Written By: Shelly Anglin-Smith
If you’re like so many of us chances are you have walked into a drug store, viewed the shelves full of vitamins and other food supplements and felt so overwhelmed. Apart from multivitamins there are bottles of individual vitamins like Vitamins C, E, or D. You’ll also find those positioned as ‘wonder’ supplements like the antioxidant CoQ10, and ginseng which is popularly believed to be a male pick-me-up in the bedroom department. Then there are those special combination capsules of foods such as soy and rice. We have only touched the tip of the iceberg, because there are the concoctions that celebs swear by. But are we seriously shortchanging ourselves if we don’t have our personal collection of these pills, powders and liquids at home? Well, the view from nutritionists and those in the medical profession is that the first thing to bear in mind when dealing with supplements is that they are intended to work alongside food to boost your overall daily nutritional intake. They are not to be the primary source of nutrients. So you should endeavor to have a healthy diet before considering the need for a supplement.
The next thing the experts say is that the answer to the question of whether or not there is a need for supplementing one’s daily intake depends on the medical history or condition of the individual. Believe it or not, with a consistently healthy, balanced diet of neither too few nor too many calories most people basically get all the nutrients they need. However, there are those who may need a boost for various reasons. Some people may simply not eat properly because they don’t pay enough attention to what they consume. Some may not be able to afford to eat in the ideal manner. It could be also be a case of an anemia as what happens with an iron deficiency. Pregnant women are usually prescribed a supplement of vitamins, folic acid, iron, and minerals. Athletes may find it challenging to get all they need from food, while vegetarians may not get all the protein they require. In such cases, appropriate food supplementation fills the gap. Additionally, it’s the norm in dealing with certain medical conditions to have the patients take one of the supplements that doctors recognize will help stabilize or improve the condition. For example patients with a high level of blood fats are typically advised to take 2 to 4 grams of EPA + DHA daily by way of capsules.
Just think, the science of nutrition is a pretty intricate matter, and scientists will tell you that they don’t know all that food contains. There are a variety of phytochemicals and other elements yet to be discovered that benefit our bodies in a host of ways. Food supplements contain a number of the nutrients that have already been found and may actually work best in conjunction with some of the undiscovered elements in food. So go ahead and enjoy all those delicious super food choices that are available to you, but where the need exists add that supplement!
