Culture Project

Nutritional Supplements
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Institutional Affiliation

Abstract
Nutritional supplements are products ingested or added to the regular diets to improve their nutritional value. In this projects, however, only six nutritional supplements will be demystified. Namely, Vitamin D, Omega 3 fatty acids, L.theanine, B-vitamins, Lutein, and Coenzyme q10 supplements. Three stores visited include Walgreens, Vitamin World, and Food Lion. Based on the data collected from these stores available forms these supplements include Caplets, Liquid, Drops, Gels, Chew, Chewables, Gummies, Tablets, Powder, Drinks, Tablets, and Capsules, Combo packs, and lozenges. Vitamin D supplements help in strengthening of bone structures. Omega-3 fatty acids are rich in calories, which provide the body with energy. Nutritional supplements containing L-theanine promote the relaxation of the body, improve sleep, reduce stress, and boost one’s alertness and concentration. People use L-theanine supplements to treat and prevent high blood pressure and anxiety. B-vitamins are essential in the treatment and prevention of vitamin deficiency conditions, which often results from certain illnesses, poor diet, pregnancy, or alcoholism.
Keywords: Vitamin D, Omega 3 fatty acids, L.theanine, B-vitamins, Lutein, and Coenzyme q10

Nutritional Supplements
Selection
Nutritional supplements are products ingested or added to the regular diets to improve their nutritional value. They are additional dietary ingredients, such as minerals, herbs, vitamins, amino acids, and enzymes.

There are several types of nutritional supplements. In this projects, however, only six nutritional supplements will be demystified. Namely, Vitamin D, Omega 3 fatty acids, L.theanine, B-vitamins, Lutein, and Coenzyme q10 supplements.
Available Forms of the Supplements
Each of these supplements exists in different forms. Vitamin D, for instance, exists in forms of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 or Cholecalciferol. In the three stores, In Walgreens, available forms of Vitamin D supplements include liquid, caplets, chewable, chews, drops, cream, tablets, gummies, powders, and drinks. Caplets sell at $34 for 60 ea. Drops cost $27 for 0.34 oz. Gels cost $18.99 for 100 ea. Gummy cost $12 for 150 ea. Tablets sell at $20 for 100 ea. Tables below provide more details on the available forms of the supplements above.
Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 1: Vitamin D Supplements
Vitamin D supplements Walgreens Available forms Cost (in $) For (Quantity) Calorie Count
Caplet 34 60 ea. 400
Liquid 7.29 16 oz. 180
Drop 27 0.34 oz. 380
Gel 19 100 ea. 299
Chew 9.99 60 ea. 400
Chewable 12.99 42 ea. 400
Gummy 12 150 ea. 400
Tablet 20 100 ea. 323
Powder & Drink 26 10.6 oz. 328
Capsule 15 30 ea. 360
Vitamin World Softgel 48 100 ea 440
Liquid 14 2 oz. 400
Caplets 13 30 ea. 405
Tablets 19 100 ea. 489
Gummies 24 75 ea. 400
Food Lion Tablets 23 90 CT 400
Caplets 15 100 CT 320
Liquid 27 2 oz. 320
Gummies 20 75 ea. 420
Capsule 26 30 ea. 440
Gel Caps 45 100 ea. 480
Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 2: Omega-3 Fatty acid supplements
Omega-fatty acid supplements Walgreens Available forms Cost (in $) For (Quantity) Calorie Count
Oils 24 16 oz. 120
Combo Packs 28 0.34 oz. 140
Gels 16.9 100 ea. 115
Chew 14 10 ea. 70
Chewable 18 12 ea. 80
Gummies 13 150 ea. 78
Powder & Drink 25 12 oz. 150
Capsule 15 30 ea. 80
Vitamin World Softgel 34 80 ea 114
Liquid 14 3 oz. 80
Oils 26 100 ea. 120
Gummies 22 120 ea. 89
Food Lion Oils 28 90 CT 120
Liquid 32 4 oz. 90
Gummies 22 60ea. 96
Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 3: L-Theanine supplements
Walgreens Available forms Cost (in $) For (Quantity) Calorie count
Capsules 11.49 60 ea. 2000
Gel 13.99 60 ea. 2000
Tablet 11 72ea. 2000
Vitamin World Capsules 13 60 ea. 2000
Gel 15 60 ea. 2200
Tablet 14.49 75 ea. 2000
Food Lion Capsule 20 30 ea. 2000
Gel Caps 12 100 ea. 2000
Drink 21 14 oz 2000
Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 4: B-vitamins supplements
B-vitamins supplements Walgreens Available forms Cost (in $) For (Quantity) Calorie Count
Liquid 10 2 oz. 450
Melts 27 0.34 oz. 880
Gel 13 100 ea. 600
Lozenges 11 60 ea. 460
Chewables 12.99 42 ea. 600
Gummies 13 60 ea. 650
Tablet 13 45 ea. 650
Vitamin World Capsules 12.69 30 ea. 450
Tablets 12 100 ea. 450
Food Lion Capsules 13.50 30 ea. 670
Tablets 11.50 100 ea. 400
Gel 12.69 100ea 450
Table SEQ Table * ARABIC 5: Lutein Supplements
Lutein Supplements Walgreens Available forms Cost (in $) For (Quantity) Calorie
Gel 25 100 ea. 360
Tablet 19.49 100 ea. 240
Capsule 16.50 30 ea. 320
Vitamin World Softgel 30 100 ea 400
Tablets 18 100 ea. 250
Food Lion Tablets 16 75 CT 240
Capsule 17.45 45 ea. 312
Specific Use of Each Supplement
Vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D supplements are used to satisfy different purposes in the human’s body. Specifically, they are used to improve and maintain strong bone structures (Watson, 2013). Vitamin D prevents and treats rickets. The vitamin also treats and prevents osteoporosis, osteomalacia (bone pain), osteogenesis, and hyperparathyroidism. Vitamin D prevent falls in people with weak bones. People with kidney failure often vitamin D supplements to prevent renal osteodystrophy (or bone loss). Further, because vitamin D regulates the amount of minerals, such as calcium and phosphorous, it guards against the conditions caused by the deficiency or insufficiency of these two minerals. These conditions may include Fanconi syndrome, hypophosphatemia, and pseudohypoparathyroidism. Therefore, vitamin D is a crucial nutritional supplement in one’s diet. Stated above are just a few among many uses of vitamin D supplements.
Omega-3 fatty acids supplements. Omega-3 fatty acids are pivotal to the normal growth and development of a person. Be that as it may, it is a common knowledge that the human’s body cannot produce Omega-3 fatty acids on its own. It has to obtain them from dietary intakes and nutritional supplements. Omega-3 fatty acids are rich in calories, which provide the body with energy (Khan, 2014). They also help with many functions in blood vessels, heart, lungs, endocrine system, and immune system. Research established that omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of hypertension triglyceride levels (Khan, 2014). According to Khan (2014) diets that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids prevents and treats rheumatoid arthritis. The researcher also found that omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of heart diseases, such as stroke and heart attack.
L-theanine supplements. Nutritional supplements containing L-theanine promote the relaxation of the body, improve sleep, reduce stress, and boost one’s alertness and concentration. People use L-theanine supplements to treat and prevent high blood pressure and anxiety. L-theanine supplements are also used not only for Alzheimer’s disease but also to make cancer medications more effective. L-thiamine has a chemical structure that assists in the transmission nerve impulses effectively to the brain.
B-Vitamins Supplements. These supplements combine all B-vitamins and are essential in the treatment and prevention of vitamin deficiency conditions, which often results from certain illnesses, poor diet, pregnancy, or alcoholism (Cheng, Kong, Pang, Yang, Lu, Huang, & Jiang, 2016). B-vitamins are key components of the body. They help keep the body in good health. B-vitamins also helps in retention of memories and the development healthy skin and hair. According to Cheng et al. (2016), individuals who lack B-vitamins often experience mood swings, depression, anxiety, confusion, and weakened the immune system. One should, therefore, take sufficient amount of vitamin B complex supplements to improve the supply of B-Vitamins in the body.
Lutein. Lutein is one of the most important nutritional elements. Specifically, it promotes vision by keeping eyes healthy and functioning. Lutein reduces the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. The macula of the eye obtains its yellow coloration from the concentration of lutein. Lutein is also a strong antioxidant. Consequently, taking lutein supplements help protect the body from harmful effects of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable body molecules, which not only damage cells but cause diseases.
Coenzyme q10 supplements. The body uses Coenzyme q10 to produce energy which is highly essential in the growth and maintenance of cells (Gat, Blanco Mejia, Balakier, Librach, Claessens, & Ryan, 2016). Coenzyme q10 is also an antioxidant that guards the body against harmful molecules. Besides supporting the health of vessels, and helping in proper food digestion and maintenance body performance, Coenzyme q10 also keeps the heart and skeletal muscles safe. Additionally, Coenzyme Q10 plays an essential role in dipping the severity and number of migraine headaches.  So, by taking Coenzyme q10 supplements, one does a good service to his body.
Advice to Client
The cost of nutritional supplements varies from one store to another. Some of the key determinants of such costs include the availability and demands for such. Stores, such as Walgreens, with varieties and large volumes of nutritional supplements, provide the best purchase option. They offer these products at relatively reduced cost. Nevertheless, the client should consider his proximity to the store as the distance also determines the aggregate cost that he is likely to incur during the purchase.
References
Cheng, D., Kong, H., Pang, W., Yang, H., Lu, H., Huang, C., & Jiang, Y. (2016). B vitamin supplementation improves cognitive function in the middle-aged and elderly with hyperhomocysteinemia. Nutritional Neuroscience, 19(10), 461-466. doi:10.1179/1476830514Y.0000000136
Gat, I., Blanco Mejia, S., Balakier, H., Librach, C. L., Claessens, A., & Ryan, E. A. (2016). The use of coenzyme Q10 and DHEA during IUI and IVF cycles in patients with decreased ovarian reserve. Gynecological Endocrinology, 32(7), 534-537. doi:10.3109/09513590.2015.1137095
Khan, W. (2014). Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Chemistry, Dietary Sources, and Health Effects. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Watson, R. R. (2013). Handbook of vitamin D in human health: Prevention, treatment, and toxicity. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers.