Almost everyone has heard about the benefits of eating foods rich in omega-3, as well as taking dietary supplements, which include vitamins D, C, and A. However, there’s a whole host of supplements that most people haven’t just heard of but may also be deficient in, which can cause secondary health complications that are preventable.
So, what are five of the lesser-known supplements that you should be thinking about adding to your diet?
Table of Contents
1. Nicotinamide Mononucleotide
Starting with the one that you probably haven’t heard of, nicotinamide mononucleotide, or NMN, is a supplement that has a wide range of benefits for the body and the mind.
One of the biggest benefits is that it can help to treat and prevent an illness known as pellagra. Pellagra is a niacin deficiency, which can be caused by dietary restrictions or secondary illnesses like celiac disease. The symptoms mimic severe eczema, as well as causing mental symptoms that look like schizophrenia or dementia. You can get niacin through a diet high in chicken, salmon, and turkey, but if you don’t eat meat for ethical reasons, then it may be worth taking nicotinamide mononucleotide supplements.
2. Cranberry
Cranberries are an interesting fruit. As a drink, they have a dry taste and have been linked to treating urinary tract infections for centuries.
Statistics show that if you’re a woman, you’re at a much higher risk of developing urinary tract infections. So, one way to combat this (and to avoid all that discomfort) is to take cranberry supplements.
These have a few advantages over consuming cranberries as a juice. The first is that you can get a more concentrated dose, and the second is the cost—for some reason, cranberry juice is very expensive!
3. Krill
Yes, krill are those small fish that flamingos eat that turn their feathers pink!
However, it also has a lot of advantages for humans, with one of the most notable ones being upping the amount of omega-3 in the diet. Omega-3 has been linked to better neurological functioning, clearer skin, better liver and kidney function, as well as giving you glossier hair! The advantage of taking krill as an oil is that it’s often cheaper than omega-3 supplements and can help with nutritional issues that can come if you’re not a big seafood lover.
4. Magnesium
Magnesium supplements are important for both bone and heart health and are also helpful for women who are around the age of the menopause. This is because when a woman’s hormonal cycle begins to change, her magnesium levels begin to drop, which can cause issues with bone density and may even lead to osteoarthritis. So, by adding magnesium to your diet, you can improve your bone health for the long term and help to prevent breakages further down the line.
5. Choline
Choline is a supplement that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, even though it has been linked to helping with improved memory and processing, as well as reducing symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Dieticians state that you can find choline in egg yolks and liver, so if you’re like a lot of people who don’t eat either of these, it may be worth adding choline to your diet.
