Top ten Vitamin supplements for men

Sequel to the article on essential minerals, I decided to do a piece on the top multivitamin supplements in the market for the modern man.

They cut across all ages and activities whether you just want to maintain proper body function, are into sports and exercise or a monster body builder! There is something for everybody. These nutritional supplements contain vitamins: A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K .They also contain all the mineral supplements a man needs for optimum energy and performance.

Ladies don’t worry, I will be bringing out a list of the top supplements for women in the near future, so please don’t be mad.

Please note, while not all these supplements are available in our markets, I have gone on a market survey and have found 70% of them in some of our best pharmacies and health stores, and the rest can be bought online.

I hope you find this guide useful, and if you do, pass it on!

Do have a wonderful day!

10. CENTRUM ONE A DAY:

This is a brand you have probably seen in stock at the health section of stores and pharmacies, Centrum have many good brands so it’s only natural that their men’s multivitamins and minerals supplement makes the list. What it has going for it is its affordability and ease of taking (only one tablet) but if you are into heavy exercise or weight training, it might not do it for you. The essential nutrients featured in this formula include: Vitamins B6 and B12, Vitamin C and Vitamin E and Folic Acid for heart health, in addition to calcium and magnesium, Vitamin A and Vitamin D for immunity. All in all this is a basic formula that will support health at lower energy levels.

Are you suffering from a Vitamin deficiency ?

Most of us suffer from one annoying health niggles from time to time, most times we just shrug it off as one of those things, little do we realize that a lack of vitamins might be the culprit.

Although, it is well known that some deficiencies can be dangerous i.e. a severe lack of Vitamin C can cause scurvy. However even relatively small deficiencies come with their own problems

“Diet and poor nutrition are often overlooked by health practitioners despite being related to everyday health complaints” according to Professor David Kennedy pysychobiologist at Northumbria University U.K.

I agree with this position wholeheartedly, hence I decide to dig up some common health issues that could be affecting you today. We will also be looking at the deficiencies that might be causing them and food sources of the needed vitamins. I hope you find this very educative and that it helps you make the right choices in your diet.

Do have a wonderful day.

12 essential minerals you need and might not be getting

Let’s go back in time to junior secondary school biology. Do you remember the essential minerals your body needs to function properly? I bet you can’t, but don’t worry you are in very good company, most people can’t either.

However, essential minerals need to be taken very seriously, a recent study found out that approximately 80% of adults suffer from deficiencies in 3 or more of the 12 most essential minerals.

Here in Nigeria the figure is probably higher as we live in a high stress, heavily polluted and rapidly modernizing world. Trace minerals are essential for our well being as they affect virtually every facet of our bodies; immune system, reproductive system, digestive system and mental health are just a few examples of segments of our health that are affected by mineral deficiencies, and the scary part is that we are mostly ignorant until it is too late. Many life threatening health conditions can be mitigated by a conscious consumption of foods that are abundant sources of these trace minerals as well as by supplementation (more on this later).

What this list aims to do is to reacquaint you with these minerals, remind you of their functions, dangers of deficiency and also let you know how you can get your recommended daily dose.

Take this list seriously and I promise you will be on your way to a fitter, healthier and more productive life.

The funniest quotes in sports! Laughter really is good for you.

Laughter is the best medicine. You have heard it a million times, but whoever uttered those words must have been on to something. It turns out that laughter does actually have some health benefits.

They include:

·         Improved blood flow:. Researchers at the University of Maryland studied the effects on blood vessels when people were shown either comedies or dramas. After the screening, the blood vessels of the group who watched the comedy behaved normally -- expanding and contracting easily. But the blood vessels in people who watched the drama tended to tense up, restricting blood flow. 

·         Immune response. Increased stress is associated with decreased immune system response. Some studies have shown that the ability to use humor may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune cells as well. 

·         Blood sugar levels. One study of 19 people with diabetes looked at the effects of laughter on blood sugar levels. After eating, the group attended a tedious lecture. On the next day, the group ate the same meal and then watched a comedy. After the comedy, the group had lower blood sugar levels than they did after the lecture. 

Common diabetes myths busted!

Its  a monster! One of the great terrorists we face in Nigeria today, no I am not talking about Boko Haram! I am talking about diabetes. A disease generally unknown to us a generation ago has become an epidemic and it is growing by day. No one has accurate statistics, but if we go by anecdotal evidence, almost every family in Nigeria has one person or more who is either diabetic or prediabetic.

Like all monsters, diabetes has generated its own fair share of myths, legends and half truths. There is so much information and misinformation about the nature, cause and effects of diabetes that it becomes really difficult to know what to believe, this has inspired me to do some digging around to help you sort fact from fiction about the disease. Please read the following myths about the disease, it will help increase your knowledge on diabetes and hopefully help you make informed health and lifestyle choices and lead a happier and healthy life.

Happy reading, and do have a wonderful day.

The physical benefits of fasting

We all know about fasting. Virtually everybody and has embarked on a fast at one time or the other. Truth be told I have never met anybody who looks forward to fasting, since we all live in a consumer age the thought of denying yourself one of the pleasures of life is really not that appealing.

Here in Nigeria we mostly engage in fasting for the spiritual benefits, we want to have a closer connection to our God and really concentrate on him during this time of self denial. Guess what? In the process of seeking spiritual blessings, you can also obtain physical blessings from fasting. Some of the benefits of fasting include;

*Reduction in blood sugar and blood pressure

*Reduced risk of diabetes and obesity

*Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease

*More efficient fat burning

*Preserves memory function, reduces the incidence of degenerative brain diseases

*Reduces inflammation and lessens free radical damage