Beetroot extract or juice and the amino acid L-citrulline are both supplements associated with improving athletic performance. Both play a role in creating nitric oxide (NO), which improves blood flow to working muscles. Though they create similar outcomes, they each work a little differently. Depending on your goals, one might be better than the other,…
Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that live in our gut and help maintain good digestive health. There are many varieties, including live bacterial strains like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, as well as dormant ones like Bacillus and probiotic yeast. You can get probiotics from fermented foods or supplements, and research supports their benefits for gut health. The…
Calcium inhibits iron absorption. If you need to take iron supplements, which many people do, you might see advice cautioning you not to take them with calcium. When you read cautions like this, you might wonder how much it really matters. For calcium and iron, studies show that the effect depends on how much calcium…
Want to add more antioxidants to your diet? We probably should, since antioxidants help our bodies fight free radicals. High levels of free radicals (i.e., oxidative stress) can damage cells. Oxidative stress is linked to a wide variety of health issues, including cancer and diabetes. Our bodies make antioxidants on their own, but not enough…
Creatine is one of the best-known and most effective supplements for enhancing muscle growth, muscle strength, and athletic performance. Your body naturally makes creatine from amino acids, and it’s also found in some foods, especially red meat and seafood. You’ll need to supplement with additional creatine, though, if you want it to boost exercise results…
Beta-alanine is a popular sports supplement to boost athletic performance. It’s a non-essential amino acid, meaning that our bodies produce it on their own without needing to get beta-alanine from food sources. Though our bodies don’t need extra beta-alanine, supplementing with beta-alanine can be good for improving athletic performance. It can help boost your endurance…
When you start researching supplements, you’ll see advice about supplements to take together and supplements that shouldn’t be taken together. Some supplements work together to make both more effective, like taking D3 with K for better absorption. Others might work against each other, like multivitamins and caffeine. For zinc and magnesium, I’ve seen conflicting reports….
Would you like to sleep better? I think many, if not most, of us can answer yes. Too many adults wake up tired or find themselves dragging later in the day. There are a lot of supplements that people claim will help with sleep, and one of the more effective ones is ashwagandha. Ashwagandha (scientifically…
Many of us start the day with a cup (or more) of coffee or tea. We might also reach for another cup or an energy drink for an afternoon pickup. There’s nothing wrong with that for most adults, as long as you’re staying under 400 mg per day (or 200 mg for pregnant women). But…
Digestive enzymes are an essential part of the digestive process that help our bodies break down and extract nutrients from food. Your body makes these enzymes naturally, mostly in the pancreas but also in the mouth, stomach, and small intestine. You can also get enzymes from some foods or from supplements. If you’re low on…
