I can do without them, do I really need to take them? This is the most common question asked by all of us. The problem with most people is that they base their health on how they feel. Just because we feel healthy and perfectly fit now,does not mean we don’t need supplements.
Are we taking a healthy balanced diet as per the guidelines given by the food pyramid every day?
Are we sure about the food crops that we get?
Are the fruits and vegetables grown in mineral rich soils?
The fact is that the majority of our food crops have been grown on mineral depleted soils, which makes them not only more susceptible to plant diseases and insect attack, but also nutritionally fairly worthless.
Besides the harsh chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides that our foods are contaminated with, there is a wide range of processing techniques that further alternate their value as safe, healthy foods. They are subjected to high heat which destroys essential vitamins and enzymes, additives are used to disguise their appearance and preservatives are added to keep them stay lengthy on store shelves.
It is only when it suddenly strikes-an illness, a health problem, a sign of old age, weakness- we begin to search for a dietary or herbal supplement to help us get out of the pit we have unfortunately dug for ourselves.
So, without further ado, the answer to this question is Yes, you do need nutritional supplements if you are not taking a balanced diet/ if you have any nutritional deficiencies.
Nutritional deficiency is impossible to avoid in these modern times. With our busy lifestyle and ever tempting convenience of fast food ,it is now very difficult to enjoy excellent daily nutrition.
This is not to say, though, that health supplements should replace proper nutrition.
Besides, nutritional supplements are still supplements. They work by complementing our diet to make sure we get the right nutrients that we need.
Advantages of supplements-
First of all, supplements help you overcome nutritional deficiencies. We need all nutrients in their proper amounts for optimum health. Since our diets most likely cannot provide all of them, nutritional supplements can fill in those gaps.
Nutritional Supplements also help boost our immune system. The stronger our immune system, the more resistant our body can be against disease. Popping a tablet or two of vit can help you avoid colds and related illnesses. Nutritional Supplements are also useful in getting rid of toxins which we take in everyday. The environmental stresses we are in touch with, as well as our lifestyle-these all subject us to harmful toxins which can lead to serious health problems. Supplements, most especially antioxidants, can help our body keep toxins to a minimum.
Few supplements available are Vit E, Selenium , Beta Carotene, Soy protein & Isoflavones, Fatty acid supplements, Coenzyme Q10, etc.
