For growing children, vitamins and supplements become an important part of their growing bodies and development. With proper vitamin intake, children can support bone strength, muscle strength, and overall brain development. Unfortunately, the vitamins and extras in fruits and vegetables have often become the foods that children avoid.Luckily, you can still supply children with their proper vitamin and supplement intake through a daily vitamin. Children's vitamins come in all shapes and sizes, but you will find some clear advantages of a children's vitamin when you purchase the vitamin in a chewable tablet form.Check out some of the benefits associated with chewable vitamin tablets and ways you can make a supplement a daily part of their routine.1. Fewer Dental IssuesBesides chewable tablets, one of the other ways to for children to inject vitamins is through gummies. While the idea of gummies may appeal to children, the gummies often rely on some sort of sugar or glucose to…

As people age, their chances of developing certain medical conditions also increase. Early preventative measures may help you avoid some of these health problems or at least make the conditions less severe if they develop. One way to help reduce your health risks is to take certain dietary supplements that are known to ward off the effects of some age-related health issues.Diet and exercise are commonly advised for optimal health, but dietary supplements can also help you get more of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that your body needs as you age. If you want to lower your chances of developing one or more of these health problems as you age, you should consider taking supplements as part of your normal daily routine.1. ArthritisArthritis occurs when a joint where bones connect becomes swollen and tender. Arthritis can affect one or multiple joints and usually affects older people more often. However, the condition is also sometimes seen in younger individuals. O…

Vitamins are essential nutrients required by the body to maintain optimum health. They are vital for growth, development, and healthy metabolism. Vitamin deficiencies can lead to deficiencies that can cause harm to our bodies, often leading to chronic diseases such as scurvy, rickets, goitre, and even cancer. Various sources of vitamins in food and supplements exist, but it is essential to have them in their most bioavailable form.Bioavailability refers to the amount of nutrients that can be absorbed and used by the body. A few factors influence how bioavailable vitamins are, including chemical structure, the way it has ingested, food volume, and medication intake. In this blog, explore why it is essential to have vitamin ingredients in their most bioavailable form, especially for those who need them.1. Better Absorption Having the most bioavailable form of vitamins, such as vitamins A, B, C, and D, provides optimal absorption by the body. Various factors can affect the abs…

If you struggle to get a good night's sleep, you're not alone. About one-third of American adults don't get enough sleep each night, and as many as 70 million people throughout the country have disruptive sleep disorders. For those who have difficulty sleeping, it's a good idea to explore what options may lend a hand. There are several different nutritional supplements that you can take in the evening to aid in a sound, restful sleep.Why You Should Avoid Other MethodsSome people rely on various methods that have numerous drawbacks. Prescription sleeping medication may indeed help you sleep, but these medications can be habit-forming. Other individuals turn to alcohol because it relaxes them in the evening, but these beverages can interfere with your quality of sleep during the night. Nutritional supplements are a good option for improving your sleep quality because they generally don't have side effects, making them safe to take.MagnesiumA lot of people take magnesium supple…

If you want to maintain your best health or fight back against a wide range of common health complaints, you should consider taking curcumin. This natural component of turmeric has a distinguished history in folk medicine for its many health benefits. Modern studies have associated curcumin with a variety of healing benefits.The more you know about curcumin, from its effects on the human body to the best ways of obtaining and consuming it, the more effectively you can incorporate it into your daily health and wellness routine. Take a look at the answers to these frequently asked questions about curcumin.Where Does Curcumin Come From?Curcumin occurs naturally in the rhizome—or root-like underground stem—of the turmeric plant. The substance gets its name from turmeric's botanical classification, Curcuma longa. Turmeric has become a staple of kitchens everywhere for its bright yellow color and distinct flavor, especially in Indian cuisine.Ancient healers saw more in turmer…

There’s probably nothing more important than regular exercise for healthy aging.  But it’s hard to be active when your joints hurt. That’s why it’s critical to take good care of our joints, and part of that is giving them the nutrition they need. Staying away from the inflammatory Big Four—sugar, wheat and refined flour, processed oils is the first crucial step; getting adequate amounts of the healthy, anti-inflammatory oils, like flax, fish, coconut and olive oils is the next. You’ll also want to supply your joints with an array of antioxidants from fresh fruits and vegetables and from antioxidant supplements, like vitamins A, C, D and E; minerals zinc and selenium; and MSM, green and white tea, curcumin, CoQ10 and quercetin. Drink plenty of water. According to water expert Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, MD, dehydration can be a factor in joint pain and lower back pain. Water is one of the main components of cartilage, the slick, spongy material at the ends of bones. Ca…

Even though your bones serve as the scaffolding that supports your body, you might not give those all-important bones a second thought until something goes wrong with them. Nutritional imbalances can contribute to bone-thinning conditions such as osteopenia and osteoporosis, raising your risks for fractures and collapsed vertebrae.Fortunately, you can improve and maintain the health of your bones by feeding your bones with the nutrients they need most. Depending on your diet, lifestyle, and baseline health, you may get these nutrients from food or supplements as directed by your physician. Pay special attention to the following four vitamins and minerals.1. CalciumThe human body contains more calcium than it does any other mineral, with nearly all of this mineral residing in your bones. The more calcium your bones can absorb, the greater your bone density and the less trouble you may have with degenerative skeletal conditions such as osteoporosis.Most adults should get betw…

Supplements And Vitamins To Boost Athletic PerformanceThe average person can get sufficient energy from enough sleep, a healthy lifestyle, and a balanced diet. However, most athletes require peak body performance that needs regular energy boosts. The energy boost can come from various types of supplements and vitamins. Therefore, here are supplements and vitamins that can help athletes perform better.B-VitaminsB vitamins help with the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. These vitamins help with providing more energy to the body. If you have insufficient amounts of B vitamins in your body, you won't exercise properly. Instead, you will feel tired and weak, especially if you lack B-12 vitamins.Common B vitamins that may improve athletic performance include vitamins B-12, B-6, and niacin. You can get these vitamins from various animal products or in multi-vitamin capsule form.Beta-Hydroxy Beta Methyl Butyrate (HMB)HMB boosts muscle synthe…

Why should you consider adding fish oil supplements to your daily nutrition routine? This popular pick has benefits galore. But if you're not sure why to include fish oil, how to use it, or if you really need it, take a look at the top questions about this supplement.What Are Fish Oil Supplements?This type of dietary supplement is filled with omega-3 fatty acids. The two primary fatty acids fish oil contains are eicosapentaenoic acid (also known as EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (also known as DHA). Both of these omega-3s are naturally in some of the fish you may eat, such as oysters, mackerel, trout, salmon, mussels, crab, and trout.Why Do You Need To Add a Supplement?If omega-3 fatty acids are naturally in some types of fish, why would you need supplements? Some people may not need extra omega-3s. But it isn't always easy or possible to get a consistent dose of these fatty acids from food sources. If you don't like the taste of fish, don't have access to fish as a food sour…

Vitamins are essential nutrients naturally occurring in inorganic elements, which plants absorb later. While some companies produce synthetic vitamins and supplements, vitamins are most helpful in their natural form, as naturally-sourced vitamins are absorbed better by your body. Here are the main benefits of natural vitamins.Reduce InflammationToxins, injuries, and infections can cause inflammation. Although inflammation is painful, it helps to activate the immune system and repair any damaged cells. Acute inflammation is a natural process and shouldn't worry you. However, inflammation can become chronic and affect your blood vessels, joints, and tissues.Chronic inflammation can cause skin irritation, joint swelling, and widespread pain. When this happens, you can take specific vitamins daily to reduce chronic and acute inflammation as well as improve your overall health. One of the most common types of vitamins that helps fight inflammation is curcumin. Vitamin A also hel…

The school year is back and we have some tips on how to cold and flu-proof your child.Children need special nutritional support as they head back to school each fall. Any gathering of kids creates a perfect opportunity for germs to spread, and no sooner has the school year gotten underway then flu season beginning.How can you strengthen your child’s immune system and avoid winter colds and flus?Number one, banish sugar from your child’s diet. Even a small amount of refined sugar can suppress your child’s immune system for hours. Immune cells need a lot of vitamin C to function normally, but sugar, which has a chemical structure similar to vitamin C, competes with the vitamin to enter the cells, creating an artificial vitamin C shortage. Avoid fruit juices (including orange juice), which are also too high in sugar. Whole fruits, however, are fine in moderation.Feed your child the right fats. Trans fats and excess omega 6 fats (found in supermarket vegetable oils) depress immunity,…

Almost half of all Americans take a multivitamin-mineral supplement. They do it to maintain and improve health, and for protection against the chronic diseases associated with aging, like heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, arthritis, and metabolic syndrome. While many studies validate all the above claims, other studies find multis to be ineffective. Some even claim vitamins are dangerous! Often researchers who’ve found multis are effective in preventing disease—like Swedish researchers who followed a group of women for 10 years, and found that among over 30,000 women who began the study with no heart disease, those who took a multi for 5 years or more had 41% less risk of having had a heart attack—have trouble explaining why other studies come to such different conclusions.  The answer is that the doses and compositions of ingredients in multivitamin supplements were very different in different studies. Let’s get one thing clear: While prescription drugs are the 3rd lea…

As the summer season rolls on, our thoughts turn to getting outdoors. Spending time in the sun can be fun and relaxing, and it can even lift you out of any depressed mood. Yet, there are some who will caution you to stay out of the sun, but don’t be so quick to stay cooped up indoors because you were actually designed to be out in the sun.The hidden health benefits of sunlight There are many subtle ways the sun supports our health. For example, plants use sunlight to create energy through a process called photosynthesis, which helps them grow. You benefit indirectly from their sun exposure by consuming a recommended minimum 7 servings (3-1/2 cups) of these nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables every day, which helps you achieve optimal health. The sun is also a natural source of heat, causing our bodies to maintain a higher core temperature, which promotes health by facilitating improved cell function leading to higher energy levels and providing a natural mechanism for detoxific…

The strongest and most hard-working muscle in your body, your heart is also associated with vulnerability . . . and for good reason.  Powerhouse though it may be, the heart is living tissue that requires proper nourishment. A nutrient called coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is essential for keeping your heart strong and healthy. Yet it’s quite possible your CoQ10 levels are suboptimal, leading to a condition that underlies many heart problems called “energy-starved heart.” Every cell in your body contains hundreds of little energy factories called mitochondria. CoQ10 facilitates various chemical reactions in the mitochondria’s energy-producing process. Simply put, when you lack CoQ10, you lack energy. Your muscles, including your heart, may be ready, willing and able, but there’s just not enough fuel in the tank. Even minor deficiencies in CoQ10 can impair heart function and eventually damage the heart itself. CoQ10 plays yet another crucial role in cardiovascular health: Keeping…

“I believe that inflammation is at the basis of virtually every disease process.” – Nicholas Perricone, MDTake a deep breath. Fill your lungs with one of Mother Nature’s most precious gifts: oxygen! There is no life without oxygen. But oxygen can also be dangerous. Every chemical process that involves oxygen—and there are many in the human body, including extracting energy from food and attacking and killing pathogenic viruses and bacteria, and many outside the human body, including fire and rust—creates oxidative byproducts. Like the embers of a fire, these byproducts need to be quenched by antioxidants. It’s a matter of balance. In terms of Chinese medicine, oxygen is Yang—the active, heating, energizing force, while antioxidants are Yin—the restful, cooling, restorative force. We need both, but in the modern world we are getting too much Yang, not enough Yin. The body is not repairing itself from oxidative damage as it should, and this produces inflammation…

It is now considered normal to lose cognitive function as you age -- to experience diminished memory, reasoning and speed in processing information. This "normal" age-related cognitive decline is contrasted to dementias, like Alzheimer's, which are much more debilitating and include severe nerve cell damage and death of nerve cells. In fact, age-related cognitive decline and dementia are the same thing. What you call it is a matter of degree, and it is primarily a product of our unhealthy diets and lifestyles.Maintaining a youthful brain does, however, require superior nutrition from both diet and high-quality supplements. A brain support program would include the B vitamins and the antioxidant vitamins A, C, D and E. Fish or flax oil is a must, and the need for it increases with age.By middle age, it's best to be supplementing with CoQ10, acetyl-L-carnitine, and multiple B vitamins. (Deficiencies in vitamin B12 are common and often misdiagnosed as dementias or…

Do you find yourself eating most of your meals in front of a TV or computer screen? Do you grab food on the go, gulping it down with a beverage before you’ve had a chance to chew it? During meals, are you also talking on your smartphone, or is your mind preoccupied with your next project or concern so much that you barely notice what you’re eating?All of the above are examples of “mindless eating,” the opposite of “mindful eating.”“Mindful eating” is a concept that comes from Buddhism, a religion that cultivates mindfulness not just in eating but in all aspects of everyday life. Although books have been written about mindfulness, very simply it is noticing, in a relaxed, nonjudgmental way, what is happening in the present moment. Although it’s called mindfulness, it necessarily includes the senses, because it is through the senses that we experience the present—through what we see, smell, touch, hear and taste. The practice of mindfulness requires that we slow down, quiet ou…

Widespread magnesium deficiency has been implicated in a host of chronic diseases, including obesity. How would healthy levels of magnesium in our cells help us to attain and maintain a healthy weight, and how does magnesium deficiency sabotage those goals? Fatigue. The number one complaint patients bring to doctors is “feeling tired.” Being unable to lose weight probably ranks a close second.  The two concerns are related: It’s hard to eat less and exercise more when you’re already feeling tired all the time. Fatigue is one of the first signs of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium and the B vitamins are our main energy nutrients, involved in almost every step of energy creation in the cells’ energy factories, the mitochondria. Nutrient Deficiency. Magnesium and the B's activate enzymes that control digestion, absorption and utilization of all three macronutrients—fats, proteins, and carbohydrates—making the vitamins and minerals they contain available for our bodies to use.…