Vitamins, Nutritional & Herbal Supplements

Why. 
Vitamins and minerals are essential components in enzyme systems, cell function, and tissue and organ function.  We can get many of these in eating nutritiously, but you may need additional support. 

The use of vitamins, minerals, and other food substances to support health, prevent or treat illness is an important aspect of a natural approach to health care. 

There are many good studies on how nutrients have an influence on symptom relief, disease prevention and even treatment.  It is important to understand though, that they don’t help everyone, and they don’t help in all situations. 

What to do.
Individual nutrients can help women over forty with an array of health problems.  Best results are seen when these nutrients are used under the guidance of health care practitioners knowledgeable about these options.  These health professionals can create a plan for you that includes supplements, nutrients, and foods that are individualized for you. 

For example, supplements such as Vitamin E, bioflavonoids and Vitamin C have been shown to have some effectiveness in treating hot flashes.  Melatonin, L-tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan are the most effective nutrients for treating insomnia.  Vitamins B6, folic acid, B12 and SAMe can increase serotonin levels and help with mild depression.  A supplement called GABA can be effective for mild to moderate anxiety.

Preventing or treating disease is more complex, but studies on glucosamine sulfate, borage oil, fish oils and chondroitin sulfate have shown good results for joint pains and osteoarthritis.  Niacin is well studied to treat elevated cholesterol and triglycerides.  Calcium and Vitamin D help to maintain bone health and can be an important part of an osteoporosis prevention strategy. 

Numerous botanicals and herbs have been studied for menopause symptoms including the most well researched and most effective, black cohosh.  Others include red clover, kava, soy, and ginseng.  Individual symptoms call for specific botanicals, and the proper dose.  Many of these have been scientifically studied including Valerian for insomnia, St. Johns Wort for mild depression, Kava for anxiety, Rhodiola for memory and fatigue, Ginseng for fatigue, and more. 

At Women in Balance, we encourage women to seek guidance from a health care practitioners trained in clinical nutrition and botanical medicine.  They are the most well qualified to help you in this area and can give you guidance on important factors such as: the quality of the product, the appropriate dose, what supplements work best, what should be taken together, what time of day to take them, whether they are taken on a full or empty stomach, and any interactions they may have between medications you may be currently taking.

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