Nina Wagner

A wide variety of herbs and supplements have long histories of traditional use for their restorative and energy-boosting properties. In ayurveda and Tradional Chinese Medicine, the energy-boosting herbs include ginseng, cordyceps mushroom, ashwagandha, reishi mushroom, astragalus, eleuthero and licorice. Noni and maca are also known to increase vitality. Many of these herbal medicines are adaptogenic, meaning they help increae the body’s resistence to stress, trauma and fatigue.

Certain vitamins and amino acids also have energy-enhancing properties. B vitamins help maintain the central nervous system to support energy production, while magnesium is an essential nutrient that supports many biochemical processes within the body, including healthy nerve and enzyme function. L-carnitine, a common ingredient in energy drinks, contributes to energy metabolism.

While energy drinks can deliver significant doses of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, herbal energy-boosters require higher therapeutic doses, and are best used in capsule or tincture forms.

Though FDA offers a definition of natural flavor, understanding what substances are and are not considered natural when used as flavorings is a difficult task. Federal regulations define a “natural flavorant” as “the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or any other edible portions of a plant, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose primary function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”

Few companies reveal that exact mixture used in their ‘natural flavorings’ for proprietary reasons. However, naturals companies increasingly list whether their flavorings are derived from vegetarian- and vegan-approved sources.

Though saturated fats, as found in butter and animal products, have been linked to serious health conditions, unsaturated fats are a vital part of a healthy diet. In functional foods and beverages, unsaturated fats can be found in the form of oils or whole ingredients, including nuts and seeds, which are high in unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fats come in two forms, mono unsaturated and poly unsaturated, and both forms have been shown to reduce cholesterol and reduce heart disease risk.

Many nuts and seeds contain high levels of poly unsaturated fats, including EFAs. Almond oil has shown efficacy in inhibiting LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. Other plant-based sources of poly unsaturated oil include flaxseed and hemp oils, both high in omega-3s, which are less prevalent in dietary sources. Hemp oil and hemp seeds also include high levels of GLA (gamma-linoleic acid), an omega-6 which boosts metabolism and reduces inflammation.

Protein powders based on hemp seed and ‘raw’ food bars containing whole or ground almonds, flax and hemp seed are both excellent sources of healthy dietary fats. In cosmeceuticals, hemp and almond oils are often used to soothe and protect the skin, and their high levels of EFAs offer support for the skin’s moisture barrier.

Cosmetics and beauty aids are products used to enhance physical appearance, such as makeup (lipstick, concealer, eye shadow and eye liner, foundation, bronzer, and blush), nail polish, antiaging creams, hair products (shampoo, conditioner, styling products, dyes), and perfume.

I got in touch with Shawn M. Talbott, PhD, a nutritional biochemist and author of Cortisol Control and the Beauty

Find out why you should add vitamins B, D and E to your beauty regimen.

Vitamins have traditionally been used in stand-alone and multivitamin supplements and in fortified foods, such as cereals. They are increasingly found in a range of natural products, from nutrition bars and functional beverages to skin care products.

Vitamins are micronutrients required by the body for proper functioning; they are structural components of the body’s tissues and facilitate biochemical reactions within the body. Each vitamin performs multiple jobs—for example, vitamins E, A, and C function as antioxidants, while the B complex vitamins are involved in metabolic function. B and C vitamins are water soluble, while A, D and E are fat-soluble.

In personal care, the most widely used vitamins include vitamin C, which promotes collagen production and fends off free radical damage, and vitamin E, with antioxidant and skin-softening properties. Because recommended daily allowances for vitamins are usually at very low levels, it’s possible for functional foods and beverages to meet many of the body’s daily requirements in a single serving.

Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients required by the body for proper functioning, but in much smaller amounts than macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates). Vitamins and minerals are structural components of the body’s tissues and facilitate biochemical reactions within the body.

Use the following guide to distinguish Daily Values (DVs) from other abbreviations you might see on supplements.