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There are many supplements that don’t fit into the major groups of vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements, but have their own smaller groups. I tend to think of these as speciality products and they can be sub-divided into: Antioxidants are compounds in foods that scavenge and neutralise free radicals. The process of oxidation in the human body produces these free radicals, which damage cell membranes and other structures and have been linked to a variety of diseases, including heart disease and certain cancers. A diet high in antioxidants may reduce the risk of many of these diseases by scavenging the free radicals from the body cells, and preventing or reducing the damage caused by oxidation. Amino acids play central roles both as building blocks of proteins and in assisting metabolism. Twenty amino acids are needed to build the various proteins used in the growth, repair, and maintenance of body tissues with eleven of these being made by the body itself. The other nine must come from your diet and are known as essential amino acids. Proteins not only act as a catalyst in all (or most) of the reactions in living cells, they control virtually all cellular processes.
Failure to obtain enough of even 1 of the 9 essential amino acids (those that we cannot make) results in your body obtaining what it needs from the available protein, such as muscle. Unlike fat and starch, the human body does not store excess amino acids for later use—the amino acids must be in the food every day. Enzymes are biological catalysts that are needed to digest protein, fat and carbohydrate and are made up of amino acids. According to some theories, allergies are triggered by partially undigested protein and so it is thought that enzymes may reduce allergy symptoms. Vitamins and other nutrients cannot work in your body by themselves and require enzymes to transport them throughout your body and make use of them. Enzymes unlock the benefits of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and hormones and make use of them where ever they are needed. Essential Fatty Acids, or EFAs, are fats that are required in the human diet but must be obtained from food as we have no way of producing them internally. When they were discovered as essential nutrients in 1923, they were originally designated as Vitamin F. We now know them as omega 3 & 6. (Omega-9 is necessary but not “essential” as our bodies can manufacture a small amount provided Omega 3 & 6 are present). The human body needs EFAs to manufacture and repair cell membranes and support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems. They also regulate inflammation and encourage the body to fight infection. Proper growth and neural development in children (especially males) is dependant on EFAs - even whilst still in the womb and whilst being breastfed.
Probiotics are dietary supplements or foods that contain beneficial, or "good," bacteria normally found in your body. There are over 400 species of bacteria – weighing over one and a half kilograms - that live in our digestive tract. These micro-organisms assist with digestion and help protect against some harmful bacteria. There is also growing evidence that they can help prevent and treat illnesses such as vaginal yeast infection and digestive problems associated with the after effects of taking antibiotics. The way we lead our lives these days – stress, poor diet and modern food production techniques – can be harmful to these bacteria and lead to us suffering the consequences of a reduced level which leaves room for harmful bacteria to invade and multiply. A probiotic deficiency can manifest in many ways throughout the body, from gingivitis and cold sores in the mouth to premature ageing, eczema, thrush and even peptic ulcers. A probiotic supplement will re-populate your gut lining and help keep you healthy. Bone & Joint Formulations generally fall into two areas - anti-inflammatories and products that help to regenerate and repair joints that are suffering from years, possibly decades, of abuse. Inflammation is a sign that the body is reacting or over-reacting to a disorder - in this case, joint wear and tear. Anti-inflammatories help to reduce this, but the cause of the inflammation has to be dealt with for them to be of any long standing benefit. Products that help repair joints are usually part of the building blocks of collagen, which in turn helps to rebuild, maintain and replace cartilage and connective tissue.
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