What supplements should you take?

Today, I would like to focus on types of nutritional supplements you should be taking. If you recall, in yesterday’s article we looked at whether supplements were required or not required. To briefly summaries: Given the fast pace world we live in, and current agricultural practices, we are not getting the nutrition we require from foods, and thus supplements – in one form or another – are beneficial to help maintain your health and to minimise disease.

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If we were to believe the news or other supplement advertising, you would be buying 20 or 30 different supplements a day. However, there is no need for you to do that. At most there should be four things you should be taking.

These are:

 Coenzyme Q 10
 Multi Vitamin
 Fish Oil (or any Omega 3,6,9 balances)
 Vitamin C

Lets go through these in a bit of detail

CoQ10: is a fat-soluble vitamin-like substance present in every cell of the body and serves as a coenzyme for several of the key enzymatic steps in the production of energy within the cell. It also functions as an antioxidant which is important in its clinical effects. It is naturally present in small amounts in a wide variety of foods but is particularly high in organ meats such as heart, liver and kidney, as well as beef, soy oil, sardines, mackerel, and peanuts. To put dietary CoQ10 intake into perspective, one pound of sardines, two pounds of beef, or two and one half pounds of peanuts, provide 30 mg of CoQ10. CoQ10 is also synthesized in all tissues and in healthy individuals normal levels are maintained both by CoQ10 intake and by the body's synthesis of CoQ10. It has no known toxicity or side effects.
Most people are defincient in CoQ10 because of our diet. The benefits of CoQ10 have been seen in heart patients, cancer patients and other diseases.

Recommended dose is between 50mg and 100mg a day.

Multi-Vitamim: One of the most commonly asked questions is "Why should I take a multivitamin supplement?" It is estimated that seven out of ten Americans take dietary supplements. Why? Because vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients that the human body alone can not manufacture in sufficient quantities to provide the foundation for all normal biological functions. Vitamins and minerals are required for normal metabolism, growth, and general well being. A single deficiency of any vitamin or mineral can endanger the whole body. Many people believe they are eating the 'right' foods, and getting the proper amount of essential nutrients in this way. And, of course, eating a balanced diet is one way to obtain the vitamins and minerals you need.
The problem is, few of us get a truly balanced diet. According to one U.S. Government survey of 21,000 people, not a single person obtained 100 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for each of ten basic nutrients. Processing, storing, or even cooking can reduce the vitamin content of foods. Foods can also be adversely affected by chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and soil conditions. Nutrients are also adversely affected by heavy smoking, alcohol consumption, and numerous health conditions including obesity and chronic illness.
Your multivitamin should contain a full range of vitamins and minerals to meet essential nutritional needs. For example, the average diet frequently provides less than the recommended daily allowance for zinc. A low-dose supplement (15 mg per day) can fill in dietary gaps. Statistics show that over 65% of American diets are deficient in Zinc. Zinc is considered the most important mineral for proper immune system function. Magnesium is also an important element available in multivitamin form, and is also in a majority of American diets. A lack of this essential mineral can lead to fatigue, abnormal heart rhythms, muscle weakness and spasm, depression, loss of appetite, listlessness, and potassium depletion.

Dosage: Daily

Fish Oil: There is a lot of controversy surrounding fish oil, particularly in contaminated fish. If you are eating organic Atlantic salmon three times a week then you probably don’t need it, if you aren’t then you should consider it.

Our bodies need essential fatty acids, and in fact the majority of our brain is made up of them, yet our diet generally does not include them. There should be a balance between Omega 3 and Omega 6, some experts recommend two times more Omega 3 than Omega 6.

By taking fish oil, you will be looking after your brain, your cardiovascular system and also your joints, which the oils keep lubricated.

Dosage: Minimum 3 tablets a day.

Vitamin C: Is a powerful antioxidant. A recent study from Oregon University has also shown that Vitaman C, breaks down fat metabolism and can also fight cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Dosage: Whatever your countries recommended dosage is!!! There is wide debate on the amount required, and unless we plan to do a thesis here, have no chance to cover it.

So that’s it…take these supplements, eat healthily and exercise regularly, and you will look and feel a million dollars.


And some more views…

We shook our head in amazement this week, at how funny us humans can be. You see, your editor – who as well as helping run this blog and an ezime – is an engineer in a government body. This week he had the pleasure of attending a mediation hearing at the Supreme Court.

For the first time since primary school, your editor got yelled out by the other parties QC for smiling!!! Without going into the details, during a particularly colourful part of the mediation, I along with the other Government officials were referred to in a somewhat derogatory way. Being someone who doesn’t easily get offended I smiled.

The opponents’ QC jumped to his feet; red and sweaty; he pointed a finger at me and demanded:
‘Why are you laughing?’
‘I’m not laughing I’m smiling’
‘Why are you smiling?’
‘Because of your clients language, particularly how he referred to me as a female body part!!!’
‘So you find the way my client talks amusing do you…is he not as educated as you, is that it?’

Our Barrister, sensing where this was going, stood up, and asked for a five minute adjournment. As we turned to walk out of the room, the client picked up his coffee cup and through it at our Barrister, the cup hit the Barrister in the back and covered him in coffee.

‘You can deduct the dry-cleaning costs for any compensation’ where his only words as he stormed out of the room.