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Who Needs Dietary Supplements
Much media attention has been directed toward
the safety and efficacy of vitamins and supplements. Some
nutritionists have claimed that supplements do less than
promised and that we should simply eat healthier foods to
provide for our dietary needs. And, in fact, these claims are
not without merit. As you’ll soon learn, many – if not most – of
the supplements on the market today do not deliver the nutrition
that they claim.
Ideally, all of us would derive our complete nutrition from a
balanced and wholesome diet. But the reality is that modern
lifestyles make numerous demands of our time … time that we
could spend preparing the foods that our bodies truly need.
So, how can you determine if you need to enhance your diet with
daily nutritional supplements? There are several factors one
needs to consider to answer this question adequately. Would you
characterize your lifestyle or physical state closely with any
of the following descriptions? If so, you might need the extra
nutrition that comes from daily supplementation.
• If you’re not getting multiple servings of a variety of
vegetables and fruits every day, it’s unlikely that you’ll be
taking in the necessary amounts of minerals and vitamins that
you body needs for optimal health. While many of us aspire to
eat sensibly, in practice, as mentioned before, this is rarely
the case.
• If you’re on a restricted-calorie diet, you may not be
fulfilling your daily requirements. This is primarily due to not
eating a wide variety of foods, which makes it very difficult to
get all of the essential nutrition your body needs.
• If you are considering becoming pregnant, or are already
pregnant, your body’s needs are different. You’ll need more
calcium, iron and folate. The extra iron is needed for red blood
cell health, in order to stave off fatigue. Folate is generally
recommended to protect against fetal spinal defects, like spina
bifida.
• If you are postmenopausal, you need additional nutritional
support. This period of life is marked by drops in estrogen
production which can lead to bone loss. It’s imperative that you
receive additional calcium and vitamin D, which is necessary for
your body to process calcium to strengthen bones.
• If you drink alcohol heavily or smoke tobacco, your body’s
ability to absorb nutrients can be impaired. Taking supplements
won’t reverse the effects of these unhealthy habits, but they
may help to offset some of the damage done to your body.
It certainly seems that the majority of us could use the
additional nutrition provided by a high-quality daily
supplement.
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