Dietary supplements

Take or not to take… that’s the question!

Do they improve your overall health, brain function, build muscle or prevent diseases?

Do not be disappointed to hear that there is limited or even contradictory evidence.

Think for yourself why…

It is hard to do research on humans and prove over long period of time that something really works. Human life is full of uncontrollable factors (lifestyle, genetics, etc.).

You have to use your own judgment and common sense with MY BRILLIANT ASSISTANCE and recent scientific evidence.

RULE 1 Supplements, not substitutes

Remember first to eat well and exercise regularly then think of spending money on extra supplements. If you take multivitamins and eat a lot of nutrient-dense foods, you can exceed the recommended daily intake of many nutrients.

In a nutshell, there are 13 vitamins and 16 minerals that are essential to your health. It means your body needs them to survive.

13 VITAMINES:

A, C, D, E, K, and the B vitamins: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyroxidine (B6), biotin (B7), folate (B9) and cobalamin (B12).

2 types of vitamins:

Water-soluble: Your body expels excess amounts of these vitamins.

Fat-soluble: As your body has no easy way to get rid of these, excess amounts may accumulate over long periods of time. A, D, E, and K

The four fat-soluble vitamins—A, D, E, and K—are stored in the body's fatty tissues. The other vitamines go out of your body faster and need to be replenished more often.

16 MINERALS:

calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chloride, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, and selenium, molybdenum, chromium, and fluoride.

RULE 2 Beware of interactions between supplements and medications

For example, avoid Iron + Calcium.

However, remember that Vitamin C can enhance iron absorption from supplements and plant foods. The fat-soluble vitamins are likely to be better absorbed if taken with a meal that contains fats.

You don't need to worry too much about interactions between vitamins if you're taking a multivitamin. But when taking individual supplements, you may need to be cautious about potential interactions with other nutrients.

Use Uncle Google here to guide you!

RULE 3 MORE DOES NOT MEAN BETTER

Taking bigger dosages of vitamins can be even dangerous to your health. vitamin E and beta-carotene supplements appear to be harmful, especially at high doses. Remember also that more expensive vitamins are not necessarily better. Rarely more expensive may contain more absorbable forms of nutrients – that’s all.

SHORTLY WHAT DO I USE…

Multivitamins

They contain many different vitamins and minerals, sometimes alongside other ingredient like herbs, amino acids, and fatty acids. They are useful if you do not have time and knowledge to buy all essential vitamins and minerals individually. I personally use multivitamins and I am happy with it.

Bailey at al. 2015 study revealed that among women — but not men — taking a multivitamin for at least 3 years was linked to a 35% lower risk of dying from heart disease

They has little or no influence on the risk of common cancers (Neuhauser et al., 2013)

After 15 years of use, however, risk was markedly lower of colon cancer Giovannucci (1998)

When I am feeling sick or in a season when everyone is sick, I am going to take extra vitamin C and PROBIOTICS (good bacteria for your guts, also good for weight loss due to their digestive qualities).

Whey protein

It is crucial in building muscle tissue - if appropriately timed it significantly promote muscle hypertrophy (Little & Philips, 2009)

Bosse and Dixon (2012) write that “an increase in dietary protein favorably effects muscle and strength during resistance training."

isolate is better for folks with even mild lactose intolerance, as much of the lactose has been processed out.

Creatine (monohydrate)

Cooper et al. (2013) write that creatine is a compound of three amino acids naturally synthesized by the body According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, most people need one to three grams of dietary creatine each day to maintain normal stores within the body. But the organization (ISSN) also says athletes and larger individuals may need as much as 10 grams per day. It can be found also in fish and red meat.

Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

The mostly-lacking proof supporting their effectiveness. a 2017 study found that BCAA supplements, taken in isolation, are largely ineffective

Those are the essential protein in the human diet, meaning - we need them to live. It is namely leucine, isoleucine and valine.

Glutamine

It helps with muscle recovery. You can take it in the morning and evening.

Citrulline

It gives you the energy to exercise.

Casein

It is a protein that is digested really slowly so you might want to use it before going to sleep to help your muscles grow.

Beta alanine

It increases carnosine levels, they help your muscles reduce their acid levels during exercise. This lessens overall fatigue.

Collagen

I use it because it is good for my hair, nails and skin. Collagen is the main protein in the human body, found in skin, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues.

Caffeine

It is good for fat and weight loss. It gives you energy for a workout so next time at the gym you can go for espresso as pre-workout. You can only get the most out of caffeine if you haven’t built a tolerance to it.

Green tea

It is really helpful with digestion. It helps with weight loss.

DISCLAIMER:

If you are vegan or vegetarians, you need extra B12 because it is only found in animal foods. You might also need extra calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. Keep in mind that if you are also old, sick, pregnant or breastfeeding, you might need to ask your GP for extra supplementation.

References

Bailey, R., Fakhouri, T., Park, Y., Dwyer, J., Thomas, P., Gahche, J., . . . Murray, D. (2015). Multivitamin-Mineral Use Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Mortality among Women in the United States1-4. The Journal of Nutrition, 145(3), 572-578.

Bosse, J., & Dixon, B. (2012). Dietary protein to maximize resistance training: A review and examination of protein spread and change theories. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9(1), 42.

Cooper, R., Naclerio, F., Allgrove, J., & Jimenez, A. (2012). Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sports performance: An update. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9(1), 33.

Giovannucci, E., Stampfer, M., Colditz, G., Hunter, D., Fuchs, C., Rosner, B., . . . Willett, W. (1998). Multivitamin use, folate, and colon cancer in women in the Nurses' Health Study. Annals of Internal Medicine, 129(7), 517-524.

Little, J., & Phillips, S. (2009). Resistance exercise and nutrition to counteract muscle wasting. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 34(5), 817-828.

Neuhouser, M., Wassertheil-Smoller, S., Thomson, C., Aragaki, A., Anderson, G., Manson, J., . . . Prentice, R. (2009). Multivitamin Use and Risk of Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease in the Women's Health Initiative Cohorts. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(3), 294-304.