Supplements

Nutrition / Supplements — No Comments
23
Sep 10

B Vitamins – Can They Help Depression?

If you are currently experiencing depression, chances are you believe that the culprit is what is going on in your life.  While there is no doubt that dealing with disappointments and excessive stress can lead to feeling down, the truth is that very often it is much more than that.  When your body is not getting the nutrients it needs, it becomes very difficult for you to deal with what is going on around you.  This is why integrative health professionals are now looking at the role of B vitamins in the treatment of anxiety and depression.  It has proven to be effective for everyone, especially vegetarians and vegans who may have a hard time in getting enough B12 in their diets.

Science has recently shown that the levels of B12 in the bloodstream that were once believed to be perfectly acceptable are instead seriously low.  Just a few years ago if you had gone to the doctor and tested as having levels of 200, this would have been fine.  Now we know that when you have blood levels anywhere below 400, you are at great risk of developing vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms.  These symptoms can include depression, anxiety, confusion, and anorexia.  In addition to this, you are also at an increased risk of developing heart disease.  Because of this, most integrative practitioners are now suggesting that we maintain blood levels closer to 800.

James Gordon, MD, a psychiatrist, has said that through his clinical experience he has found that there are many times when simply adding B12 and folate to the nutrient therapy of patients with depression can be enough to significantly impact their symptoms.  Research has backed this up, by showing that patients with low levels of folate, B12 and B6 have a much higher chance of experiencing depression.  The reason for this is that the B vitamins are very important in regulating how our bodies deal with stress through the adrenal response.

Therefore, if you are going through a serious depression you may want to talk to your doctor about supplementing with b vitamins.  B12 shots have helped a lot of people and they could help you!

Supplements — 1 Comment
26
Jul 10

Using Probiotic Supplements To Improve Your Digestive Health

There are a lot of ways that probiotic supplements will be able to improve your digestive health that you will want to look into. If you are someone who seems to have a lot of digestive problems such as acid reflux, constipation, and other problems that occur frequently then your body is not getting enough good bacteria to help break the things in your stomach down properly. If you are interested in improving your health and getting rid of the irritating, painful symptoms you have been going through then make sure to learn how probiotics can help you.

One thing that you will want to know about these supplements is that there are several different ones that you can take. There is a single strain, double strain, and multi strain that you will be able to take depending on which digestive problem you are experiencing and trying to get help with.  When you are trying to choose the right supplement to start taking make sure that you talk with your physician first so that you can ask him how much you need to take of the supplement and if it is right for you to take. Once you find out if it is right you will be able to start looking for the probiotic you need to be able to improve you digestive health.

There are a lot of different places that you will be able to buy probiotic supplements when you are looking to buy some. Health food stores and vitamin shops usually are the most common places that you are going to be able to find these supplements but you can also purchase them online for a great price. Make sure that you take a look at the different options you have so that you will be able to buy the supplement you need to start improving your digestive system and functions.