During November, we covered a wide variety of nutraceutical products, including iron supplements, turmeric, green tea, vitamin E supplements, and echinacea. Our fourth blog post on turmeric showed how turmeric’s antiinflammatory properties could possibly help combat symptoms of depression, according to numerous studies. We also covered some of the health benefits of green tea, as well as research that backs some of the potential anti-cancer properties of green tea.
We also wrote two blog posts about the health benefits of iron supplements, narrowing in on some of the cognitive benefits of iron supplements. Iron deficiency often results in anemia, a condition that can also cause reduced cognitive function in children and older individuals in particular. We also wrote about echinacea for the very first time, examining some of the claimed health benefits of echinacea. While some of the more bold claims, such as anti-cancer properties, are a bit exaggerated and not backed by proper studies, there is evidence that echinacea can help boost the body’s immune system and help it fight off various types of infections.
Health Benefits of Iron Supplements
We wrote two blog posts about the health benefits of iron supplements this month. Iron supplements are likely only necessary for some women, older people, younger children, or people who are vulnerable due to underlying health issues. Most people are able to get enough iron naturally from their diet, by consuming foods such as meat, nuts, seafood, and certain types of green vegetables. Some of the main health benefits of iron included an improved immune system, increased athletic performance, and improved ability to heal from wounds. Having adequate iron levels can also reduce the risk of anemia, which is very common in children and older people in developing countries. Iron is also found in prenatal vitamins, as adequate iron levels result in improved fetal health.
Various studies also show that iron can improve cognitive functioning in people, most notably in people who are struggling with iron deficiency and begin taking iron supplements. Various studies performed have shown that iron supplements are responsible for boosting IQ and memory in patients, particularly those who were struggling with anemia before. Iron supplements may also be useful for older patients who are at risk for cognitive decline, and could potentially develop conditions such as dementia later in life.
Turmeric can Help with Depression
It looks like turmeric can help with depression, according to a variety of initial studies performed on individuals suffering from depression. Older forms of medicine, including Ayurvedic Medicine, have used turmeric to combat mental health symptoms such as anxiety for a very long time. It turns out that the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric allow it to combat symptoms of depression and fatigue. Turmeric can also help to reduce oxidative stress on the body, which is also associated with improved mental health benefits. In extreme cases, turmeric supplements may be necessary. However, most people can simply add turmeric to their diet (several teaspoons on a daily basis) and notice significant improvements in their mental and physical health.
It is imperative to note that more studies are needed to determine exactly how turmeric interferes with other forms of medication. There is also not currently enough evidence to support that turmeric can be used in place of antidepressants or other types of medication used to treat symptoms of anxiety and depression. We also noted how supplements such as magnesium or lithium supplements seemed like better options for more serious issues. Overall, it is clear to see that various types of nutraceutical products can help to eliminate some of the symptoms of mental health issues such as depression.
Health Benefits of Echinacea
We also wrote about the health benefits of echinacea for the very first time. We covered some of the following claimed health benefits of echinacea and also addressed how other types of nutraceutical products may be a better alternative for alleviating certain types of illnesses.
Immune System
It is clear that echinacea plays a key role in boosting your immune system, and may be able to prevent you from getting the cold or other types of infections. Therefore, echinacea is a wonderful addition to other types of nutraceutical products, such as vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc supplements. Notably, these products have been studied more extensively, which could make them superior alternatives.
Treating Diabetes
A lot of these claims are based on animal studies, so it is not clear how much echinacea is actually able to help reduce the symptoms of diabetes. A more interesting, and overlooked option, could be turmeric in our opinion. In the future, we will complete a more detailed report about various types of nutraceutical products that can help with diabetes.
Anxiety
A study from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences noted that echinacea has the ability to reduce symptoms of anxiety. Other animal studies have confirmed this claim. Therefore, echinacea appears to be an option for one to consider, although options like lithium and magnesium have been studied more and appear to be more effective.
Cancer
There is currently not enough evidence to support this claim, as a lot of the claims are based on test-tube study results. We are more focused on some of the claims that green tea can help reduce the risk of cancer.
The Numerous Health Benefits of Green Tea
Many people take green tea supplements to help eliminate health issues such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and even to prevent heart disease. Consequently, the global green tea market may be able to nearly double in size during the next decade. In this blog post, we covered how green tea can help improve cognitive function, help people lose weight, prevent various cardiovascular diseases, improve oral health and improve skin health. Notably, we also covered studies that examined the relationship between green tea consumption and cancer. A study from Yale discussed how green tea consumption was associated with a reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Green tea is also a very safe nutraceutical product, with a long history of human consumption. The health benefits of green tea have also been studied extensively, which has produced very reliable health claims. One of the main things to look out for is the quality of green tea skin products and other products, as they may not actually contain high amounts of green tea. Green tea supplements appear to be a solid option, although drinking a cup of organic green tea is one of the easiest ways to enjoy the health benefits of green tea.
Another Look at Vitamin E
We provided a deeper dive into some of the health benefits of vitamin E, after previously establishing that vitamin e supplements were unnecessary for most people. In this blog post, we established that some of the most important health benefits of vitamin E included its ability to improve your eye and skin health. We also covered other potential health benefits, including improved heart health, improved blood health, and pain relief properties of vitamin E. We will narrow in on these claimed health benefits in future blog posts. It is clear that vitamin E can benefit your health in many ways, and that is it is simple enough for you to include foods with vitamin E in your diet.
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