Vitamins, Herbs, and Nutritional Supplements

Tsang, G. (2013, July 23). 6 Tips for Buying Natural Dietary Supplements. Nutrition Advice by Registered Dietitians. Retrieved July 25, 2014, from http://www.healthcastle.com/herb_tips.shtml

Agenda

Introduction

Vitamins

Herbs

Nutritional Supplements

Helpful Web Resources

Questions

Introduction

Holistic health is an approach in which the whole person is focused on, not just the sickness or disease. Many Americans each day include vitamins, herbs, and nutritional supplements as a part of their daily routine. They do this to either add something that’s missing, treat a present condition or to prevent a future condition. Supplements can be helpful in achieving optimal health. Whatever the reason for your supplement, make sure you are knowledgeable about it.

Vitamins

Vitamins are a group of organic compounds essential for normal growth and nutrition They are required in small quantities in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the body (vitamins, 2014).

For optimal health it is important that a person gets the required about of vitamins daily. If they are not getting it from the foods they consume, they may need to invest in taking vitamins.

It is always important to try and get your vitamins through natural sources, meaning plenty of fruits and vegetables. Vitamins should not be used to replace natural sources.

Vitamins continued

There are 13 essential vitamins that the body needs to grow and develop normally. They are:

Vitamin A

B Vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate)

Vitamin C

Vitamin D

Vitamin E

Vitamin K

Herbs

An herb is a plant or plant part that is used for its flavor, scent, and/or potential health-related properties to make supplements. The word Botanical is sometimes used in the place of the word herb. Herbal supplement may contain a single herb or a mixture of different herbs.

They can be found in forms such as fresh or dried products, liquid or solid extracts, tablets, capsules, powders, tea bags and other forms.

Researchers have shown that the use of some dietary supplements can be beneficial to health.

Herbs continued

Examples of Herbs and Uses

Milk thistle - an herbal remedy for a variety of ailments, mostly the liver, kidney, and gall bladder. Scientific studies have suggest that substances in milk thistle protect the liver from toxins (Milk thistle., 2014).

Dandelion – contains vitamins A, B, C, D and minerals such as iron, potassium, and zinc. It is used to add flavor to salads, sandwiches, and teas.

Chamomile - used to calm frayed nerves, to treat stomach problems, to relieve muscle spasms, and to treat skin conditions and mild infections.  

 

Herbs continued

Examples of Herbs and Uses

Aloe Vera – wounds and burns, natural laxative, upset stomach and skin disorders (30 Most Popular Herbs for Natural Medicine, 2011).

Ginger – used for nausea, motion sickness and vomiting.

Tea Tree – antibacterial, anti-fungal, burns, good for skin conditions.

Many herbs claim to treat different ailments. Check with your health care professional before trying any herbal treatments.

Nutritional Supplements

Holistic nutrition focuses on a natural approach to a healthy diet that considers the individual as a whole, including all aspects of his lifestyle. It incorporates emotional, spiritual and physical health to create a state of well-being for optimum health (Pellegrini, 2014, March 12).

Nutritional supplements come in forms of shakes, powders, pills and liquids. Many people use supplements such as shakes to replace meals, but that is not its’ intent. They should be used along with a healthy eating practice.

Just as any other any other supplements, check with your health care professional before starting any supplements routine.

Helpful Web Resources

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/herbsataglance.htm

http://www.holisticnutrition.com/

http://ods.od.nih.gov/

http://www.eatright.org/

Questions

Reference

30 Most Popular Herbs for Natural Medicine. (2011). . Retrieved July 26, 2014, from http://readynutrition.com/resources/30-most-popular-herbs-for-natural-medicine_06092011/

Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. (2014). NCCAM. Retrieved July 25, 2014, from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/supplements/wiseuse.htm#hed1

Milk thistle. (2014). University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved July 26, 2014, from http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/milk-thistle

Pellegrini, A. (2014, March 12). Definition of Holistic Nutrition. LIVESTRONG.COM. Retrieved July 26, 2014, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/167813-definition-of-holistic-nutrition

Tsang, G. (2013, July 23). 6 Tips for Buying Natural Dietary Supplements. Nutrition Advice by Registered Dietitians. Retrieved July 25, 2014, from http://www.healthcastle.com/herb_tips.shtml

Vitamins. (2014). Dictionary.com. Retrieved July 26, 2014, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vitamins