Friday, 9 May 2014

Top Tips to Help you Choose the “Right” Health Supplements

When it comes to choosing the “right” health supplements to address your nutritional goals, the task can prove to be quite cumbersome and challenging. It is natural to be overwhelmed by the thousands of products lining the racks of health stores and get confused by their configuration of nutrients and other dietary specifications—what do you do?

These top tips and guidelines go a long way in helping you understand the essential requirements that you should look for in your health supplements. Read on for a closer look.

Nutrient Form

In most cases, the lists of ingredients printed on the packaging of these products also contain their nutrient forms. As individuals vary in their capacity to absorb nutrients, it makes good sense to choose the supplement that boasts of a variety of sources of forms or those recommended by their health experts. Consumption of Vitamin C, E as well as beta carotene is acceptable in their natural form. Minerals usually come in various combinations and are often combined with amino acids or other compatible substances for best results and easy absorption. Such minerals are referred to as "chelated" minerals; for instance calcium citrate.

Dosage Level

Whether it is about consuming haliborange kid multivitamins or other standard products for enhancing your nutritional intake, how do you assess whether the same is suitable for your children or you? Here, you need to research on the right proportion of nutrients that promise to be effective for your good health and know the recommended doses for the same. The products that do not boast of the adequate amounts of required ingredients may lead to negative therapeutic effects.

The best way to ward off these issues is by knowing how to interpret the symbols and numbers linked with the ingredients. For instance, if you need to purchase a supplement that is rich in calcium , then you should look for the letters "X mg calcium", which imply that the product chosen by you contains X mg of elemental calcium. However, if you see the words ‘X mg calcium carbonate" on the label, then you need to understand that the presence of actual calcium is restricted to only 40 percent.

Manufactures and Prices

Though dirt-cheap brands may lure your wallet, it is well advised to steer clear of them and confine your purchases to the health products sold and marketed by reputed manufacturers only. Along with formulating their offering on the basis of scientific research and using the best possible raw materials, these manufacturers ensure that their supplements are absolutely free from any sort of contamination. Look for products that are high quality and benchmarked levels of potency –you will not be disappointed by the results.

All the best!

Tuesday, 29 April 2014

Why are Fish Oil and Supplements for Kids Important?

Are you still wondering if kids fish oil and supplements are safe for your children? Given below are some important reasons that help you understand the role of omega-3 in making your adorable kids fit and healthy. Read on for a closer look.

Improvements in Brain Development

Fish oil for children is essential for their overall development. This product is known to bring about significant improvements in the development of your kid’s brain. According to expert recommendations, DHA omega-3 is considered as a prime nutrient necessary for the total development of the brain during childhood. The process begins when you are pregnant and your rapidly growing fetus depends on you for DHA omega-3 nourishment. Bringing about positive changes in focus, attention-span, cognitive performances and memory, DHA omega-3 is vital for your child's health too.

Alleviation of Inflammatory Conditions

Inflammatory conditions such as eczema and asthma are quite common in children and can lead to grave concerns. In most cases, these diseases are not signified by any tell-tale symptoms and are detected in much later stages. In general, it has been observed that there is a higher intake of omega-6 fatty acids in the diet of most people around the world, rather than omega-3 fatty acids. While the former leads to the promotion and aggravation of inflammation, the latter is largely instrumental in curbing it and providing gradual relief to the patients suffering from the same. By administering supplements containing fish oil, you are in fact alleviating the many concerns that can be caused by poor intake of omega-3s. Go ahead.

Behavioral Issue Management

As per health experts, a higher percentage of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet of your child can go a long way in sorting out their behavioral issues. Conditions like ADHD, anxiety, depression, ADD as well as bipolar disorder are often caused due to a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids. Regular intake of fish oil and various other supplements containing this vital nutrient can reduce the concerns associated with the onset of these problems, in future.

A Safer alternative to Feeding Fish

Instead of feeding fish to your kids on a regular basis, you may like to make the task simpler by giving them healthy products containing the valuable omega-3. The nutrition supplied by them is comparable to having multiple helpings of fish on a weekly basis. Serving fish regularly is unsafe too. Ocean life often nurtures traces of contaminants such as dioxins, arsenic, mercury, PCBs, lead and various other heavy metals. Higher consumption of seafood and fish leads to greater levels of contaminants reaching the digestive system of your child—so, you need to act accordingly.

Molecularly distilled and purified, high quality supplements from reputed manufacturers are good for your kids and aid their overall development –in many more ways than one!

Monday, 21 April 2014

Herbal Products and their Rising Demands

When herbal products first made their appearance on the counters of health stores and pharmacies in Singapore and other nations, they were generally resourced from far-off places that lay in close proximity to the Himalayas and other breeding grounds of the raw materials that went into their making. Gone are the days when Ayurvedic and herbal treatment modes and products were restricted to the chambers of quaint practitioners. With globalization and the advent of modern ways of transacting on the net, more and more professionals are now offering their herbal products in Singapore—making it easier for people to procure them from the comforts of their home and use their benefits to alleviate their health and wellness woes.

With more than 5000 years of history behind them, herbal products showcase minimal side effects in their users and offer the best ways of keeping metabolic functions under control, removing the symptoms connected with lifestyle diseases and a lot more. Made from totally natural ingredients and plant extracts, these Himalaya products help in the treatment and cure of many diseases and ailments as well. The popular and oft used herbs required for the manufacture of herbal products Singapore include Arjuna, Ashvagandha, Brahmi, Karela, Amalaki, , Lasuna, Neem, Shallaki, Tagara, Triphala, Shuddha Guggulu, Tulasia and so forth.

To relinquish the growing needs of a global population of herbal product users, major pharmaceutical companies are now diversifying their resources towards large scale production of herbal medicines and supplements alike.The entry of these vastly organized players has led to the introduction of smarter and better ways of R&D, manufacturing and logistics management –making it easier for end users to know more about their exhaustive list of products and use them at will. The market segment linked with Ayurvedic and herbal products is surely on the rise and is attracting major manufacturers of allopathic drugs to foray into the same. These products are now being mass produced and sync with the principles laid down by regulatory authorities in different nations.

With a smoothening out of distribution and marketing channels, companies are spotting huge opportunities in far flung overseas markets as well. With easy payment options and the features of e-commerce by their side, patients and other users can order their requirements online and expect easy delivery schedules –from stores located in just about any corner of the world. Along with plenty of medicinal products, the other herbal preparations that are making it to the list of users worldwide are anti-wrinkle creams, hair loss shampoos, sunscreen lotions……. the list of beauty care products is also endless.

With so much and a lot more in store, it is indeed time to say “no” to artificial and chemical products that come packaged with their own side effects and say “hello” to the many advantages of herbs—the right way!

Factors that Influence your Choice of Health Supplements

Are you also skeptical of including naturally available food ingredients in your diet? Would you rather stick to your dietary regime of health supplements and resist all non-caloric nutrients present in fruits and veggies sold around you? The current fad of moving away from hygienic stacks of farm produced food stuff and heavy reliance on good looking brands of mineral and food supplements is surely catching up—more than ever before.

With more and more people turning towards supplementary dietary modes for replenishing their daily requirements of minerals, vitamins, starch, carbohydrates, enzymes and other essential components; diets are becoming more artificial with each passing day. But then, is it the right way of going about the act? As per experts, the increasing usage of health supplements—especially in professional fitness practitioners, jet setters and those who do not have the right resources to whip a healthy meal for themselves; a reduction in naturally available food items is adding to health concerns and wellness woes.

Here, we take a quick look at how dietary supplements should be chosen and the factors that influence your purchase of the same.

All that Glitters is not Gold

This well known adage rings all the more true in the case of supplements being sold on the racks of health stores and pharmacies alike. The rise in the popularity of these products has not been complemented by high levels of regulation and adequate surveillance—like that applicable to other medical pharmaceuticals. Glitzy advertisements and media publications often lead you the wrong way and make you believe that these supplements are safe and effective, as they are widely available in your town/ city. Remember, this is not always true. Before investing in a particular brand, you need to go through the list of components mentioned on the package. For instance, reliable products like haliborange kid multivitamins contain the right mix of essential vitamins and other nutrients required for the correct growth of bones as well as the proper functioning of nerves and metabolic processes alike.

Administration of Supplements

If you have decided to consider the option of including dietary supplements in your diet, then you need to exercise the right precautions. Do not choose a product just because it seems to bring about positive impacts on the health of your peer—you are a different individual altogether! Citing an example, athletes and students have different nutritional requirements and what works wonders for one may prove to be very harmful for the other—so be aware of the capabilities and nutritional value of supplements, steer clear from banned or adulterated substances and take your health expert’s advice before going ahead with your purchase –you will not be disappointed!

And yes, product reviews, testimonials and word-of-mouth recommendations are also helpful; do take out some time for them as well.

Should you give your Kids Omega 3 Fish Oil?

Administering specially formulated kids fish oil to your precious angels is the right thing to do; but then there are certain factors that you need to consider before choosing a brand that is both reliable and effective. Most fish oil for children (stacked on the racks of pharmacies and health stores globally), fail to have the right amounts of essential omega 3 fatty acids. They do not provide the right nutritional benefits and may also contain some toxic impurities such as PCBs, Mercury or heavy metals released from contaminated fish—beware!

Dangers of Administering Toxins

These toxins prove to be very harmful and potentially dangerous for kids, as their immune systems are weak and not as conditioned/ strong as those in adults. So, you need to be more careful about the products you administer–as the impurities or adulterated ingredients contained in them may lead to a negation of benefits derived from these supplements. Apart from weakening the nervous system and making the normal bodily functions erratic, these toxins can also lead to major health concerns –sometimes fatal.

How to Avoid Toxins in Kids Fish Oil

To avoid consumption of these toxins, you should ensure purchase of supplements that are totally purified by the process of molecular distillation—an act which involves laboratory based procedures for the removal of toxins and other harmful substances from the oil. You should also check for the Certificate of Analysis (COA), which guarantees that the company selling the product has invested its resources in molecular distillation and other essential tests.

Levels of DHA

Before going ahead with the act of introducing your child to fish oil, you must also have complete awareness about the quantity of DHA that the supplement contains. The right levels of DHA lead to positive benefits for your child's development. According to experts, administration of DHA present in fish oil leads to improvements in learning abilities, memory, concentration and IQ alike. It also goes a long way in bringing about enhancements in the lives of children suffering from ADHD, Autism, ADD and so forth. High levels of DHA also help in improving your kid’s eye sight and boosting his/her overall immune system.

Way Forward…

For best results, experts recommend a daily intake of fish oil that contains a minimum of 250mg of DHA per capsule of 1000 mg oil. The right ration of DHA to EPA being 2:1, you need to look for brands that offer the same. If your kids find it difficult to swallow the capsule, then you may consider opening the case and adding the fish oil to their favorite cereals or meals. However, avoid giving fish oil supplements that boast of enteric coatings or artificial additives—they are usually unhealthy for consumption by humans.

All the best!

Why are Dietary Food and Mineral Supplements Important?

If you are wondering why more and more people are choosing to include food supplements like Bio-strath Elixir in their daily diet, then you need to think no further. Remember, most food ingredients consumed by us are not packed with enough nutrients –in spite of your best attempts to refer to diet charts and include all the essential minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, vitamins and other valuable components.

This makes it absolutely important to supplement your meals from other formulation and sources. For instance, minerals are helpful in controlling our metabolic procedures; enzymes are responsible for speeding up the chemical reactions in our system and coenzymes assist them in performing several life-sustaining functions—does your diet include all this?

Why do you require Minerals?

The critical responsibility linked with the appropriate functioning of our body is largely shared by a host of minerals that serve as important cofactors and initiators of all the biologic processes necessary for growth, energy and repair. In the case of plants and vegetation, the inorganic minerals taken from the soil are converted into organic minerals. Your dietary intake of important minerals is supported by consuming the animals and/ or plants that have already eaten them –this is how you get your share of valuable nutrients from nature, but then, this is not enough!

Poor Soil Conditions and Mineral Deficiency

As we all know, poor soil conditions, lack of proper pollution control methods and environmental factors beyond our control are gradually diminishing the levels of mineral content present in the soil—since the last 70 years at least. This in turn is leading to a reduction in the percentage of minerals present in the vegetables and fruits consumed by us and a rise in the highly likely scenario of deficiencies of essential minerals in our body.

Food supplements manufactured by renowned companies come to the rescue of people suffering from the concerning signs and symptoms of mineral deficiency –such as those caused by a decrease in the levels of potassium, zinc and so forth. Reliable products and supplements like Bio-strath Elixir help in addressing this cause and juggling the levels of mineral in your body back to normal.

Way Forward…

Dietary supplements present significant health benefits and go a long way in ensuring that your body and metabolic processes get all the requisites that are important for normal functioning. From healthy nerve functions to regulation of proper muscle tone to composition of blood/bone—they are helpful everywhere.

However, before including them in your diet, you must remember that dietary mineral supplements can never pose as substitutes for food. With an absence of adequate quantities of vegetables, fruits and other food products in your regular diet, you can never hope to achieve the requisite levels of minerals and other valuable nutrients –so act wisely.

Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Reasons Necessitating the Inclusion of Health Supplements in your Daily diet

Experts in nutritional balancing are usually uncomfortable in adding health supplements to their dietary plans and insist on the inclusion of natural sources of proteins, vitamins and minerals-- in the meals of children and adults alike. However, there are many reasons that attribute to the important role of these products and their recommendation for a healthier you, take a look.

Why are Nutritional supplements Important for just about everyone?
  • Lack of nutrient content in regular food supply: With overgrazing and over-farming being an order of the day worldwide, there has been an increase in the levels of soil depletion. This in turn has led to food production that is low /lacking in minerals, vitamins and other vital nutrients.
  • Lower Nutrition in Hybrid Crops: Hybrid crops: do yield more per hectare but boast of lower nutrient value than the food grown in the years gone by. For instance, the wheat produced today contains 6 percent of protein while that produced about ten decades ago contained a whopping 12-14 percent. The presence of trace minerals in contemporary crops is also lower.
  • Contemporary fertilizers are lacking in trace elements: In comparison to manures, superphosphate fertilizers of modern times contain higher levels of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus but are deficient in trace elements. This makes it essential for you to include health suppliments such as those supplied by Himalaya products in your diet.
  • Requirement of extra nutrients by the body: The deadly chemicals contained in the pesticides that reach our blood stream, require higher levels of nutrients for combating /processing the same.
  • Long-distance transportation of food products diminishes nutritional content: After being harvested, food products start diminishing in their nutritional value and content. In contemporary times, vegetables, fruits and cereals are usually transported through long distances before reaching your town or city; thus rendering them lower in minerals and vitamins content.
  • Spraying, irradiation or processing of fruits: A large percentage of agricultural produce of the world is concentrated in countries like Asia, South America and China. These places are often miles away from the areas in which their products (especially fruits) are sold. As transportation is often slow in nature, these food products are treated in various ways to retain their freshness and look. However, in spite of best efforts, they end up getting moldy or losing their intrinsic worth –without you knowing.
Along with the various reasons stated above, food refining and processing methods also take a toll on the nutritional content of common foods like rice, wheat flour, dairy products and so forth. While freshly canned sardines and fresh frozen vegetables are preserved quickly after being harvested, homogenization and pasteurization of dairy products reduces the bioavailability of phosphorus, calcium and some proteins–necessitating the inclusion of health suppliments and Himalaya products in your lifetime.

However, do remember to consult your physician or health advisor before you go ahead and pop in these pills/ tablets or reach out for a spoon to mix your supplements in a glass of water, juice or milk. This is important to avoid any complications in future.