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A few years ago I started to notice my ponytail felt so much thinner than usual. I’d had a stressful few years, and hair loss had become a disturbing side effect. The doctor later confirmed that the culprit was hormonal fluctuations — mine were caused by stress, but women lose their hair to everything from genetics to perimenopause.
So I started trying every supplement I could, including turmeric, vitamin D, and collagen. Within months, my hair started to thicken and my overall health improved. And whaddaya know: Amazon carries the exact supplements I take!
Our bodies produce collagen naturally to strengthen tendons, ligaments, and skin. Collagen also provides the amino acids necessary to build keratin, which is what hair is made up of. After a lot of research, I settled on Sports Research Store’s Collagen Peptides Powder, which has more than 77,000 (!!) five-star reviews. It has the all-important hydrolyzed type I and III collagen and is all-natural and GMO-free.
As a bonus, it does wonders for joints too, and it’s seemed to help heal a herniated disc in my spine recently — I’m finally pain-free now. I’ve tried other collagen peptide powders — namely this one by Orgain — but only Sports Research Store’s Collagen Peptides Powder dissolves so well into my morning coffee it disappears, never clumps. And it’s totally taste- and texture-free. Right now it's 33 percent off and the cheapest I've ever seen it!
Did you know that more than 40 percent of adults are deficient in Vitamin D — and that number jumps as high as 82 percent in certain racial and ethnic groups? The National Institutes of Health calls it “an ignored epidemic,” and it’s been linked to everything from depression to back pain (and yes, hair loss, too).
I found all of this out when I had a thyroid panel done several years ago, and my doctor was shocked to see how low my vitamin D levels were (it’s never a good feeling to shock a doctor!). After taking prescription-strength vitamin D for a month, I now maintain with Sports Research Center Vitamin D3 (5000iu/125mcg). It’s a pretty safe dosage for the average person, but definitely consult with your doctor about what vitamin D dosage is right for you.
Oh, and I picked this one because it contains coconut oil for absorption. Absorption is an important yet often overlooked factor when it comes to supplements. Basically, you can't rely on your digestive system alone to send that vitamin D into your bloodstream. Usually your system needs a boost in order to make vitamins and nutrients bioavailable — in this case, that boost is coconut oil, but magnesium works, too.
When I herniated my L5/S1 spinal disc, I was desperate for natural remedies. My research led me to turmeric supplements, and my pain management doctor confirmed that turmeric is an effective anti-inflammatory — great for any type of inflammation, in fact.
A friend with a similar issue told me to make sure the turmeric supplement I took contained the active component curcumin, which studies show really boosts the anti-inflammatory powers of turmeric. I decided to go with Nature's Nutrition Store on this one, and now I take their Turmeric Curcumin supplement — 1950 mg once a day.
This formulation is truly a powerhouse. First of all, it has 95 percent curcumoids, which means the anti-inflammatory effects of these supplements are potent. Secondly, they use black pepper to help increase absorption by up to 2,000 percent. When it comes to choosing supplements, I say go big or go home!
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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