The 14 most effective natural supplements and how they are taken

The World Health Organization states that half of all diseases are related to nutrition. On the other hand, a balanced regime is not necessarily sufficient and more and more studies support the benefits of dietary supplementation in order to prevent and even treat numerous ailments.

But many people still wonder:

What are dietary supplements and what are they for? Are there studies that show the benefits of these products for health?

When in 1906 the British biochemist Frederick Gowland Hopkins observed that animals fed only with carbohydrates, proteins and fats progressively lost their health, they began to investigate the chemical structures that would later be assigned the name of vitamins.

Initially the deficiency of a vitamin was associated with a specific disease and It was believed that if the disease did not exist, there was no deficiency and, therefore, an extra dose of such a vitamin was not needed.

But in recent decades it has been discovered that many diseases are the result of months or years of serious deficiencieswhose first symptoms often go unnoticed.

Why do they contain higher amounts of vitamins and minerals than the recommended daily allowances? Are those amounts safe? What does taking a supplement contribute if the diet is balanced?

In 1943 the first recommended daily allowances (CDR) were established. These are the average amounts of each nutrient that a person must ingest daily to meet their vital needs.

If these needs are not covered, they can lead to dysfunctions that open the door to irreversible and degenerative diseases.

But the usefulness and suitability of these values ​​is under constant review. and both the uniqueness of each person (age, type of diet, constitution, physical activity, drug intake, toxic habits, stress…) and other external factors (climate, environmental pollution…) determine different nutritional needs.

The RDAs therefore focus on the prevention of deficiencies, but do not define the optimal intake of each nutrient for an individual in a specific circumstance of his life. Hence, many people often require much higher doses than those officially established.

14 nutritional supplements that can support your health

In the selection of natural supplements that we present below are not all that are, but they are all that are. We highlight fifteen of the most effective, detailing their properties, how they should be taken and what benefits they bring to the body.

The offer is very wide and the selection of the most suitable for each person and circumstance always require the advice of a health professional. Before taking any type of nutritional supplement, consult a specialist.

Essential fatty acids (EFA)

They make up the cell membraneare present in significant amounts in the brain and in the nervous tissuesand participate in numerous regulatory chemical reactions.

A insufficient intake of omega-6 fatty acids can be the origin of various disorders, such as dryness and premature aging of the skin or premenstrual disturbances.

On the other hand, the Omega 3 play a vital role in lipid balance and in inflammatory processes.

Blue fish (salmon, sardines…), nuts and green leafy vegetables are foods rich in omega-3, while omega-6 are found in vegetable oilssuch as evening primrose, borage, sunflower, soybean, and safflower.

Recommended dose: 6 grams of omega-6 fatty acids for every 3 grams of omega-3 (DHA and EPA combined).

It is advisable to carry out two annual treatments with fatty acid supplements: the autumn and spring months are the most indicated periods.

chlorella algae

Chlorella algae contains all essential and non-essential amino acidsvitamins, enzymes, trace elements and minerals essential for health.

His high proportion of chlorophyll makes it act as an effective “cleaner” of toxins and heavy metals in the intestine, liver and blood.

Other properties of chlorella are its antibiotic effect, regulator of intestinal transit and hypocholesterolemic.

Dose: 20 grams a day or 6-7 tablets, although it can be increased without problems up to 60 grams a day.

Betaglucans

Beta-glucans are molecules found in a wide variety of foods, especially in cereals and mushrooms.

From a structural point of view, it is polysaccharides (carbohydrates) and the specific type is determined by the number of glucose molecules that branch off the basic structure.

Beta 1.3/1.6 glucan, which is extracted from baker’s yeast and certain types of mushrooms such as shitake and maitake stimulates macrophages, a type of white blood cell that circulate through the bloodstream and destroy disease-causing microorganisms and cells that can evolve into tumors.

It also helps reduce cholesterol and accelerates the healing of eczema, dermatitis and inflammatory and infectious skin disorders.

Currently, beta-glucans are used as chemotherapy adjuvants and other anticancer treatments.

Dose: 10 mg daily in healthy people, half an hour before meals or one hour after. They can be increased up to 750 mg to prevent the formation of tumor cells.

bifidobacteria

They are probiotics, a generic term used to describe the beneficial bacteria that normally live in the digestive tract and that help maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms, as well as carry out other important functions, including absorption of certain nutrients and manufacture of some vitamins of the B and K complex.

Also help keep cholesterol at bay, stimulate the immune systemprevent the proliferation of yeasts and other harmful microorganisms and reduce intestinal inflammation that cause diseases such as diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease.

The fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and tempeh are natural sources of bifidobacteria, although they are also presented as nutritional supplements.

Dose: One or two capsules, containing at least one billion live organisms, two to three times a day.

Desmodium

He Desmodium ascendens is a plant used by African healers to combat different liver conditions.

Desmodium exerts an antiviral action and acts as a protector of liver cells. It is very effective in the treatment of hepatitis (viral, chronic and toxic), since it lowers transaminases in just six weeks of treatment.

Allergies, asthma and immune deficiencies in general improve with the addition of desmodium, as well as stomach ulcers, constipation and headaches of liver origin.

It is also effective in poisoning by heavy metals or ethyl origin or to palliate the hepatodigestive effects of chemotherapy.

Dose: 20 to 40 ml per day dissolved in water, or 200 to 400 mg of the dry plant. These doses can be increased depending on the pathology.

Each enzyme acts on a specific food and one enzyme cannot replace another, hence the deficiency of one of them can be the difference between being healthy or being sick.

proteolytic enzymes

A good assimilation does not depend only on the quantity and quality of the diet, but also on enzymes available in the bodythat contribute to the chemical degradation of food.

Enzymes not only improve digestive processes, but act on microcirculation eliminating waste and normalizing the supply of oxygen to the tissues, which is why they are used successfully in the treatment of rheumatic processes and to reduce edema.

enzymes They are obtained from unprocessed fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and fish, but they are destroyed when the temperature exceeds 40 ºC. Food additives and tobacco inactivate them.

Dose: From 1 to 3 capsules a day with meals to improve the digestive process or from 3 to 6 outside of meals to obtain an anti-inflammatory effect.

Echinacea

echinacea root (Echinacea angustifolia) has recognized immunostimulating properties.

Not only does it increase the production of leukocytes and other mechanisms in the body to fight infections, but it also has a bactericidal, fungicidal and antiviral effect.

Its action is not comparable to that of pharmacological antibiotics, since the properties of echinacea are appreciated in the medium and long term, especially with the aim of strengthen their own defenses and avoid recurrences.

It is advisable to insert short periods of rest or alternate the use of this plant with other stimulants of the immune system if the treatment lasts more than two months.

This contraindicated during pregnancy and lactationas well as in people who suffer liver disease or autoimmune diseases.

Dose: From 125 to 375 mg daily of standardized dry extract or, if taken as a tincture, 10-15 drops diluted in a glass of water three times a day.

Echinacea root stimulates the body’s mechanisms to fight infections and has a bactericidal, fungicidal and antiviral effect.

FOS (Fructooligosaccharides)

They are a type of soluble fiber composed of fructose units found in small amounts in some fruits and vegetables (artichoke, garlic, onion, leek, asparagus, tomato, banana, chicory, beetroot… ), as well as in cereals such as wheat and barley.

They are not digested in the upper intestinal tract, but They reach the colon intact, so they are an excellent prebiotic.

The FOS stimulate the growth and activity of bifidobacteria that live in the intestine, in addition to producing a slight acidification in the colon that reinforces the barrier effect against potentially toxic microorganisms.

The advantage they present over other carbohydrates is that they nourish only the “friendly” bacteria of the intestinal flora, but not the pathogenic ones, since they do not have the necessary enzymes to use them.

The FOS stimulate immune function and the synthesis of certain vitamins; They help reduce the development of digestive disorders such as excess gas, since they inhibit the development of bacteria that generate them; improve intestinal transit (which is beneficial in case of constipation and diarrhea), and help reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Dose: To maintain the general health of the intestine, 5 to 10 grams daily are recommended. If what you want is to recover the regularity of intestinal transit, 10 to 30 grams per day, or as considered by a health professional.

Soy lecithin

Lecithin is a phospholipid essential for the formation of membranes of all cells in the bodyis part of the protective sheaths that surround neurons, is involved in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, helps break down cholesterol and acts as an emulsifier for fats.

lecithin May protect against heart disease by reducing…