Targeted Health Supplements
- Examples: Detox blends, immune boosters, longevity packs, women’s health formulas.
- Impact on OHS: Strengthens both Wellness and Longevity Scores by neutralizing free radicals, supporting detoxification, balancing hormones, and fueling energy metabolism.
Is proper diet not enough?
A healthy diet helps combat the effects of these free radicals. Antioxidants are electron donors. They can break the free radical chain reaction by sacrificing their own electrons to feed free radicals, but without turning into free radicals themselves. High concentrations of these antioxidant nutrients are found in wheat and barley grass, sprouts and dark green vegetables.
Fruits such as blueberries, blackberries and strawberries are good sources of antioxidants. Eating these and more also gives our body the nutrients it needs to repair and regenerate damaged cells. But maintaining a healthy diet is challenging.
The optimal level of Vitamin E daily is 400 IU. This will require a daily consumption of 33 heads of spinach or 27 pounds of butter or 80 avocados. Similarly, the required level of Vitamin C is 1200 to 2000 mg daily, which you can get from 18 oranges or 17 kiwi fruit or 160 apples per day. Researchers believe that supplementary antioxidants are necessary for combating free radicals in addition to the body’s normal defense systems.
Should we take vitamins and supplements?
Multivitamins and vitamin supplements can provide the body with an antioxidant boost along with a healthy diet. Supplements should only be taken to supplement your diet, and not to completely replace it.
Due to today’s fast-paced and busy lifestyle, many people are neglecting the importance of consuming whole, organic foods. Fast-food and convenience-food consumption, snacking, and soft-drink use have all increased, and many do not meet even the basic RDA’s (Recommended Dietary Allowances) for key nutrition.
Likewise, many children lack the nutritional balance they need, and these bad choices now can definitely lead to health risks later in life. We all know that poor nutrition during the developmental years poses risks, while proper nutrition at this age is the foundation for good health for the rest of their lives.
Parents and their children should follow a well-balanced, proactive nutritional plan that includes high-quality vitamin and mineral supplementation to ensure that their bodies have optimal amounts of all the essential nutrients.
SUPPLEMENTS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER
Calcium
What it does
Why you need it
Your body needs calcium to build and maintain strong bones. Thus, calcium consumption is important for aging adults, particularly postmenopausal women whose bone breakdown exceeds formation, resulting in bone loss and increased risk of osteoporosis over time. “Women start losing bone density in their twenties,” says Mary Ellen Camire, Ph.D., a nutrition professor at the University of Maine at Orono. “Calcium is your single best defense, and you should start taking it now.”
Coenyzyme Q10
What it does
Necessary for basic cell function; helps cells manage your body’s energy supply; is a powerful antioxidant.
Why you need it
Some researchers believe CoQ10 may help with heart-related conditions by lowering blood pressure and boosting your levels of ecSOD, an enzyme thought to protect blood vessels from damage. Studies also suggest that CoQ10 may fight cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease, as well as improve physical performance while exercising. Japanese researchers, for instance, found CoQ10 supplementation decreased exercise-induced muscle injury.
To improve your interval workouts. A Japanese study found that cyclists who supplemented with 300 mg of Co Q10 for eight days increased their maximum speed during 10-second sprints, and felt less fatigue afterward. Supplementing with Co Q10 has also been shown to reduce inflammation and free radicals created by bouts of heavy exercise.
Where to find it
Occurs naturally in the body. (As you get older, production decreases. The only way to get back up to youthful levels is by taking a supplement.)
Vitamin C
What it does
Why you need it
Grape Seed Extract
What it does
Why you need it
Saw Palmetto
What it does
Saw palmetto may not be effective for treating BPH, but it may help you delay the onset of male pattern baldness. According to research published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, when 26 balding men took 200 mg of saw palmetto daily over a 6-month time span, 60 percent saw their hairline improve.
Why you need it
