Super Supplements For General Health
The general purpose of supplements is to enhance health. They contain dietary ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats and botanicals. Also referred to as Dietary, Nutritional or Health Food supplements, the supply and consumption continues to grow as people become more and more aware of some critical factors.
Why Supplement?
Unless we eat very well our nutritional requirements will not be met. Then as we grow older we are less able to absorb nutrients and the more chemicals passed onto the produce the more compromised we become to toxins. Furthermore, the nutritional value of foods can be depleted due to nutritionally depleted soil that has been subjected to conventional farming.
Should you supplement with caution?
Always. Be cautious to not conflict with medial prescriptions and existing ailments, aim to achieve balance and get hold of quality supplements.
Seek advice from your medical practitioner to ensure the supplements you intend to consume will not affect any medications you are taking. Seek advice to identify supplements you may be in more need of to define a balance of what to take, how much and when, with and without food. From a quality perspective, the best possible supplements are organically derived from clean and quality controlled manufacturing.
Super Supplements
Probiotic Supplements
Probiotics can be defined as microorganisms that provide assistance to your body’s natural digestive processes. Within the intestines lives a community of bacteria and microorganisms, overtime and due to eating habits, stress, antibiotics and medications, the resiliency and diversity of functions required to establish balanced immune responses become compromised.
By consuming probiotics from supplements and fermented foods, this enables assistance to help re-populate the microbiome in a positive way. Beneficial bacteria help the microbiome to keep unwanted pathogens at bay and assist in the modulation of the immune system.
Probiotics has been shown to benefit the treatment of anxiety, a study found that probiotics decrease anxiety and thus identified a bi-directional gut-brain relationship.
Another benefit shown in a further study, concluded that supplementation with probiotics can reduce cavities and improve overall oral health by re-balancing the bacteria in the mouth.
Many observations concur there is a connection between the gut and the brain via neurotransmitters derived from the gut. It is theorised that symptoms of depression result from imbalances in the microbiome leading to inflammation in the gut which then crosses the blood-brain barrier to cause inflammation in the brain. Good bacteria introduced from probiotics assists in the reduction of gut inflammation and consequently reduces inflammation in the brain.
When selecting probiotics, consider a broad spectrum approach by varying the range and combining supplements with fermented foods such as yogurt, kombucha, kefir, kimchi, diluted apple cider vinegar (added to water). Combined, this can provide great assistance in fighting off pathogenic bacteria and fuelling the mitochondria.
2. Vitamin C (Liposomal)
Vitamin C is a great immune system booster and also helps the body deal with stress. It is a supremely beneficial antioxidant playing a key role in supporting a healthy heart, eyes, bone health & joint function, the production of collagen and our blood by helping the white blood cells combat the attack of pathogens and free radicals.
The typical Vitamin C is water soluble, this presents a problematic process with introducing a water soluble nutrient within a fat soluble matrix such as the cell membranes that are made up of fatty acids. Liposomal however are made as nano sized constructs that are able to be incorporated into cell membranes much more effectively. In doing so, the vitamin C uptake into cells is rapid and loads up the immune cells in the gut and thus achieving efficient and effective delivery to the bloodstream.
Liposomal C from Core Med Science is one of the cleanest and and well comprised offerings on the market. No solvents, No soy, No GMO and comes with QUALI®-C sourced vitamin C (from Scotland)
3. K2, D3, Calcium & Magnesium
These 3 nutrients combined work synergistically to support your bones, teeth and a healthy heart.
Vitamin K2 (type MK-7 specifically which has a greater bio-availability) works differently to the better known K1. It works together with Vitamin D, Calcium and Magnesium to promote several health benefits particularly by improving cardiovascular health. A study on K2 supplementation reported a reduction in arterial stiffness, which suggests it may reverse calcification of the arteries.
Bone health is another benefit of the synergistic actions of combining K2. A study concluded it to benefit the bone-healing process. Another study concluded the benefits of treating rheumatoid arthritis
4. Magnesium Threonate
With hundreds of enzyme systems requiring magnesium for optimal function, Magnesium should be seriously considered adding as a supplement, particularly in conjunction calcium, vitamin D3 and K2. This mineral is necessary for the healthy function of most cells, particularly the heart, muscles and kidney.
A certain type of magnesium called threonate is known to be one of the most efficient at penetrating cell membranes, the mitochondria and the blood-brain barrier.
Improved Brain Function has been concluded from various studies, demonstrating the enhancement of memory, learning and quality of sleep. Another study demonstrated memory restorative effects in Alzheimer's diseased mice.
In regulating blood pressure, a study concluded positive results following a daily intake of magnesium and a reduction in blood pressure.
To ensure optimal intake of Magnesium, make sure you eat magnesium-rich foods. This is ideal considering you are also in-taking live enzymes. As with all of these recommendations, always seek medical advice and be mindful of taking in conjunction with vitamins D3, K2 and calcium to achieve a synergistic balance.