Secondary plant substances

Secondary plant substances such as amygdalin (Lätril) and chlorophyll are also found as ingredients of food supplements. These compounds are produced by plants and do not play a vital role in the human body. Amygdalin is even considered harmful to the human organism (e.g. nicotine or atropine).

However, some studies have shown that some secondary plant compounds have certain health-promoting properties. Flavinoids are also secondary plant substances that have a special effect on the permeability of the vessel walls in humans. For this reason, flavinoids also belong to the group of vitaminoids.

Nutritional supplements for muscle building

The branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine are summarized in the term BCAA (branched-chain amino acids). BCAA are essential amino acids and are metabolized directly in skeletal muscle.

Fields of application

For healthy people who eat a normal diet, dietary supplements are usually unnecessary because a balanced diet provides the body with all the nutrients it needs. An unbalanced or unbalanced diet cannot be balanced by taking dietary supplements.Statements about the effectiveness of dietary supplements can be difficult to make, since the products usually have a rather unspecific and individually different effect. For certain groups of people with increased nutrient requirements, dietary supplements can be useful if the diet does not provide sufficient nutrients.

An undersupply of nutrients can lead to a reduced activity of hormones and enzymes and thus cause fatigue, lack of energy and reduced performance. Pregnant women, children, senior citizens, the chronically ill and competitive athletes are particularly affected by this. Depending on the phase of life and physical strain, the use of food supplements can be useful to cover an increased need for nutrients and vitamins.

Each user or user has to decide for himself whether the application of food supplements is reasonable and appropriate. An assessment of a possible lack of minerals, vitamins or trace elements by the attending physician seems to make sense in any case. During intensive endurance sports, reactive oxygen compounds are formed in the body.

These so-called “free radicals” can trigger negative chain reactions and destroy various cell components. In order to protect the organism from the negative consequences of too intensive physical strain, antioxidants can block this reaction process. Antioxidants can be supplied in the form of dietary supplements and lead to increased performance during endurance sports.

However, all antioxidative nutrients (such as vitamin E, vitamin C, provitamin A, selenium) must be available in sufficient quantities. An excessive supply of individual antioxidants does not lead to increased performance. Dietary supplements with the ingredient L-carnitine are also used by endurance athletes.

L-carnitine transports fatty acids into the mitochondrium (“power station of the cell”), where fat burning takes place. The healthy body produces a sufficient amount of carnitine by itself. In addition, carnitine is absorbed with animal food.

Athletes who follow a vegetarian diet should regularly consume milk and dairy products. An additional dietary supplement with carnitine preparations is generally not recommended, but may be useful in case of a carnitine deficiency. An increase in performance or an increased fat burning could not be proven by an additional intake of carnitine so far.

The effect of caffeine as a dietary supplement, however, has been proven in many sports. Caffeine can increase mental performance, suppresses fatigue and activates fat oxidation during sports, thus preserving glycogen stores. However, high doses of caffeine are necessary (about three to seven cups of strong coffee). Maltodextrin (carbohydrate mixture) is a dietary supplement, which is rapidly broken down by the body to glucose and can improve endurance. Glycerin is also said to improve endurance and fluid balance.