best supplements

Health food supplements are one of the hottest selling products in the market these days. Their total consumption values billions of dollars in the U.S. alone. Recent surveys show that more than half of the adults in the U.S. consume health food supplements in different forms
such as tablets
capsules
powders
soft gels
gel caps and liquids.

The increased consumption of health food supplements can be attributed to public awareness of health issues and improved standard of living in our society. Many studies have shown that there is a close correlation between health and nutrition. Insufficient supply of nutrients can weaken our body defense mechanism
causing medical problems from common ailments to more severe illnesses in the long term.

There are different types of health food supplements
including macronutrients (amino acids
proteins
essential fatty acids)
micronutrients (vitamins and minerals)
enzymes (digestive enzymes and antioxidant enzymes)
probiotics (beneficial bacteria in the gut)
and herbal supplements. These supplements have unique functions in our body. They are either essential for life and good health
modulate our immune system or help with liver detoxification
digestion
mental clarity
etc.

Many people argue that there is no need to consume health food supplements as long as you have a healthy lifestyle and eat a balanced diet. While this may be true
the fact is maintaining a healthy lifestyle and proper diet is difficult to achieve by many people.

Over the past few decades
the green revolution has changed the farming practices over the world. We use more chemical fertilizers
more pesticides to grow the food produce in order to increase harvest and shorten the growth period. As a result
soil nutrients and the population of beneficial soil bacteria are depleted rapidly
and the produce we grow today contain less micronutrient than before.

A stressful lifestyle
improper eating habits
imbalanced diet and increased exposure to chemicals such as environmental pollutants (air
water) and pesticides
drugs
hormones
heavy metals in foods also weaken our body gradually.

Although health food supplements can be beneficial to our health
consumers should still choose the products carefully. Currently
there is little regulation on the quality of health food supplements. Composition of some health food products may not match the label claims and the quality of raw materials and finished products is not guaranteed. Therefore
consumers should only buy from reputable health food manufacturers
read the labels carefully and read more related literatures.

Here are some general rules for buying health food supplements:

1) Supplements made from whole foods
natural sources are better than the synthetic ones. They are more bioactive
can be absorbed readily
and less likely to be contaminated by chemicals such as coal tars used in chemical synthesis.

2) Protein-bonded vitamins and minerals (vitamins and minerals in organic form
binding to amino acids) are more bioactive than the inorganic forms.

3) Buy supplements using safe extraction methods
such as cold pressed extraction or supercritical extraction. This can avoid the harmful residue from chemical extraction.

4) Herbal concentrate and extract are usually more effective than the raw herbs.

5) Organically grown or wild crafted herbs are less likely to be contaminated by heavy metals
pesticides and other chemicals.

6) Read the labels
do not consume more than the recommended dose.

7) Be careful when consuming certain herbal supplements
such as Ma Huang / ephedra
Kava Kava
comfrey
etc. Some studies have shown that these herbs may cause severe side effects to some people. Stop use if unusual signs appear after consumption.

8) Some health food supplements may interact with drugs
either by decreasing or increasing their effects. Consult your doctor if you are currently taking medications.

9) Pregnant and nursing women
people with specific medical conditions such consult the doctors when consuming health food supplements.

10) If in doubt
contact the supplement manufacturers or distributors for more information of their products.

11) Health food supplements are available in many places
such as grocery stores
health food stores
drug stores
pharmacies
supermarkets
department stores
online stores
etc. Be a smart consumer
compare the price and service before purchase.

To learn more about health food supplements
please visit http://vitaminstores.4reviews.net.