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New Year, New You - 5 Steps to a Better Supplement
This New Year thousands of people will resolve to lead a healthier lifestyle and part of this new regime will include the use of food supplements.
Choosing a good vitamin supplement can be a frustrating ordeal. There are 1000's of supplements to choose from - some are good, but many are total rip-offs.
(PRWEB) December 26, 2005 -- This New Year thousands of people will resolve to lead a healthier lifestyle and part of this new regime will include the use of food supplements.
Choosing a good vitamin supplement can be a frustrating ordeal. There are 1000's of supplements to choose from - some are good, but many are total rip-offs.
Many vitamin companies depend on the average consumer not being very well informed and they'll take billions of dollars from them this year.
Five tips:
1. Does the supplement provide sufficient quantities of each vitamin? For example - 50mg. to 100mg. of the B vitamins, 500mg. of vitamin C, 1000mg. of calcium. Remember, 100mg. of a B vitamin is needed to provide your body with about 10mg. of actual, useable nutrition. This is usually plenty. Use the 10% rule to know exactly what you're getting. The one or two per day supplements only start with about 3mg. or less of the B vitamins. 10% of this amount is like taking nothing at all.
2. Look for the USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) or BP (British Pharmacopoeia) designation on the label. This means that the vitamin isolates are the highest quality you can buy, and are the most easily dissolved in the digestion process. Each vitamin that is USP or BP will have those initials next to that vitamin.
3. Look for "chelate" or "chelated" in relation to the minerals. This means the minerals are attached to protein before they are added to the supplement. This increases absorption both in the bloodstream and cells by an amazing 400% to 800%.
4. Look for enzymes in the formulation. These are, among other things, essential for attaching protein molecules to the vitamins in digestion. Cooking food destroys these enzymes.
5. Look for a supplement that has a "food base". A food base is concentrated plant material to which the vitamins and minerals are added. These will contain the enzymes and nutrients to greatly boost the absorption and utilization of the vitamins and minerals. This makes a great supplement package. But it does make them more bulky. Expect larger tablets, and more quantity needed per day.
All in all, keep in mind that nutritional supplements are not food and do not take the place of real food. They only provide an additional boost to our current food choices.
Most importantly, listen to your body. What's right for others may not be right for you. You definitely should feel a measurable difference in your health and energy within a few days with the right supplement. If you don't, try a different vitamin supplement.
Recommended webstores for supplements:
www.solgar.co.uk
www.ethicalvitamins.co.uk
www.sportwell.com
www.naturallybest.com
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