Vitamin supplements can be found everywhere from pharmacy stands to the health aisle of the supermarket, and they promise a multitude of health benefits such as supercharging your bedroom performance and helping you to burn fat faster. But do these magic pills really work and should you be shelling out money each week on something that could or could not help you? Here’s a guide to this new phase of self-help health.
Daily Dose by Dr. Frank Lipman
This kit provides a multivitamin, omega 3s and probiotics from Lipman, who is a board-certified physician to the celebrities. It claims to up your immunity and support your heart health and metabolism, with the probiotics working to improve your gastrointestinal health and even reducing your anxiety levels. But is there anything not to like? With 8334 per cent of your daily B12 dose, most of which will leave your body via urine, there’s an awful lot of money being spent on something your body can’t use. The money you’ll spend on this would be better spent on fresh groceries, where you’ll gain the same level of nutrients.
GNC’s Mega Men: Energy & Metabolism Vitapak
This kit provides fish oil, staminol and Carnitine 500. The claim is that it can increase your energy levels and metabolic efficiency, as well as your mental focus, sexual health and exercise recovery. Studies have shown that Burn 60 can spike your metabolism by as much as 60 per cent after your workout. However, the yohimbe bark extract, which is an aphrodisiac, is considered bad for your health when taken long term.
Dr. Weil’s Five Essentials
The Five Essentials pack contains multivitamins, antioxidants, coenzyme Q10 and omega-3 fatty acids. The claim? That it will promote a healthy cell function and improve your metabolism. The alpha lipoic acid is great for metabolising carbohydrates and even improving your short-term memory. The bad side is that choline is included, which recent studies have shown could cause diarrhoea. The price mainly pays for the Weil name to be on the material, but the results could be worth it for some.
Nutrilite Men’s Pack
This pack offers up vitamin C, multi carotene and omega-3s, which provide nutrients to strengthen the heart, clear the mind and toughen the immune system. 518mg of phytonutrients come as standard, which are health-protecting plant compounds for improved wellbeing. However, the time-released vitamin C allegedly provides all day support, which scientists claim is neither possible or accurate. The botanical ingredients may offer some benefits, but probably no more than a balanced diet of fruit and veggies would do anyway.
And vitamins aren’t the only worry. Pre-workout supplements are also a concern, with promises of unbridled power, faster muscle recovery and a gym body simply not being delivered. Everyone is using them to achieve these goals. Stimulants lend themselves to energy and focus, with vasodilators boosting circulation and aerobic capacity, as well as amino acids supercharging your endurance. But many contain banned components as well, with one popular ingredient actually being illegal. DMAA is being linked to cardiac arrests, among other health problems, and mask your body from what it’s supposed to feel. However, if you’re indulging anyway, N.O. -Xplode has the best reputation and has been on the market since the beginning. If you’re unsure about the best way to take supplements, and if they’re even any good for your body, you should speak to your GP to ensure that it’s safe.
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