Lacking in energy? Found that your hair and nails are noticeably lacklustre? Battling a nasty cold? Our round up of the best supplements for health and wellbeing could help.
1. Vitamin D: Boosts your mood
During the year, our natural vitamin D levels rise and fall in relation to the weather and the varying number of daylight hours available to us. Just 10 minutes spent outside in warmer months is enough to keep your natural levels topped up.
However, during the winter months it can be hard to get the same level of sunlight. If we’re going outside, we’re wrapped up warm, and the sun is often hidden behind a thick layer of cloud. To avoid mild Seasonal Affective Disorder setting, in take one vitamin D capsule before bed to ensure you get your daily dose.
2. Turmeric: Improves skin tone
Curcumin the active compound in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory properties and can stimulate cellular antioxidant defences, which in turn improves skin tone. If you aren’t a fan of the slightly bitter taste of the spice, and don’t want to splash out on expensive face creams, you can purchase turmeric supplements to reap the benefits of this anti-ageing spice.
3. Multivitamins: For an all-round boost
If you only take one supplement, make it a multivitamin Containing a range of vitamins, minerals, extracts of natural botanics, plus antioxidants and herbs. Multivitamins are specially tailored to help support the nutritional needs either men or women, depending on who you buy for.
Women’s multivitamins are particularly effective in providing specific benefits for women, acting as a booster for the immune system and helping to promote red blood cell formation as well as aiding heart function and bone maintenance. Most multivitamins also contain zinc and vitamin C, which keep your skin plump and hair glossy. Just one tablet daily is all you need.
4. 5HTP: Regulates sleep patterns
5HTP is a naturally derived amino acid which boosts serotonin and aides sleep. 5HTP produces serotonin, which can be converted into the hormone melatonin. Melatonin plays an important role in regulating sleep. Its levels begin to rise in the evening to promote sleep and fall in the morning to help wake you up. So if you struggle to go to bed at the right time, and find it even harder to get out of bed in the morning, you may benefit greatly from 5HTP.
Minute quantities of 5HTP can be found in cheese and poultry, but to prop your levels up, take one 50milligram tablet an hour before bed.
5. B Vitamins: Healthy Hair and Nails
If you like the idea of having thick, glossy hair and strong healthy nails – and who doesn’t? – pick up a B-Vitamin supplement for healthy hair and nails today. There are many vitamins designed specifically for this purpose that combine zinc, biotin and beauty enhancing B vitamins. Studies link biotin deficiency with hair loss in humans, so make sure to find a supplement that contains a high percentage of biotin if hair loss is something you’re trying to tackle.
6. Wheat Grass: Good all-rounder
Wheat Grass is a great way branch into supplements. An iron rich nutrient, it contains energising chlorophyll, bone-nourishing calcium and anti-aging antioxidants. Surprisingly, wheatgrass is extremely rich in protein, and contains 17 amino acids, the building blocks of protein. This makes it an ideal supplement for vegans or those who are looking to add more plant-based protein sources to their diets. Wheatgrass is also considered an effective healer because it contains all minerals known to man, plus vitamins A, B Complex, C, E and K.
7. Spirulina: Fights fatigue
The superfood of supplements, spirulina is a rich source of protein, vitamins and iron, which helps fight fatigue and lower cholesterol. Many antioxidants in spirulina have anti-inflammatory effects in the body – so it’s well worth including in your daily diet!
If you have a meat-free diet or you’re suffering from undue tiredness, try adding one teaspoon of spirulina powder to a glass of water before meals.
8. Omega 3: Keeps you young
Packed with potent anti-inflammatory, Omega 3 fatty acids are often used to improve uneven skin tone. The essential oils leave skin looking healthier resulting in a more youthful appearance. They can serve to regulate the skin’s oil production, improve balanced hydration, subdue breakouts and minimize signs of aging. Omega-3s can also help soften rough, dry skin and have a soothing effect on irritation and dermatitis.
