Tag Archives: vitamins

Searching for the Right Supplements

I have been on a search for the right supplements. Now that I am in my 40’s I seem to be taking my health a bit more seriously and I am more concerned about looking younger. I just want to look and feel as good as I can. If you are looking for the top ten supplements, you are probably on the same kind of search that I am on. Our reasons for doing it might be different but the need to find what is right is the same. One of the first supplements that I began taking is Omega-3 … Continue reading →

The Benefits of Fish Oil

I have been taking fish oil for several months now. There are a few health benefits to fish oil that you may not be aware of. One of the main reasons that I began taking fish oil is because of concerns with my heart. I have a mild case of tricuspid regurgitation, which means that when my right ventricle contracts some of the blood that pumps through leaks back into the tricuspid valve. From what I have been told it is so mild there is no real concern. I have never been completely sold on that. Any possibility of a … Continue reading →

Folic Acid in Foods

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Vitamins are best absorbed from their natural sources: food! One of the most important vitamins a pregnant woman needs is folic acid. The American Pregnancy Association recommends that all women of childbearing age get about 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. Folic acid is used by the body to make the extra blood your body needs during pregnancy. A deficiency can increase your baby’s chances of developing spina bifida or anencephaly, both of which are serious birth defects. So which foods have the most of this essential nutrient? Liver is on the top of the list, but that is … Continue reading →

Tin in Your Vitamin?

I got caught up for a good twenty minutes at the drug store the other day, trying to decide on a new multivitamin. Usually, I take a vitamin B complex and a vitamin D supplement, and that’s it — the rest of the vitamin alphabet I can get from my diet, but I feel like I need some help with the D and the Bs. The problem began when the drug store was out of my usual brand of vitamin D. Oh no! Complicating the problem was the fact that all vitamins from the same brand were buy one get … Continue reading →

Chromium Deficiency

Your body doesn’t need massive amounts of chromium, but it does need some chromium in order to function properly. The intestinal tract absorbs very low amounts of chromium — not much more than two and a half percent of the chromium consumed at best. What your body does manage to absorb gets stored in the liver, spleen, tissue, and bones. What helps improve chromium absorption? Vitamin C (found in fruits and veggies) Niacin (a B vitamin found in red meats, poultry, fish, and whole grains) You don’t necessarily have to stress about your chromium intake. The body needs very little … Continue reading →

Why Does My Body Need Chromium

It takes a lot of different things to keep your body going. A mineral called chromium is essential for good health… though experts don’t know a whole lot about how much or why. What does chromium do in the body? It seems like it has a couple of related functions for good health, including: Enhancing insulin action. Insulin helps the body metabolize and store carbs, fat, and protein. Chromium seems to play a role in helping the body continue to process blood sugar normally as you age. Enhancing carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism. More research is underway on this one, … Continue reading →

Why Does My Body Need Magnesium?

I’ve been a fan of magnesium since I read about a study about magnesium helping something like eighty percent of migraine sufferers find some relief. But this mineral does other good things for your body! Of all the minerals in your body, magnesium is the fourth most abundant. About half the magnesium in the human body is found in the bones; the other half is mostly found inside tissues and organs. About one percent of the magnesium in the body is found in the blood. So what does all that magnesium do? Helps the body maintain normal nerve and muscle … Continue reading →

Zinc Deficiency

When the body isn’t taking in enough zinc — or zinc isn’t being absorbed in the right amounts — it is possible to develop a zinc deficiency. What are the signs of zinc deficiency? Growth retardation including delayed sexual maturity Hair loss Loss of appetite, diarrhea, weight loss, and other gastrointestinal issues. Skin and eye lesions Delayed wound healing Problems with smell and taste Mental lethargy Some people are at higher risk of a zinc deficiency than others, including: Vegetarians. The body tends to absorb less zinc from plant foods than from animal sources. If you are following a vegetarian … Continue reading →

The Right Foods to Fight Aging

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Are you prepared to grow old gracefully? Or would you rather fight it, kicking and screaming? You don’t need expensive treatments and strict regimens to feel and look younger — the right diet choices can make a huge impact on your health! One of the best things you can do is drink more water. I know, I tell you this all the time… but water is SO good for you! Here are just a few benefits of water: As you age, your sense of thirst can become less acute — so you don’t realize it when you are becoming dehydrated. … Continue reading →

The Essential Eight Supplements

Prevention magazine recently shared a list of eight “essential” supplements — natural remedies that science supports and experts trust. Andrographis (for immunity). This Asian plant can help rein in the symptoms of the common cold — and may help prevent one in the first place. I haven’t heard of this herb, but the experts at Prevention vouch for it. Capsaicin (for pain relief). The stuff that makes hot peppers so hot helps ease pain by first stimulating and then decreasing pain signals. Ginseng (for energy). All varieties of ginseng — American, Asian, and Siberian — can stimulate an adrenal hormone … Continue reading →