• Home
  • News
  • What are the Benefits of Dietary Supplements?
by Health By Principle

What are the Benefits of Dietary Supplements?

article-image

By Elizabeth Foley

In recent years, the use of dietary supplements is on the rise in the United States. Why are supplements well-liked by health-conscious Americans? There is growing awareness of the fact that the standard American diet doesn’t cover all the nutritional bases. Many adults view supplements as nutrition in a pill and are drawn to the convenience of maintaining proper nutrition with a dietary aid. Want to learn more about what supplements do for our health? Here are the benefits of three popular dietary supplements and how you can begin using them. 

What are Dietary Supplements?

The word “supplement” refers to a manufactured product that is produced to complement your diet. Supplements are not intended to treat, cure or prevent disease. So the FDA regulates dietary supplements like they would food rather than drugs. Many dietary supplements have benefits that have been well established by research, while other supplements require additional studies to better understand their effectiveness. As a consumer and advocate for your personal health, make sure you look into each dietary supplement manufacturer before purchase. Look for labs or manufacturers that are GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) facilities because they are compliant with high quality standards of production and control. Also, be sure and speak to a doctor before taking a new dietary supplement if you are experiencing any issues with your health. 

Effective Supplements

Research and recommendations for use of magnesium, electrolytes and vitamin D: 

Magnesium Supplements for Workouts

Magnesium supplements are excellent for workouts and supporting your active lifestyle. Research shows a positive relationship between magnesium supplementation before intense exercise. This is because low magnesium levels cause lactic acid build-up (1). When lactic acid builds up, muscles cannot properly relax, leading to a decrease in flexibility and possible muscle cramping. Magnesium supplements are also useful after your workout for reducing soreness and supporting muscle recovery.

The daily recommended allowance of magnesium varies between 310 mg to 420 mg for adult men and women. Experts recommend eating foods rich in magnesium in addition to taking the recommended dose of magnesium supplements, then slowly increasing or decreasing depending upon how your body reacts.  

Electrolyte Supplements for Migraines

Put simply, electrolytes are minerals in the body that carry a positive or negative electric charge. Common examples of electrolytes include sodium, potassium, and chloride. Research shows that you can lower your chances of getting a migraine by increasing dietary sodium intake because sodium has profound effects on neuronal activity (3). This explains why it becomes more difficult to maintain electrolyte homeostasis when you have a migraine. The Migraine prevention process relies on a hydration schedule along with electrolyte supplementation to assure proper water absorption. If you are interested in using electrolyte supplements to manage migraines, we recommend Dr. Angela Stanton’s specific recommendations on electrolyte dose and frequency in her complete guide to fighting the migraine epidemic.

Vitamin D Supplements for Immune Health

There is an overwhelming level of evidence that vitamin D has a positive effect on immune functions. Studies confirm that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased susceptibility to infection because vitamin D receptors are expressed on immune cells (4). Taking a vitamin D supplement daily helps keep your immune system balanced and is especially helpful during cold and flu season.  

Finding The Right Dietary Supplement  

Find the right dietary supplement to support your wellbeing with Health By Principle. We offer a series of Complete Magnesium, Electrolyte and Vitamin D supplements that are made in the United States at a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) facility with trusted, premium ingredients.

 

 


 

 --------------

Sources

  1. 1. Kass, L. S. (2018, July 25). The effect of acute vs chronic magnesium supplementation on exercise and recovery on resistance exercise, blood pressure and total peripheral resistance on normotensive adults. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-015-0081-z
  2. 2. Maughan, R. J. (1991). Fluid and electrolyte loss and replacement in exercise. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1895359/
  3. 3. Severe Headache or Migraine History Is Inversely Correlated With Dietary Sodium Intake: NHANES 1999–2004. (2016, April 1). PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4836999/
  4. 4. Aranow C. (2011). Vitamin D and the immune system. Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research, 59(6), 881–886. https://doi.org/10.2310/JIM.0b013e31821b8755

 

BACK TO TOP

We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies.