7 Reasons Why Everyone Should Take Nutritional Supplements
In a perfect world, you would get plenty of sleep, stay hydrated, and eat all your fruits and vegetables. So why would my body need supplements? I have all the vitamins and nutrients I need, right? Wrong.
These 7 powerful reasons show that you need to take dietary supplements, no matter how healthy your lifestyle may be.
1) Filling That Nutritional Gap
90% of people don’t get the recommended amount of important nutrients from food alone. Most of us fail to meet dietary recommendations due to strict dieting, poor appetite, or changing nutritional needs.
Supplementation is intended to bridge this nutritional gap, so that we maintain the proper balance of nutrients from food and supplementation. This will enhance the nutrient density of your diet and make sure you are obtaining the right amount of nutrients tailored to your dietary needs.
Recommended Supplements: Multivitamins are loaded with plenty of key nutrients to cover all the bases and support overall health.
2) Nutrient Absorption Declines With Age
As you age, malabsorption becomes a problem because your body does not have the same capability to break down and absorb nutrients as it used to.
You may also be taking more medications than you did when you were younger. Most modern medications actually deplete essential nutrients. Supplements can help restore this imbalance.
Recommended Supplements: Digestive Enzymes helps break down carbohydrates, fats, and protein to optimize nutrient absorption when taken with meals.
3) Avoid Harmful Chemicals
Warning! Pesticides and herbicides used to farm our food, chemicals found in our water supply, and external environmental issues like pollution can drastically increase our need for extra vitamins and minerals. These chemicals create free radicals that attack our digestive and immune system.
Recommended Supplements: Antioxidants help fight harmful free radicals and protect our bodies against these dangerous toxins.
4) Exercise Increases Nutrient Needs
Are you an athlete or do you exercise frequently? Athletes require a lot of energy and nutrients to stay in shape. As you exercise, your body uses up the energy and nutrients that have been stored in your body.
It is vital to replenish these essential nutrients, fuel your energy levels, and promote recovery after an intense workout. That’s why athlete’s diets include TONS of carbs and protein.
Recommended Supplements: Protein powder is a quick and easy way to get the required calories instead of eating a big bowl of pasta and chicken.
5) Poor Eating Habits
Erratic eating habits, eating processed junk food, and stress contribute to poor digestion. This makes it difficult for our bodies to extract all the nutrients it needs from food.
While supplementation cannot replace a poor diet, it can help prevent the damage poor eating habits are causing.
6) Prevent Expensive Health Issues
Healthcare providers are encouraging people to look for disease prevention instead of disease treatment. Taking daily supplements, getting regular exercise, and making frequent trips to the doctors are important for preventing costly health issues from arising in the
Not So Fun Fact: The annual medical costs for those who are obese were $1,429 higher than people with normal weight.
7) Soil Depletion
Modern farming techniques use fertilizers that deplete the soil and rob the plants of essential nutrients. Fertile soil is a crucial agriculture element for absorbing the proper amounts of minerals. Without this, the plant cannot form essential vitamins.
Vitamins & Minerals Supplements
For vitamins and minerals, check the % Daily Value (DV) for each nutrient to make sure you’re not getting too much. “It’s important to consider the DV and upper limit,” says Haggans. Too much of certain supplements can be harmful.
Scientists still have much to learn even about common vitamins. One recent study found unexpected evidence about vitamin E. Earlier research suggested that men who took vitamin E supplements might have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. “But much to our surprise, a large NIH-funded clinical trial of more than 29,000 men found that taking supplements of vitamin E actually raised—not reduced—their risk of this disease,” says Dr. Paul M. Coates, director of NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements. That’s why it’s important to conduct clinical studies of nutrition supplements to confirm their effects.
