Did you know there’s a prescription for better health that doesn’t require going to the pharmacy? That’s right, it’s a prescription for your lifestyle – adopting everyday practices and nutrition that can improve your overall wellbeing. As you examine your nutrition and the effects it has on your health, you may find that supplements can provide benefits that have been missing.
Adults who follow a healthy lifestyle and eat a healthy diet live longer and have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers
Should I add supplements to my diet to improve my lifestyle?
More than half of all Americans take one or more dietary supplements daily or on occasion (1). Supplements are available without a prescription and usually come in pill, powder or liquid form. Common supplements include vitamins, minerals and herbal products, also known as botanicals.
People take these supplements to make sure they get enough essential nutrients and to maintain or improve their health. It’s possible to get all of the nutrients you need by eating a variety of healthy foods, so you don’t have to take one, but based on our diets it is not likely, supplements can be useful for filling in gaps in your diet.
What supplements do I need?
One popular ingredient found in many supplements is sulfur. Sulfur is the third most abundant mineral in the human body, and is an ingredient essential for support of numerous bodily functions. In its form as methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), (found in supplements that include Bergstrom Nutrition’s OptiMSM®) sulfur helps boosts immunity; enables users to age well, supports healthy hair, skin and nails; and protects joints. Let’s take a look at each of these benefits.
Immune Support
Now, more than ever, we all have an increased focus on immune support. A healthy immune system is a key building block for warding off colds, flues and other viruses. Keeping your immune system balanced year-round, especially during times of stress, is critical to maintaining good health. As an active component of OptiMSM, sulfur supports restorative balance for the immune system, which may result in improved resistance to viruses and toxic substances. Moreover, the immune system benefits from MSM’s ability to decrease chronic inflammation by reducing free radicals and increasing the body’s natural antioxidant capacity.
Healthy Aging
We know that aging is a complex interaction of genetics, chemistry, physiology, and behavior. When it comes to anti-aging behaviors, supplements can work hand-in-hand with an individual’s choices to lessen the impact of aging through nutrition and fitness, along with other lifestyle modifications.
Supplements promote health from the inside of your body. This can boost antioxidant status, fight inflammation, or stimulate collagen growth, and you’ll see the benefits show up on the inside, as well as the outside, according to Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT, and Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT, also known as The Nutrition Twins (2).
As we age, it is important to understand what can contribute to stress on our bodies, which can result in more rapid aging. Many of our body’s processes depend on Glutathione, a critical antioxidant produced by the liver. However, without the presence of sulfur, glutathione is unable to function properly. OptiMSM contains sulfur that is needed to help regulate glutathione. With its regulation of glutathione and other mechanisms in the body, MSM can reduce the signs of aging by helping support healthy skin and joint mobility, and reducing overall inflammation.
Skin & Beauty
While beauty is more than skin deep, UV rays, poor nutrition, and environmental toxins are among the causes of the deterioration of our skin, hair and nails. However, regularly using a MSM supplement can contribute to younger looking, hydrated and toned skin; and improved skin strength and elasticity. That’s because, sulfur is a key component of collagen, which supports the skin’s structural framework. It is also a building block of keratin, the main structural constituent of hair and nails.
Through oral supplementation of a dose as small as one gram per day, OptiMSM has been shown to reduce facial wrinkles and skin roughness and at the same time, results in improved skin firmness, elasticity, and hydration. It also provides visible benefits to both hair and nails within just two weeks of using the supplement.
Joint health
Whether you’re an athlete, someone who follows a regular exercise routine or just want to stay active as you age, we’re all seeking ways to stay mobile and pain-free. MSM is also well-recognized as a dietary ingredient for better joint health and mobility. Using a daily MSM supplement regimen is essential to help people across the lifespan remain independent and perform essential tasks of daily living. It can:
- Reduce joint pain and stiffness after exercise
- Increase range-of-motion
- Protect cartilage
- Decrease swelling and inflammation of muscle tissues following exercise
Young and old alike, we all want to find ways to stay healthy and feel good both now and down the road as we age. The ability to continue to pursue our preferred lifestyle and remain as active as possible are key motivators behind making choices every day that will help ensure we are truly living our best lives.
(1) Dietary Supplement Use Among Adults: United States, 2017–2018
(2) The Best Supplements That Reverse Skin Aging, Say Dietitians
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