nutritional supplements, vitamins mineralsI find the topic of nutritional supplements endlessly interesting. The Internet is one big encyclopedia and gives people vasts amounts of information about whatever interests them, and for me, nutritional supplements are key to my lifestyle. They do a lot to ensure the health of my family and myself, and in the case of vitamins minerals, knowledge is power. Nutritional supplements are not a one size fits all product. There are different levels of metabolism, different protein requirements depending on activity level, and age. For example, post menopausal women should not take supplements that have iron in them, and men need more protein than women to support their greater muscle mass. Experts say that protein should be consumed at night instead of so many carbohydrates to help men avoid gaining fat as they age. Men also do not tolerate blood sugar swings as well as women do, either, so their diets should contain lower glycemic foods that do not cause hypoglycemia. When I order the family's nutritional supplements, I try to take age and gender into account, so we all take something different to maintain optimum health.