With so many dietary ideas wandering around the world, it’s hard to know what information is factual and what information is fake. Sometimes we’ll hear specialists and doctors tell us that we should be taking vitamins and supplements. But why? Are they really necessary? Supplements can be important for many reasons, here’s why we think so!
Why are supplements important?
Vitamins and minerals are essential to helping your body function properly. You can get your daily quota of vitamins and minerals by the foods you eat, however some people find it more difficult to consistently eat nutritious foods with their busy schedules, list of responsibilities, or lack of wanting to cook. We get it! In addition, we unknowingly eat more toxins than we used to. The world is a much different place than it was 50 years ago. In our modern world, our bodies need the proper vitamins and minerals to combat the toxins we intake from air pollution, genetically modified foods, and additives that are less than healthy! If you aren’t reaching your daily intake of nutrients, taking a round of supplements can provide your body with the support it needs to stay healthy.
Here’s a list of the ones we suggest and how they’ll benefit you.
Whether in pill, liquid, or powder form, the goal of dietary supplements is to enhance health and supplement your diet to incorporate all the nutrients your body needs to function properly.
Calcium - Calcium builds and protects bones and teeth, helps with muscle contractions and relaxation, blood clotting, and nerve impulse transmission. It also plays a role in hormone secretion and enzyme activation. Finally it helps maintain healthy blood pressure.
Vitamin D - The sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D helps maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, which strengthens bones, helps form teeth and bones. This vitamin helps you reduce the risk of spinal and bone fractures, which is important especially if you exercise daily.
Vitamin C - We all know to take Vitamin C when we’re feeling a bit under the weather, but there’s so much more to it! Vitamin C can lower the risk for some cancers, including those of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and breast. Long-term use of supplemental vitamin C may protect against cataracts. Vitamin C helps make collagen, a connective tissue that knits together wounds and supports blood vessel walls. It helps make the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine and acts as an antioxidant, neutralizing unstable molecules that can damage cells. Finally, Vitamin C bolsters the immune system and gives you an extra boost of immunity to the seasonal cold and flu.
Zinc - Zinc helps form many enzymes and proteins and creates new cells. Frees vitamin A from storage in the liver, which protects the liver against certain diseases. Zinc is needed for the immune system, taste, smell, and wound healing. When taken with certain antioxidants, zinc may delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration. How cool is that?
Are there any supplements that are bad for you?
Yes and no! In most cases, a daily multivitamin will not pose any risk to you or your health. However, there are supplements out there that can counteract different medications or pose certain risks if you have a type of health condition. You should consult with your doctor before taking supplements if you have an underlying condition that you believe will become an issue if supplements are added. A few examples of supplements that can pose risks are:
Vitamin K, which can reduce the effectiveness of blood thinners
Gingko, which can increase blood thinning
St. John’s wort, which can make some drugs, such as antidepressants and birth control, less effective
Herbal supplements comfrey and kava, which can damage your liver
Beta-carotene and vitamin A, which can increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers.
What about pre-workout supplements?
Here’s the thing. You can find a supplement to boost basically anything. Sleep, joint pain, gut health, workout recovery… The list goes on! Pre-workout supplements are seen all over social media with fitness influencers and bodybuilders. Pre-workout is incredibly popular right now, so we understand how it’s easy to get caught up in the social media buzz.
It’s important to note that every different fitness nutrition brand has their own formula for pre-workout and post-workout supplements. In regards to different pre-workout supplements, studies have shown that some supplements can help you boost energy, and improve performance. However others are ineffective at best, and bad for your health at worst. If you’re becoming tired during your workouts or need an extra boost, we suggest doing your research to find the best pre-workout for you!
Nothing beats the power of a healthy diet.
No matter what your goal is while taking supplements, a healthy diet is what’s going to take you the furthest! There’s no supplement out there that will replace a nutritious lifestyle. Supplements should never take the place of real food, they are meant to be supplementary… get it? Vitamins and minerals are essential to creating a healthy lifestyle for yourself. While most people can get what they need daily by eating healthy, others may need a little nutrient boost. That’s where supplements come in.
