate cancer in men taking the supplements, either alone or together.

2. Men who were taking only vitamin E actually had a slightly higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

3. Men taking only selenium seemed to have a slightly higher risk of developing diabetes.

Another study evaluated the efficacy of combined folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 in reducing cancer risk among women. Their result show that combined folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 treatment had no significant effect on overall risk of total invasive cancer or breast cancer among women during the folic acid fortification era.

A study published in December 2008 evaluated whether vitamins C and E and beta carotene supplementation have an effect on overall cancer risk. The data was taken from the Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study and involved 8,171 women who were cancer-free at the start of the study about 9.4 years ago. The findings of the study showed that “supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E, or beta carotene offers no overall benefits in the primary prevention of total cancer incidence or cancer mortality.”

The Women’s Health Initiative Calcium/Vitamin D Trial evaluated the effects of vitamin D and calcium supplements on blood pressure and risk for hypertension risk of 36,252 healthy postmenopausal women. The women were assigned in 2 groups: one group received a daily supplement of 1000 mg of calcium plus 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily. The other group received placebo only. The researchers reported that “in postmenopausal women, calcium plus vitamin D3 supplementation did not reduce either blood pressure or the risk of developing hypertension over 7 years of follow-up.”

The Physicians’ Health Study II evaluated whether vitamin E or vitamin C have cardioprotective properties that can reduce risk for CVD in men. A total of 14,641 American doctors were enrolled in the study, aged 50 years and older, and were followed up for 8 years. The study results showed that “neither vitamin E nor vitamin C supplementation reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events. These data provide no support for the use of these supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and older men.”

This study evaluated whether antioxidant (vitamins E, C and/or beta-carotene) supplements can prevent atherosclerosis. The researchers performed a meta-analysis of 22 trials which involved 134,590 participants. The researcher conclude that “…the majority of studies included in this review does not support a possible role of antioxidant supplementation in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease … no definite conclusion can be drawn to justify the use of antioxidant vitamin supplements for the prevention of atherosclerotic events.”

Folic acid is routinely prescribed for pregnant women to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. It has also been thought that folic acid, which reduced the levels of homocysteine in the blood, can prevent cardiovascular disease. Homocysteine is an amino acid used as biomarker for cardiovascular disorder. This trial investigated whether a vitamin combination pill with folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 (vs. a placebo) can reduce cardiovascular risk. It enrolled more than 5,400 American women with a history of cardiovascular disease or with moderate to high risk profile for ccardiovascular disease. After 7.3 years of treatment and follow-up, a combination pill of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 did not reduce a combined end point of total cardiovascular events among high-risk women, despite significant homocysteine lowering.

While most of the evidence from studies summarized here does not seem to support the health benefits of vitamin supplements, there are some studies which indicate that vitamin D supplementation is worthwhile, even essential. Vitamin D is unique because we cannot get our vitamin D requirements from food alone. Instead, vitamin D is synthesized by the body upon exposure of the skin to the sun, thus earning it the title “sun vitamin.” However, since the sun is said to cause skin cancer, people tend to avoid exposure leading to widespread vitamin D deficiency.

American health experts are convinced of the necessity of vitamin D supplements and thus, routinely prescribe vitamin D supplements even for newborn babies. Milk and other dairy products in the US are fortified with vitamin D but not in many parts of the world. Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines for vitamin D supplementation to recommend the doubling of the dose for babies and children from 200 IU to 400 IU per day.

According to a review paper, “vitamin D is not only important for calcium metabolism and maintenance of bone health throughout life, but also plays an important role in reducing risk of many chronic diseases including type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, deadly cancers, heart disease and infectious diseases.”

In summary, antioxidants in fresh fruit and vegetables have been shown to have extensive health benefits. Unfortunately, except for vitamin D, the use of vitamin and mineral supplementation does not seem to reproduce the protective effect of natural food stuffs, as shown by many different studies summarized here. Worse, some studies even suggest that vitamin supplementation can actually increase risk for certain health conditions and mortalities. Most of the studies cited were long-term randomized, placebo-controlled trials involving thousands of participants. The data they presented are therefore, highly reliable.

The antioxidant supplement pill fits in quite nicely in this era of convenience food and lifestyle on the go. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like a real healthy lifestyle and convenience can go hand in hand. The take home message is, when it comes to nutrition, there is no substitute for natural food stuff. Nature is still the best source of our nutritional needs.