What Health and Performance Supplements Should You Be Taking?

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Ideally, our bodies would get everything they need from a healthy diet. Unfortunately, that’s a lot harder these days, due to the prevalence of processed foods and popularity of the standard western nutrition. 

Even if you did get most of your vitamins and minerals from your diet, supplementation is still useful. It provides a way to take your fitness to the next level, decrease anxiety, reduce aches, pains, and more. 

Among all health supplements, CBD Oil might be the most beneficial. It’s something you can’t get from your diet, but it provides an extensive number of benefits. Having said that, let’s go through the different supplements to take so you can improve your overall health and performance. 

If you’ve ever wondered, “What supplements should I take?”, read on. 

Vitamins and Minerals 

First, I’ll discuss the  recommended vitamins your body needs for improving your health and strengthening your immune system.  

A Multivitamin

Taking a multivitamin every day is one of the easiest ways to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you require. Sure, you can take each vitamin and mineral individually, but it’s time-consuming and can be expensive. Just make sure your multivitamin contains essential minerals, such as zinc, in addition to vitamins. 

Research suggests that your body needs around  25-30 essential vitamins and minerals. Taking a multivitamin helps you get them, even though it’s not a substitute for keeping a healthy diet and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. A daily multivitamin can improve your mood and develop brain function, among other advantages. 

There’s no standard for what a multivitamin needs to contain, so the exact amounts of vitamins and minerals in a multivitamin can vary from brand to brand. Check the Daily Value on the label to ensure you get close to 100 percent of the recommended intake for the vitamins and minerals contained. That’s especially important if you don’t get enough fruits and veggies and are lacking in  vitamins and minerals benefits. 

Fish Oil

Have you ever wondered, “What vitamins should I take?” Fish oil isn’t a vitamin, but it’s very important. 

Fish oil supplies omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids help regulate and  build your immune system, lessen the risk of heart disease, and reduce inflammation. They can help regulate eczema and autoimmune diseases like lupus, as well as blood clotting. New  research suggests they can relieve the effects of Covid-19 and  control the inflammatory storm Covid-19 can cause. 

Since your body can’t make these essential fatty acids by yourself, you either need to get them from your diet — such as by eating salmon or sardines — or by taking supplements. If you’re vegan and can’t take fish oil supplements, flaxseed oil is a good alternative. 

Again, look at the DV on the supplement’s label to see how much of the recommended daily intake of Omega 3 you are getting. 

Magnesium

Have you ever wondered, “What supplements should I take for working out?”

An essential supplement is magnesium, particularly for athletes and others looking for increased performance and exercise endurance. Every cell in your body  needs magnesium, which your bones, muscles and tissues have.

Magnesium helps your body convert food into energy and aids in protein formation, making it an excellent pick for bodybuilders and others who are physically active. Studies show that it can reduce fatigue by moving blood sugar into your muscles during activity. Athletes who were supplemented with magnesium were able to run faster and perform better — your body needs up to 20% more magnesium when training than when resting. 

Around half of all people in the US and Europe get less than the daily recommended amount of magnesium, which is why supplementing with this mineral is something strongly worth considering. 

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 helps  boost your immune system and ward off illnesses and sicknesses. It can also improve your mood and decrease inflammation, making it a good choice if you deal with inflammation in any part of your body. Getting enough Vitamin D3 is critical for maintaining healthy bones and teeth. 

Vitamin D3 is beneficial for your mental health, too. Studies show that people lacking sufficient Vitamin D3 were more likely to have depression, while getting more of it was able to heal their symptoms. Also, people who took Vitamin D3 found it easier to lose weight compared to those who didn’t. 

You can get Vitamin D3 just by going outside! Your body will produce it when it absorbs sunlight. During the winter, or when it’s cold and cloudy, you might not get enough Vitamin D3. If you work inside all day, taking a Vitamin D3 supplement may be necessary, too. Many multivitamins will contain Vitamin D3, but not all of them will have anything close to the daily recommended amount. 

Iron

Iron is an  essential mineral, but many multivitamins don’t have any of it. If you eat a lot of meat, you probably don’t need an iron supplement. As a vegan, however, it’s tough to get enough. Not only does iron help prevent anemia, but it can reduce fatigue, help you feel more energetic, and strengthen your immunity. 

On the flip side, since iron is a mineral, too much of it isn’t safe either. An overdose can lead to iron toxicity, with symptoms such as gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea, diarrhea, and more. It’s best to ask a doctor if you should supplement iron, and for how long. 

If you’re a vegan, consider incorporating iron-rich foods into your diet, including beans, lentils, chickpeas, and cashew nuts, instead of popping an iron supplement. 

Probiotics

Good bacteria make up probiotics. A lot of people supplement with probiotics for improved digestion, but the benefits go beyond that. Probiotics help  regulate the healthy function of your body and fight off bad bacteria, so you don’t get sick. 

While taking probiotics is especially valuable when on antibiotics (because those medications kill off the good bacteria, too), taking them regularly can improve your overall mood and fight depression. They also promote heart health and relieve the symptoms of common allergies. 

CBD Supplements

While all those supplements are important, you can get most of them from a healthy diet. What you can’t get from eating fruits and veggies, however, is CBD. 

CBD Health Benefits

CBD is one of the cannabinoids found in cannabis. Unlike THC, CBD is not psychoactive, so it doesn’t get you high. Nevertheless, together with those other compounds found in the marijuana plant, it produces the  CBD entourage effect to yield a dazzling array of health benefits. 

Hard science backs up the advantages of  dosing with CBD. People add CBD to their diets for a variety of reasons, and here are some of them. 

It May Help In Relieving Pain

One of the effects CDB is most well-known for is its ability to reduce pain and muscle aches, which it does by interacting with neurotransmitters to impact endocannabinoid receptor activity. Whether you suffer from back pain, muscle spasms, arthritis, or any other kind of chronic pain, CBD could provide the relief you’re looking for. 

It May Reduce Inflammation

CBD supplements have anti-inflammatory properties.  Studies have shown that CBD’s antioxidant properties can help with diseases caused by oxidative stress, which leads to inflammation. A lot of diseases link  to inflammation, from gut problems to autoimmune disorders.

If you’re struggling with acne, you’ll be glad to hear that CBD can help you  reduce breakouts due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It may also decrease sebum production and fight acne-causing bacteria on the skin. 

It May Reduce Autoimmune Flare-Ups

Autoimmune diseases happen when your immune system can’t control itself. Instead of presenting an appropriate response to some pathogen, if you have an autoimmune disease, your body can get out of control, generating an excessive amount of inflammation and T-cells. 

That can happen even when there’s no disease-causing pathogen — such as when you come into contact with something you are allergic to, even without knowing you are allergic to it. 

CBD can help curb inflammation and  slow down T-cell production to alleviate symptoms and reduce the likelihood of an autoimmune flare-up. Discover the connection between immunity and CBD

It Can Help Improve Sleep Disorders

Are you having trouble sleeping at night? Many people have found that a drop or two of  CBD oil, or a CBD mint or gummy, helps them fall asleep quickly and get a good night’s rest. 

While melatonin is an option too, many people report experiencing weird dreams when taking too much melatonin, or the infamous “melatonin hangover,” which can leave you with a headache and grogginess throughout the next day. 

You can also take chamomile or other herbal teas before bed to calm down. However, that might cause you to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, disrupting your sleep cycle and canceling out any benefits. 

CBD is a superb alternative. While THC (which contains intoxicating ingredients) might not be the best option for helping you sleep, early research  suggests that CBD supplementation can help with a variety of sleep disorders. 

Not only can CBD help you fall asleep by soothing your anxiety and helping you feel more sedated, but it also regulates REM sleep, making you feel more refreshed when you wake up and energized throughout the day. 

Getting enough sleep is vital for maintaining a healthy immune system. You can take as many vitamins as you want, but if you don’t sleep well, your immune system will be weak, and your body and mind won’t be able to function at high levels. 

Unfortunately, most individuals don’t get nearly enough sleep. Our stressful lifestyle, social media, and blue light exposure don’t help either, but taking CBD can combat their harmful effects. 

It May Support Mental Health

The benefits of CBD oil aren’t limited to physical health.  Researchers have conducted many studies on  CBD’s mental benefits: the effects of CBD on chronic mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and anxiety-related disorders like OCD, PTSD, and social anxiety disorders. The studies show that CBD users can find relief from those conditions. 

Let's go back to what we said earlier about CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties. The picture starts to become clearer once you understand the  connection between inflammation and depression.

Now, scientists are discovering a strong connection between inflammation and anxiety as well — depression and anxiety often come hand in hand. Thus, fighting inflammation with CBD can relieve the symptoms of a host of anxiety-related disorders, of which there are many. 

In general, many people find supplementing with CBD to improve their overall mood and help them stay focused throughout the day. While research is still limited, there is  some evidence that CBD can help adults manage ADHD and hyperactivity. 

Other Health Benefits

CBD has also  been shown to possibly improve and prevent a variety of more serious health conditions, including: 

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Epilepsy
• Multiple sclerosis

How Much CBD Should I Take?

So, how much CBD should you take? The supplement bottle will tell you how many milligrams are in each drop, mint, or gummy. We recommend starting low and slow. As time goes on, you can start increasing the dosage and see how your body reacts. 

NHS Recommendations 

The NHS recommends a balanced diet to get important nutrients, including: 

• Vitamin A
• B vitamins 
• Folic acid
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
• Calcium
• Iodine
• Iron

Check out  NHS guidance on supplements for which foods to incorporate into your diet to get those vitamins. 

Conclusion 

It’s essential to eat a balanced diet, including healthy protein, fruits, and vegetables, to get the nutrients your body needs. Proper rest and regular exercise will also help you stay strong and develop your immune system. 

Nevertheless, some people just need that extra boost. Whether it’s going to be a busy workweek and you won’t have time to eat properly, or you feel a little stressed out and are having trouble falling asleep, consider supplementing with vitamins and/or CBD. 

Dosing CBD mints or CBD oil drops might be the factor that completes your healthy lifestyle by ensuring you are well-rested and in a positive mood throughout the day. By reducing stress, which harms your immune system, CBD can help you avoid getting sick and feel more energized and productive in your everyday life. 

 

Written by  |  Infused Amphora Team 

The Infused Amphora Team is dedicated to creating resources to educate and engage consumers on the growing evidence of CBD benefits and the extensive health and wellness properties of CBD Oil. 

Contributor  | Angus Taylor CEO

 

Infused Amphora “Learn” is intended for informational purposes only and is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.