Liver and Gallbladder Balm - Dandelion
Dandelion (in Slovak, 'púpava', Latin, Taraxacum officinale, also known as milkweed, smotánka, májik) is a well-known and ubiquitous weed (especially when it randomly appears overnight on a perfectly manicured lawn, even sprouting through cracks in asphalt), but foremost, it is a healing plant with a long history of use in herbal medicine. The milky tubes contain white sap that hardens in the air andleaves colorful stains on hands. Dandelion seeds can travel kilometers. It is among the longest-blooming plants, wholly edible, albeit having a not very pleasant bitter taste.
Iron - the secret of your health and energy
Imagine your body as a factory working at full capacity, providing energy, growth, and cell repair, with iron as the fuel that keeps it running. If iron reserves are depleted, you immediately feel tired, weak, have heart palpitations, or paler skin. Other symptoms of iron deficiency include brittle nails, dry hair, shortness of breath, sleep problems, reduced concentration, cold extremities, increased susceptibility to infections, and anemia (a lack of red blood cells caused by too little iron in the body) manifesting as extreme fatigue. In anemia, the body is not adequately supplied with oxygen and tires quickly. A signal of iron deficiency may also be bruising, as this mineral plays an important role in the production of hemoglobin, which supports the proper function of platelets.
The First of Vitamins - B1
Maybe it's burnout ... that's the current description of the state when we feel different. When the coffee we loved no longer works and in the afternoon we are overwhelmed by unbearable fatigue, when in the evening we have no strength for anything, neither for sports nor for friends. And certainly not for another day at work. A nutritionist would describe this state with further findings of our diet with the words - „ You have a lack of thiamine (B1), which is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system and the conversion of food into energy. Your diet is full of processed carbohydrates, but almost without B1. And when the body doesn't have enough thiamine, you can feel fatigue, forgetfulness, irritability, and even anxiety. And caffeine? It depletes thiamine in the body even more!“ We certainly wouldn't think that this state could be caused by a “triviality”. After all, many of us don't register thiamine, I admit it was also my case. This first of the discovered vitamins in 1912 was named by the Polish biochemist Funk with the term vita (necessary for life), amine (substances that contain nitrogen). Since then, it has gained more names, like aneurin, and for 25 years we have called it thiamine. It is essential, meaning it cannot be synthesized and must come from the diet. It sounds almost frightening that without it we wouldn't survive longer than a few days, at most weeks. This is because the body cannot store it for long and it is necessary to ensure its intake regularly, as it is irreplaceable for the proper functioning of the organism. On the contrary, its abundance helps improve concentration and memory.
Vitamin C - is it just a placebo?
Vitamin C is probably the most well-known and commonly used vitamin. From childhood, our mothers give us effervescent Celaskon in winter to protect us from colds and the flu. And even though recent studies may cast doubt on this, as there is no study that directly confirms that vitamin C protects against the flu and colds, there are facts that cannot be denied.
Vitamin B2 Riboflavin
Besides the well-known B-Complex mix of B vitamins, individual vitamins can also be purchased as solo supplements. Why is this good? The well-known set of B vitamins is a suitable dietary supplement if you have an overall deficiency of vitamins in the body. However, if you are dealing with a specific problem, it is sometimes more appropriate to reach for the exact type of vitamin you need to supplement. So why is vitamin B2 needed?
Do we need the 'sunshine' vitamin D3 only in winter?
When you feel the sun's rays on your skin, know that your body is creating one of the most important vitamins - D3, which was discovered thanks to centuries of research. The discovery of vitamin D3 became one of the most significant medical achievements of the 20th century, saving millions of lives: It was the year 1650 and in the streets of London, doctors noticed that more and more children were suffering from a strange disease called rickets (their bones were weak and brittle, legs deformed, growth slowed). It wasn't until 1919 that Dr. Huldschinsky exposed children with rickets to ultraviolet light and their bones began to heal! Three years later, biochemist McCollum discovered a substance that prevented rickets and called it vitamin D. Gradually, the existence of the most important form of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) was discovered.
