It’s hard to eat a healthy diet when you’re so busy in life. You’re working more than ever to pay the bills and trying to care for your family. That leads some people to ignore their health.
Luckily, many people know this and look to supplements to get help. Reports show that 57% of Americans use supplements in their lives.
Are you not convinced that you need to search for a health supplements store near me? Read on to what health supplements are and the benefits you’ll see when you buy supplements.
What Are Supplements?
Health supplements are products designed to provide additional nutrients to a person’s diet. These nutrients are ones that they don’t get in everyday life and are missing from their body. They can come in the form of pills, capsules, powders, and liquids.
The most common types of supplements provide the body with vitamins and minerals. These are the primary nutrients your body needs to function correctly.
Amino acids are another popular health supplement. They help the body support muscle growth and athletic performance.
You can also find people buying herbal supplements. These supplements are made from plant extracts and have many potential health benefits.
Of course, you must remember that supplements aren’t meant to replace a healthy diet. They also aren’t there to use as a substitute for medical treatment.
You should always speak with a doctor before taking supplements. You’ll need to discuss your pre-existing conditions to ensure your supplements don’t interact negatively with your current medication.
Benefits of Health Supplements
Now that you know what health supplements are, the question is, are they worth buying? Here are a few benefits you can expect when choosing supplements for your diet.
Supplement Your Current Nutritional Intake
Many people, especially those who have poor dietary habits, food allergies, and intolerances, do not get all the essential nutrients they need from their diet. In these cases, health supplements can help fill the nutritional gaps to ensure the body receives everything it needs to function correctly.
For example, take a person who doesn’t get enough calcium in their diet. A calcium supplement will help prevent osteoporosis and maintain strong bones.
On the other hand, someone not getting enough omega-3 fatty acid may have issues with heart health. These fatty acids support your cardiovascular health and will improve the health of your heart. One omega-3 supplement daily will solve that problem.
Of course, you won’t know for sure what nutrients you lack on your own. You’ll need to get a blood panel at your doctor’s office. Be sure to check in with your doctor to determine which supplements will work best for you.
Become a Better Athlete
Health supplements are an excellent option for athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to improve their performance and muscle growth. They can supplement nutrients like protein and amino acids. These are things that help build and repair muscle tissue.
Protein powder is one of the most common supplements athletes use. It’s an easy-to-use product that people can mix into meals and offers a digestible source of protein. Since protein is vital for muscle growth and repair, it helps them recover from workouts and build lean muscle.
Amino acid supplements like branded-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are also available to support muscle recovery and growth. These amino acids aren’t produced by the body and are only available in your diet. Your body uses them for muscle protein synthesis, which means taking BCAAs can help stimulate muscle growth and reduce breakdown when exercising.
Other popular supplements for athletes are caffeine and creatine. Athletes use these to boost energy levels and improve performance.
Increase Mental Clarity and Focus
Another great use of health supplements is to enhance your mental focus and cognitive abilities. There are many nutrients you can take that will improve the way your brain functions and optimize your nervous system.
Of all the supplements known for improving your mental health, caffeine is one of the most popular. You can find it in countless products.
People who love a drink in the morning can get it with coffee and energy drinks. For people who want to stick with pills and other traditional forms of supplements, you can use caffeine pills.
Ginseng and Rhodiola Rosea are other popular supplements that can improve your cognitive abilities. Doctors believe these herbs have adaptogenic properties. That means they can help you adapt to physical and mental stress.
That leads to improved mental focus, memory, and concentration.
It’s important to remember that the effects of brain supplements for adults will vary from person to person, and not all supplements have been proven effective.
Boost Your Immune System
A healthy immune system is essential for protecting your body against illness and disease. While a balanced diet and regular exercise are necessary for maintaining a robust immune system, you can boost your immune system more with health supplements.
Some of the most commonly used immune-boosting supplements include vitamins C and D, Zinc, and probiotics. Here are the benefits you’ll see with those vitamins:
- Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps support the immune system and protects against infection
- Vitamin D is beneficial for boosting your immune system and helping it function properly
- Zinc is an essential nutrient that supports your immune system by aiding the production of immune cells and promoting wound healing.
Probiotics are live microorganisms similar to the beneficial bacteria found in the human gut. Taking a probiotic supplement can help support the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, which can improve immune function and protect against illness.
Reduce Chronic Disease Risk
Chronic disease is one of the biggest causes of death. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes plague people across the globe and cause too much death.
Even though a healthy diet can help prevent chronic disease, it isn’t foolproof. You can still suffer from chronic conditions if your nutrition isn’t completely correct. However, you can use supplements to boost your health and prevent disease.
Take omega-3 fatty acids, for instance. You can use fish oil and other supplements to improve your heart health. These polyunsaturated fats reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and improve cholesterol levels.
This is all good for your heart and can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Antioxidant supplements, such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium, may also have potential benefits for preventing chronic diseases. Antioxidants can help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can harm healthy cells and tissues. Taking antioxidant supplements can help neutralize free radicals and protect against chronic diseases.
Manage Your Weight
Another benefit of using supplements is the added ability to support weight loss and management. Many supplements contain additional nutrients like fiber and fatty acids. These additions help people feel full for longer and will make managing weight easier.
One of the most commonly used weight management supplements is fiber, which can help promote satiety and reduce the temptation to snack on unhealthy foods. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body can’t digest. It can help bulk your stool and support healthy bowel movements.
Other supplements, such as green tea extract and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), are also thought to have potential benefits for weight management. Green tea extract is a rich source of antioxidants that helps boost metabolism and support fat burning for some people. CLA is a type of fatty acid that may help reduce body fat and increase lean body mass.
Improve your Skin
Many people use health supplements to support healthy, radiant skin. These supplements can provide additional nutrients that are essential for maintaining healthy skin.
A commonly used skin health supplement is collagen. It’s a protein that makes up a large part of your skin, hair, and nails. It’s responsible for the elasticity and firmness of your skin and can reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Collagen supplements will aid collagen production, which may improve your skin’s appearance.
Other supplements, such as zinc and vitamin C, are also thought to benefit skin health. Zinc is an essential mineral in producing collagen and elastin. This can help support healthy skin growth and repair.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can help protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals and can also help boost collagen production.
Disadvantages of Health Supplements
Of course, there aren’t only benefits to taking supplements. You can do things wrong and not get the help you need for real medical issues. Below are some of the downsides you may experience if you purchase supplements.
Increase Your Bills
One potential disadvantage of taking health supplements is that they can be expensive. Many supplements are not covered by insurance, so people have to pay for them out of pocket. The cost of supplements can vary depending on the type and brand, but some high-quality or specialty supplements can be expensive.
Some people may also need to pay for blood tests to determine what supplements to buy. This is on top of the cost of the supplements themselves, which can significantly add to your cost.
Fewer Regulations
Another potential disadvantage of buying health supplements is that the government doesn’t always regulate them. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has some authority over dietary supplements, but the regulations are not as strict as they are for medications. This means the quality and safety of supplements can vary, and there is a risk of buying low-quality or contaminated products.
In some cases, supplements may not contain the ingredients that are listed on the label, or they may contain dangerous additives or contaminants. This can be especially dangerous for people taking supplements for a specific health condition since they may not get the necessary nutrients.
Medical Interactions
Another big negative to taking supplements is the interactions they have with other medications. Some supplements may increase or decrease the effectiveness of certain drugs’ efficacy or cause harmful side effects when taken together.
Here are a few interactions as an example:
- Calcium supplements can interfere with the absorption of some antibiotics, such as tetracycline and ciprofloxacin
- Iron supplements reduce the effectiveness of Levodopa, which doctors use to treat Parkinson’s disease
- Vitamin E supplements increase your chance of bleeding when taking blood thinners like Warfarin and Aspirin
You’ll need to consult with your doctor when on medication to be sure there aren’t any conflicts.
False Advertising
With the lack of regulations you see with supplements, you get presented with another challenge. Some shady companies present false advertising that misrepresents the benefits of their products. Many supplements are marketed as “miracle” cures or “quick fixes” for a wide range of health conditions, but the truth is that not all supplements have been proven to be effective.
Some supplements may be advertised as natural or safe, but they can still have potential side effects or risks. In some cases, the claims made about the benefits of supplements may be exaggerated or even fraudulent.
Health Supplements Store Near Me: Start Your Search Today
Unfortunately, it’s not always possible for people to get all the nutrients they need daily. People are busy, so they don’t have the time to check the food they eat and cook healthy meals.
That makes it extremely important to figure out what you lack in your diet and do whatever you can to fix your nutritional intake. Search for a health supplements store near me to find a provider to get the supplements you need.
Are you interested in more advice that will help you live a healthier lifestyle? Learn more tips by reading more posts on the blog.
