Concentrated food for Healthy Body

Concentrates haven't always been harbingers of good health. Remember the days spent stirring (and stirring) a frozen log of orange juice in a pitcher of cold water until it dissolved into an ice-cold sugar bomb that you promptly drained? Not-from-concentrate is now all the rage at grocery stores, but in the supplement world concentrated powders and pills derived from extracting nature's vital elements might be the best way to feed your body to meet specific training goals. These six supplements not only represent some of the best extracts on the market but require little if any stirring.

A FISH CALLED DHA

Not everyone enjoys eating fish, or the way the house smells when you cook it. Yet the benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are critical for numerous reasons, not the least of which are muscle growth and fat loss. One key fat with these potent effects is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

While flaxseeds and walnuts are good whole-food options, they don't provide DHA directly. Instead they yield alpha-lipoic acid, an omega-3 fat that must be converted to DHA in the body, and unfortunately this conversion isn't always plentiful. The good news is that fish oil provides key fats without any conversion needed. Your best bet is to supplement directly or take a high-yield DHA product.

BEST FOR: Fat loss, muscle growth, joint recovery and cardiovascular health

TRY IT: 1-3 grams of a fish-oil supplement 2-3 times per day or 500-1,000 mg of DHA in two divided doses