Improve and Maintain Health with Vitamins and Herbal Supplements

• Publish Date: 2009/01/09 - (Rev. 2011/03/19)
• Author: Amber Duncan

Outline: Many people today are turning to natural remedies and using herbal supplements and vitamins to maintain and improve their health.

Main Digest

No matter what your health issues are, there is sure to be a product with the perfect sales pitch so that you want to buy it right away.

Studies have been conducted on the benefits of using various herbs and herbal extracts. Research has shown that adding herbal supplements to a healthy lifestyle can be beneficial. Many natural health supplements are used to treat medical conditions as well as promote good health.

With an overwhelming amount of information available on herbal supplements, how does one go about learning what they need to know? The internet contains a wealth of information on all types of herbs and vitamins. Some herbal supplements are mild and do very little; some are very strong and can actually interact the wrong way with medications you're currently taking. Many people think that because it's natural and herbal, it must be completely safe.

Like natural, herbal supplements, many medications and even illegal street drugs are derived from nature. Tobacco comes from a plant, but that does not mean that cigarettes are a natural, healthy product. Illegal street drugs are made from the beautiful poppy flower.

One problem we have encountered with nutritional supplements is that they are not strictly regulated in the US. The manufacturers do not have to guarantee their safety, effectiveness or even the true content of the products. Some dietary supplements may not contain the herbs that they claim to.

Herbal supplements can be very costly, especially if you are constantly adding more and more of them to your daily regimen. Perhaps you started out with the well know ginseng to increase energy, ginkgo biloba to improve focus and memory and vitamin C for your immune system. As you continue to discover the benefits of the many herbal supplements available, you might find yourself taking 15 -20, or more, per day and spending a fortune to maintain this craze. You might be doing more harm than good; some of these supplements could be working against each other, canceling out the benefits or causing new problems. Some of these products might be totally ineffective.

The solution is to find a good multi-purpose supplement that covers the areas you want to concentrate on the most. A multi-purpose formula should be well balanced, with ingredients that work well together, to provide the results you're looking for. With a multi-purpose supplemental formula, you can get all the benefits of taking dozens of different pills with a single dose, and save a ton of money too.

It is important that you do plenty of research before beginning a supplemental health program. Look into the different companies, check with the Better Business Bureau to see if they have had complaints reported against them, see how long they've been in business, find out who their customers are and talk to your primary care physician. Though most medical doctors have scoffed at the idea, many are beginning to open up to the use of herbal supplements for improving health. It is possible that your doctor will be able to recommend a good source for learning about and obtaining herbal supplements.

No matter what supplements you decide to add to your daily health regimen, remember, they are just a supplement, and you must continue to live a healthy lifestyle, get plenty of exercise and eat right. An herbal supplement that claims to prevent cancer is not going to protect you if you are still smoking 3 packs of cigarettes per day. A weight loss formula will not help if you are eating fast food every day or if you are constantly snacking in front of the TV all evening. A muscle building drink does nothing for you if you do not work out with weights.

Even when taking supplements, it is important to live a healthy lifestyle, get plenty of exercise and proper nutrition. As with any prescription or non-prescription medication, please consult your physician or other qualified health care professional before beginning any supplementation program.

Reference: This Article was written by Amber Duncan, a vitamin and supplement specialist and a representative of ViSalus Sciences. ViSalus Sciences has developed a cutting edge approach to supplementation that provides the body with optimum levels of vitamins, nutrients and essential oils necessary to maintain top performance and energy levels with the highest absorption rate available on the market.