We all know that supplements can help your body with certain ailments, conditions or functions, but what EXACTLY do they do?
...And how do they do it?!
To help break down some of the myths and mystery behind supplements and to show you why you might want to consider taking supplements, here's a simple guide to show you what supplements can help your body with!
Generally speaking our bodies are pretty good at most things. But sometimes a little helping hand can make a real difference!
1) ACHES
Achiness is a real drag. No one wants sore joints or muscles to the point where even walking down the stairs feels the toughest part of your day.
Most aches and pains are caused by tenderness, swelling, and discomfort within the muscle or joint, but luckily there’s a supplement that tackles exactly this...Enter Fish oil!
The omega-3 fatty acids present in fish oil supplements can help increase blood flow throughout the body during exercise and afterwards, which can help reduce joint pain and swelling, helping reduce that ache and letting you get on with your day!
2) SLEEP
Sleep really is the mother of all health and fitness. Without sleep not only does your body go into ‘shutdown’ mode, but your mind does too, impacting your relationships, productivity and almost any part of your day!
If you’re struggling to get your 6-8 hours of QUALITY sleep each night, there is one supplement that trumps all others! Magnesium!
Magnesium (Biglycinate) is a real miracle in the supplement world because it helps with so many things! To keep things simple, magnesium helps reduce your cortisol levels (your stress hormone) - this in turn helps your brain switch off after a long day and allows you to enjoy some REM sleep!
The reason we say Magnesium (Biglycinate) is because if you head into many supplement or health shops, you’ll find cheaper versions of magnesium - Magnesium Oxide is a common one. This supplement does nothing for your results and instead just acts a little more like a laxative…
3) DIGESTION
Do you ever just get that ‘run down’ feeling?
Where perhaps you’re eating well, working hard but just not feeling that full benefits of your output? Your gut health might be responsible!
This is especially common if you are just getting over a patch of illness - as it’s likely that the tiny microscopic fauna that live in your intestines there running a little low on their numbers…Guess what?!
THERE’S A SUPPLEMENT FOR THAT!
Probiotics not only help boost your gut fauna numbers (even just one capsule of DVCC probiotics contains over 6billion beneficial microbacteria!), but also help you bounce back after a rough patch, improving your body's ability to process nutrients and get the most out of your food!
4) MENTAL HEALTH / IMMUNE SYSTEM
It’s easy to underestimate the importance of mental wellbeing when it comes to your results and your health.
A positive mindset can be the difference between reaching your goals and not…
Whilst there are COUNTLESS things that can influence your mental wellbeing, one which you can control is your Vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D has been shown to directly link to your mental wellbeing as our brains are full of Vitamin D receptors. These help carry out a number of functions including communicating actions with the rest of our body, our memory, and our mood. Some research suggests it could even play a role in our ability to socialise!
All of these connections in our brain give us both energy and more ‘happiness!’. Have you ever noticed that most of us are happier when it's sunny out? Vitamin D3 is partly responsible!
5) INFLAMMATION
Remember earlier we said that Fish oil helps increase blood flow throughout the body…Well that’s not all it does!
Fish oils directly target both the build up of acids and inflammation in the body. There are two main types of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil - EPA and DHA. Both do slightly different things, but both also are largely responsible for helping your body reduce inflammation, letting you get on with your day!
6) YOUR PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE!
And no…we’re not talking steroids here.
Supplements such as magnesium, fish oil and multivitamins have all been shown to help improve your performance whilst exercising through a number of different bodily reactions.
Magnesium assisting your recovery and muscles repair, fish oil helping keep your limbs activated whilst exercising and multivitamins helping all kinds of things - Everything from boosting your immune system, improving skin health and aiding muscle growth.
7) RECOVERY
In case you haven’t noticed, there is a trend here.
Almost all supplements can help you with both your fitness, but also every other aspect of your life. Your recovery and being able to use your new found strength, fitness or conditioning is what life is all about!
So there you have it! 7 Amazing ways that supplements are helping your body without you even knowing it!
