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Weight Loss Exercise

Weight Gain Supplements: What You Need to Know




Weight gain supplements or weight gainers are supplements that are high in protein, carbohydrates and calories.  They are beneficial for people who are active and want to put on some weight and muscle mass.  Many people think it’s easy to gain weight, when in fact it’s not.  You need a nutritious diet plan and a good workout program to build muscles and gain weight, including supplements to provide the extra calories and amino acids your body needs to bulk up your physique.

Pumping iron and doing the right strength training exercises should go hand in hand with a weight gain diet plan and supplements for a complete body-building program.  Eating right is essential to a weight gain program, hence it is important to ensure that you are putting quality calories into your body.  Weight gain supplements provide a convenient way to get the necessary nutrients you need for optimum muscle growth.

What are Weight Gain Supplements Doing?

Weight Gain Supplements

Weight Gain Supplements

While most weight gain supplements are used for sports or bodybuilding, some people use them to gain more weight and improve their health.  AIDS patients and those with Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory bowel disease) can benefit from these supplements.

Weight gain supplements provide the calories people need in order to gain weight, and are very useful when the daily diet cannot provide the desired number of calories.

Whey Protein for muscle Gain – Whey protein is one of the most popular supplements for building muscle mass and gaining weight.  It is extracted from whey, the liquid that remains when milk is processed to make cheese.  A special process is used to extract the whey proteins, which are dried into a powder.  Whey protein is mixed with milk or water and consumed as a protein shake.  Experts recommend taking this supplement within 30 minutes after a workout so that the body can use the amino acids in the proteins for muscle repair and synthesis.

Creatine for weight gain – Creatine occurs naturally in the body, where it is involved in the production of energy.  Creatine supplements are taken to help delay the onset of muscle fatigue, allowing you to work out longer and build more muscle mass.  While it is generally considered safe when used in the dosages recommended by its manufacturers, there is some concern that creatine may cause liver and kidney problems.

Glutamine to help muscle gain – Glutamine is an essential amino acid found in muscle tissues.  It is believed that glutamine supplements can help limit the breakdown of muscles during exercise, thus leading to increased muscle gain.  Glutamine also helps improve the immune system and aids in speedy recovery after an illness.

Caffeine for Energy in the Gym – Although caffeine is not directly involved in weight gain or muscle building, it is a useful supplement for those trying to gain weight and develop bigger muscles.  Individuals who take caffeine before a workout are able to increase their load and become more resistant to fatigue.  Working out harder and longer has a positive effect on muscle gain.

Safety Concerns with weight Gain Supplements

Weight gain supplements are generally safe, especially when used as recommended by the manufacturer.  A few negative effects have been associated with creatine supplements, such as stomach cramps, nausea, muscle cramps and diarrhea.  High doses of creatine may cause damage to the kidneys, liver and heart.

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Weight Loss Exercise

What are Probiotics?



Jillian Michaels

Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be healthy for the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: “Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but certain yeasts and bacilli  may also be helpful. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements.

Foods High in Probiotics

Yogurt is rich with probiotics and health experts recommend that it should be consumed 2-3 times a week. Milk, vitamin supplements and super-sugary food varieties also contains high amount of probiotics. Just check the label of these food products.

Probiotic-rich foods are often referred to as fermented or partially fermented foods. These foods often contain high probiotic counts thanks to the healthy bacteria and yeasts that develop during the fermentation process. Brine-cured pickles without vinegar and sauerkraut are fermented foods that contain probiotics. Sourdough bread made with true sourdough starter can be another source of probiotics

Benefits of Probiotic Foods

Probiotics in Yogurt

Probiotics in Yogurt

Experiments into the benefits of probiotic therapies suggest a range of potentially beneficial medicinal uses for probiotics. For many of the potential benefits, research is limited and only preliminary results are available. It should be noted that the effects described are not general effects of probiotics. Recent research on the molecular biology and genomics of Lactobacillus  has focused on the interaction with the immune system, anti-cancer potential, and potential as a biotherapeutic agent in cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, travellers diarrhea, pediatric diarrhoa, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome.

In doing a quick search on Wikipedia gave me the following info on probiotic health claims

Managing lactose intolerance
As lactic acid bacteria actively convert lactose into lactic acid, ingestion of certain active strains may help lactose intolerant individuals tolerate more lactose than what they would have otherwise

Prevention of colon cancer
In laboratory investigations, some strains of LAB (Lactobacillus bulgaricus) have demonstrated anti-mutagenic effects thought to be due to their ability to bind with heterocyclic amines, which are carcinogenic substances formed in cooked meat. Animal studies have demonstrated that some LAB can protect against colon cancer in rodents, though human data is limited and conflicting

Lowering cholesterol
Animal studies have demonstrated the efficacy of a range of LAB to be able to lower serum cholesterol levels, presumably by breaking down bile in the gut, thus inhibiting its reabsorption (which enters the blood as cholesterol). Some, but not all human trials have shown that dairy foods fermented with specific LAB can produce modest reductions in total and LDL cholesterol levels in those with normal levels to begin with.

Lowering blood pressure
Several small clinical trials have indicated that consumption of milk fermented with various strains of LAB may result in modest reductions in blood pressure. It is thought that this is due to the ACE inhibitor-like peptides produced during fermentation.

Improving immune function and preventing infections
LAB are thought to have several presumably beneficial effects on immune function. They may protect against pathogens by means of competitive inhibition (i.e., by competing for growth) and there is evidence to suggest that they may improve immune function by increasing the number of IgA producing plasma cells, increasing or improving phagocytosis as well as increasing the proportion of lymphocytes and Natural Killer cells.

Whats next for Probiotics?

As we can see and as I have seen over the last couple of years more and more foods are claiming that they are high in “probiotics” and now the research is coming to let us know more and more about the goodness as of probiotics. I am seeing more and more journal research letting us know of new therapies and research that has proven the good of probiotics, so this is definitely something to watch for still in the future,

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