Natural energy supplements
Nearly everyone on the planet wants to be healthy and full of energy, but if you’re tired from lack of sleep or just not feeling the energy you’d like to feel, maybe it’s time you tried something natural that will help bring you back to normal again.
Today’s natural energy supplements fill the shelves almost everywhere, but if you’re concerned about how healthy they are for you, you may be in for a big surprise. Some supplements carry warnings that they shouldn’t be taken if you’re pregnant or suffering from one ailment or another. So we’ve put together a list of today’s best natural energy supplements that not only give you a boost in energy, but are healthy for you as well:
Guarana
Guarana is a climbing plant native to Brazil and the Amazon basin. The seeds from its fruit contain the stimulant guaranine, which is often mistaken for caffeine, along with large amounts of theophylline, a tannic acid. The Amazonian people have long taken advantage of guarana’s stimulating properties and, according to a 17th century Jesuit missionary, members of the tribe he visited had so much energy from eating guarana they could go hunting from one day to the next without ever feeling hungry.
Guarana appears to be one of the best natural energy supplements for dieters as it seems to release and then use energy primarily from the body’s fat cells. And even though it’s healthy for you, how it does all this isn’t completely understood. However, it’s been observed and documented by several publications including the Journal of Human Nutrition.
In a study published in 2001, guarana extract induced weight loss in overweight patients by an average of over eleven pounds compared to a group of patients who took placebos, while at the same time raising energy levels, enhancing your mood, improving concentration and memory and dissolving extraneous fat cells without the jitteriness or side effects known to occur from ingesting caffeine.
Ginseng
Ginseng is also well-known as one of the best natural energy supplements. Ginseng is a broad term that encompasses any of some eleven different varieties of a short, slow growing perennial plant with fleshy roots. The herb has been used in China for many thousands of years and is credited with promoting energy, strength and longevity.
Ginseng was extensively studied in Russia during the mid-20th Century and was found to increase the endurance and performance of athletes. During the Russian space program, ginseng was carried with Soviet astronauts into space to help boost the cosmonauts’ strength and endurance.
Some studies have reported that taking ginseng boosts the body’s immune system. Other studies have shown that it also lowers blood sugar levels. There is also early evidence that ginseng can temporarily improve your learning and concentration and learning.
Ginseng has also been found to boost endurance and improve your mood. It’s also found to be a help in combating fatigue, treating cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, menopausal symptoms, erectile dysfunction, and some other conditions.
Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is produced by the body and is essential for it to function normally. University of Maryland researchers found that CoQ10 can increase our energy levels by aiding in the production of our body's cellular fuel, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). CoQ10 recharges the body’s energy system by enabling the heart muscles to pump blood more efficiently, while at the same time cleaning up destructive free radicals that are by-products of the energy production process.
Some of the health benefits that doctors believe people are able to get from taking coenzyme Q10 include the following:
- Enhancing the function of our immune system
- Stabilizing blood sugar levels of diabetics
- Slowing down the progression of dementia
- Treating or preventing migraines
- Helping treat high blood pressure
- Helping treat heart disease
- Reducing high cholesterol levels in the blood
- Assisting in the treatment of cancer
- Protecting organs from toxic chemotherapy drugs
- Helping treat gum disease
Our levels of coenzyme Q10 decrease as we age and also get lower when we have certain diseases like cancer or Parkinson's disease. The coenzyme is usually marketed to treat congenital heart failure, Parkinson’s disease, hypertension, and to counter the side effects of statins and is one of our top natural energy supplements..
Creatine
Creatine is an amino acid that’s also one of our natural energy supplements. It’s found in fish and meats and is also made by the human body. It does deliver energy as needed when the body converts it into phosphocreatine when is then stored in muscles and the brain.
Most research today concludes that creatine is effective in helping people have more energy and resistance to fatigue during activities that require high intensity and explosive energy levels of energy. However, creatine does not appear to be as effective in cases where endurance over a longer period of time is needed.
Spirulina
Thousands of years ago the Aztec Indians discovered that the blue-green algae known as spirulina contained large amounts of protein and they used it in their diet to add nourishment and energy. Compared to most other sea vegetables, spirulina is easier to digest and its nutrients are more easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Spirulina is also a good source of vitamin B12 in addition to other vitamins and minerals.
The protein in spirulina is equivalent to the protein derived from meat, dairy products and eggs other than it having somewhat reduced amounts of a few amino acids, and is another on our list of today’s best natural energy supplements.
Gotu Kola
Gotu Kola is an herb native to the wetlands of Asia that’s also been used for thousands of years to combat anxiety and fatigue. Many herbalists like gotu kola as an energy enhancement because it lessens depression and fatigue without the stimulant effects of caffeine. Gotu kola is often confused with the kola nut but is different in that it also tends to aid the symptoms of insomnia because it doesn’t have kola nut’s stimulant properties.
What’s right for you?
All of these natural energy supplements are reputed to be great for increasing your energy levels, but they can also make your healthier as well. Natural energy supplements have become quite popular over the last few years and may help to give you the healthy energy boost you’ve been looking for without resorting to more harsh prescription medications.
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