Mankind has a long-standing tradition of finding ways to use the herbs, roots, and minerals to bolster and improve overall health. In fact, there is evidence to support the theory that even cavemen understood the medicinal properties of the plants in their environment and made use of them.
Though it is clear that natural supplements could be beneficial, it is still important to find out exactly how they could be of benefit. The first thing to know is:
All Supplements Are Not Created Equal
Whole food supplements (those sourced from natural foods and plants) are far superior to synthetic supplements (those produced in a lab.) There are several reasons for this, but the most important is that in nature, vitamins are almost never found or ingested in isolation.
In other words, it is rare to find a food substance that contains vitamin C, for example, but nothing else.
Our bodies expect to receive and process vitamins as a whole package. That is how we utilize them best.
Assuming you are using quality supplements, here are some ways they can help:
Making Up For Where The Modern Diet Is Lacking
It should come as no surprise to you that the average diet is lacking in essential vitamins and minerals. Our ancestors used to grow their own food and consume a variety of organic meats and vegetables.
Be honest:
How often do you consume something that didn’t come out of some sort of packaging?
Exactly.
Essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, C, D, E, and calcium occur in very low dosages (or not at all) in most of the foods we eat. Taking daily supplements of vital vitamins and minerals is important for overall health.
Giving More Energy
Did you know that being deficient in certain vitamins can actually affect your quality of sleep?
It’s true.
Magnesium helps improve sleep and B vitamins help with reduction and prevention of fatigue.
Iron helps your body absorb and process oxygen, a crucial component in energy production.
Preventing Diseases
It stands to reason that a healthy body can fight off infection and disease better than an unhealthy one.
So consuming essential vitamins and minerals helps keep you disease free.
But there are also specific diseases caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Scurvy, for example, occurs in people who aren’t consuming enough vitamin C.
Rickets (a disease that affects the bones of (mostly) children) occurs when vitamin D is deficient.
Helping You Look Younger Longer
Though aging is a natural part of life, no one wants to look old before their time. There are two main factors that affect how old you look:
Skin elasticity and eye health.
Vitamins A, B, C, E, and K all help with skin health and elasticity.
Eye health depends on vitamins A, E, and C just to name a few.
Helping Prevent Stress And Maintain Homeostasis
A body with deficiencies is under internal stress. The body needs adequate amounts of all essential vitamins and minerals to function properly.
Balance is the key in homeostasis. Internal and external stressors tend to throw off our natural equilibrium. And in terms of re-establishing that balance, one group of supplements is king:
Adaptogens!
What are adaptogens? They are wild-crafted herbs discovered in the alpine regions of Siberia and specially (and naturally!) designed to help your cells adapt to physical and even mental stress. You can read more about these wonderful herbs and roots here.
So as you can see, supplements can play a vital role in improving and maintaining your overall health.
