We all know that the key to a healthy lifestyle includes good nutrition and exercise. But sometimes, even when you're doing everything right, your body might need a little extra help to reach optimal wellness. That's where supplements come in!
Supplements can help provide immune support, stress relief, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases. They're often used as ongoing wellness aids or to help prevent future health problems.
In this blog post we breakdown our picks for the top 7 natural wellness supplements available on the market today.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that are critical to brain development, immune function, and cardiovascular health.(1) There's also evidence to suggest that not getting enough omega-3s is associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety.(2)
Your body can’t make omega-3 fatty acids, so you have to get it from your diet. The biggest source of omega-3s is fish, especially oily fish — like salmon and mackerel. Some omega-3s are also found in nuts and seeds. If you're not a fish eater though, a supplement can help you get your recommended daily intake.
Magnesium is another essential mineral for human health. It helps build bone strength, moderates blood pressure, muscle function, and reduces inflammation.(3)
Like omega-3s, magnesium also seems to have depression-fighting qualities.(4)
You can easily meet your daily magnesium needs through supplements or a wide range of foods like:
Vitamin D is important for bone, brain, and immune health.(5)
It helps regulate calcium in the body, which is necessary for bone strength. For brain health, vitamin D has been shown to improve memory and reduce cognitive decline. Further research suggests that it may help reduce your risk of different diseases, from multiple sclerosis to the flu.(6)
Though, vitamin D is a bit of a misnomer. It's not actually a vitamin, but a precursor of a hormone. Yup, your body can produce vitamin D.
And yet, many people are vitamin D deficient. While your body can make vitamin D through enough sun exposure, many people are not getting enough sun. Luckily, you can easily boost your vitamin D intake through supplements.
CBD (aka cannabidiol) is a compound found in cannabis, but it doesn't make you high. Instead, many use it daily to manage different common ailments like persistent pain, stress, and nausea.
In fact, the research world is booming with interest in CBD. Scientists are racing to try to understand CBD's ability to ease pain, boost mood, and potentially reduce the risk of many chronic conditions.
Which is why it’s become one of the top researched supplements over the last few years.
For a — super impressive — list of science-backed CBD benefits, check out the article: Can CBD Benefit These 42 Health Concerns? Science Says Yes!
Probiotics are microorganisms (aka good bacteria) that can be found in yogurt and other fermented foods. They're essential to keeping your digestive system working smoothly. A healthy level of probiotics may also help improve mood — always a welcome effect.(7)
Lots of things can throw your digestive system out of whack, like certain medications, illness, and poor diet. Probiotics can restore balance to your gut microbiome.
The good news is that you don't have to eat yogurt every day in order to get probiotics benefits. Other fermented foods contain probiotics. And it's easy to find probiotic supplements.
Like CBD, turmeric is another anti-inflammation powerhouse. Turmeric can also increase antioxidant activity in your body, boost brain health, and reduce your risk of heart disease.(8) Curcumin — the main active ingredient in turmeric — may be the key driver of the numerous health benefits associated with turmeric. Turmeric may even help reduce symptoms of depression (see a pattern?).(9)
It's a top supplement for overall daily wellbeing and for reducing your risk of chronic diseases.
Sorry vampires, this one's not for you. Garlic has a long history of medicinal use, dating thousands of years.(10)
It’s an antimicrobial and may reduce your risk of getting a cold.(11) It’s also helpful in reducing blood pressure, and boosting cardiovascular health.(12) Thus, garlic supplements are a good choice for a general physical and immune boost.
Now please pass the garlic bread.
The human body is an amazing machine that will do its best to keep us healthy, given the proper nutrients. But sometimes it doesn’t have enough of the nutrients it needs to be at its best. This can be due to poor diet or various lifestyle or medical factors.
That’s why many people choose to supplement with natural wellness aids. Supplements are also popular as preventative measures for many common ailments. While supplements are not a replacement for healthful eating and lifestyle habits and routine medical care, they may be helpful in achieving and maintaining optimal health.
References
The cannabis compound CBD has been popping up in Parkinson’s disease (PD) therapy and prevention conversations, propelled by success stories from p...
Read MoreCBD is one of the most popular supplements on the market today. But you're a savvy consumer. You know just because something is popular doesn’t mea...
Read MoreYou know delta-8 as "weed-lite" or the "chillest of the cannabinoids." But what about all the potential health benefits of this unique compound? Wh...
Read More