by ArtiSiN

Created on: June 21, 2009   Last Updated: July 01, 2009

Let's face it; we live in a society of shortcuts. We want our food fast and our diets even faster. Who has the time anymore to consume the proper number of fruits and vegetables every single day? It is for this reason that we turn to dietary supplements to quickly whip our bodies into a healthier shape. Whether you are looking to fill the nutritional void in your diet, beef up your muscles faster, or counteract your family history of heart disease, there are literally thousands of choices to choose from when considering which supplements to take. Therefore this article will help to narrow down the list to the top five most beneficial and widely used supplements.

Multivitamin

It is no surprise that multivitamins, such as Centrum, are the most widely used supplements due to their large coverage of various nutritional vitamins, "from A to Zinc". When used in conjunction with a proper healthy diet, multivitamins supply extra benefits to the nutritional value of the food ingested. However, taking multivitamins when it is not necessary can lead to toxicities in the bloodstream. Furthermore, beware of multivitamins that exceed over 100%, as they are essentially just a waste; and keep a keen eye out for large amounts of iron, as too much iron in your diet can lead to hemachromatosis.

Protein Powder

If your aim is to gain muscle mass as fast as possible then protein powder has just what you need - amino acids. The proteins whey and casein are the most widely used. Whey absorbs quickly into the body allowing for quicker muscular growth after a workout, while casein takes longer to absorb but remains in the system for a longer period of time. This allows for a high amount of amino acids to be released into the blood over time. Protein shakes are a popular supplement that many use for this reason after exercising.

Sports Nutrition Supplements

Similar to protein powdered supplements are sports nutrition supplements such as creatine. Creatine is naturally produced by the body for use in the muscles when they are most active; hence why practitioners of high intensity sports, like weight lifting, love taking the supplement so much. Sports nutrition supplements can even be added to your protein powdered supplements to add an extra boost to a workout. However, muscle mass will not increase solely by use of this supplement, as a proper diet and workout regimen must be appropriated accordingly.

Green Tea

Made in Asia from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis,

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