Vitamins and supplements like melatonin and fish oil offer health benefits but can cause side effects if misused. Learn about the impact of saw palmetto on blood pressure and find the best multivitamins for young women and adults over 50.
Creatine is a performance-enhancing amino acid that has been used by professional and student athletes. About 95 percent of your body’s creatine is found in your skeletal muscles, MayoClinic.com notes.
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Every organ in your body requires magnesium to function. Magnesium keeps teeth and bones strong, activates enzymes and regulates the levels of other minerals. Coumadin, or warfarin, is a medication used to prevent blood clots and other cardiovascular conditions.
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Sodium bicarbonate is an antacid used to alleviate heartburn, stomach upset and acid indigestion. The use of other medications and the presence of other medical conditions like heart disease and hypertension should be considered before sodium bicarbonate use to avoid possible adverse effects, MayoClinic.com notes.
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Without iron your body is unable to produce red blood cells, which are the cells responsible with supplying your organs with oxygen. As an essential mineral, iron is typically obtained from your diet.
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Carotenoids are highly pigmented compounds found in a variety of foods. Beta carotene is a carotenoid that is considered a provitamin because within your body beta carotene is converted into vitamin A, the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements reports.
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Type 2 diabetics are typically given metformin to help manage their blood sugar levels. Metformin is typically taken with a meal unless your doctor instructs you otherwise. Adverse effects include muscle pain, numbness of your extremities, difficulty breathing and stomach upset.
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Hyponatremia is a condition characterized by abnormally low levels of sodium. Sodium helps regulate the amount of water inside and around your cells. When your sodium levels become too low this causes the water levels in your body to increase and your cells to swell, MayoClinic.com explains.
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Creatine is an amino acid that is produced by your body, and it is also found in dietary sources such as meat and fish, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Your body converts creatine into creatine phosphate or phosphocreatine and stores it in your muscles.
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Part of the secret to strong bones is to have enough vitamin D in your blood. Ergocalciferol, or vitamin D-2, and cholecalciferol, or vitamin D-3, are two types of vitamin D that are essential to humans, the University of Maryland Medical Center explains.
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Carnitine is a nutrient that your body uses to turn fat into energy, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes. Your liver and kidneys produce carnitine and your body stores it in your skeletal muscles and heart. L-carnitine is a kind of carnitine supplement that is generally considered safe.
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Magnesium is essential for maintaining normal muscle and nerve function. About half of the magnesium in your body is in your bones, the Office of Dietary Supplements explains. Magnesium helps regulate your blood sugar levels and facilitates normal blood pressure.
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Your body requires a wide variety of vitamins and minerals every day. Among these is vitamin B12, an essential B-vitamin that you obtain mostly from the food you eat.
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Though not fully researched, dehydroepiandrosterone, often rendered as 5-dehydroepiandrosterone, plays a role in your menstrual cycle and overall fertility. DHEA is a hormone that contributes to your menstrual cycle and is also used to alleviate the symptoms of menopause.
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Glutamine, also known as L-glutamine, is one of the most abundant amino acids that your body manufactures. It is stored in your muscles and helps remove excess amounts of toxic ammonia.
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Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid, which your body needs to build proteins. Your body cannot manufacture this amino acid, so you need to get it from foods such as poultry, pork, fish, milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, soy products, bananas, certain nuts and seeds.
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Hyaluronic acid is a type of medication used to treat osteoarthritis pain in patients who are already taking pain relievers such as acetaminophen. Hyaluronic acid is similar to the synovial fluid in your joints that your body uses to lubricate your joints and absorb shock.
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Arachidonic acid, AA and sometimes ARA, is a 20 carbon long, omega-6, polyunsaturated fatty acid or n-6 PUFA. It is made in the body from shorter omega-6 fatty acids found in vegetable oils, or found in the diet in eggs, poultry and meats. PUFA are essential nutrients.
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Glucosamine is a kind of chemical your body produces and uses to construct cartilage, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. Glucosamine is available in supplement form that is derived from the chitin found in the outer shells of shrimp, lobsters and crabs.
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Discover how ginseng can help alleviate acne by regulating hormonal balance, strengthening the immune system, and reducing bacterial growth. Learn more about the benefits of using ginseng as a natural remedy for acne prevention.
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Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10 for short, is a naturally occurring substance in the energy-producing centers of cell mitochondria.
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