Sometimes, people find themselves needing a boost in life. Perhaps they are suffering from a debilitating health condition or perhaps they simply feel that their wellness is not all that it could be. In these cases, people frequently turn to vitamins, minerals and supplements, in the hope of finding something that will make them feel better. But how much do people really know about what is in these products?
Vitamins are necessary for your wellbeing: some are even life-sustaining. They are found naturally in animals and in plants. If you are deficient in any of the important vitamins, it can lead to problems and diseases. Scurvy, for example, is caused by lack of vitamin C and can cause fatigue, anaemia, haemorrhages and hardening of the leg muscles. It is uncommon today, but illustrates the importance of vitamins (once the truth about scurvy was discovered, sailors used to take lemons and limes with them on long journeys to stock up on vitamin C). Other important vitamins are A, B complex vitamins, D, E and F, Folic Acid, Biotin and pantothenic acid.
Minerals are also important, and are usually found in plants and in animal flesh too. Calcium is an example of an important mineral, and is very important for bone and tissue formation in the body, as well as having an important role to play in the coagulation of blood. Other important minerals include potassium, chromium, iron, sodium and zinc.
Herbs are plants, and many of them have beneficial effects. Unlike vitamins and minerals, they tend to be used for specific effects rather than for general wellbeing. Herbal remedies are a very important part of some cultures, although they are present, to some extent, in nearly every culture. Morphine, for example, is a painkiller which is an opiate, derived from the seed of a poppy. Other popular and less potent herbs include chamomile, peppermint, echinacea, ginger, raspberry leaf and ginseng.
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