Nutritional Supplements - Are They Necessary?

Many people consider it unnecessary to take supplements. They believe that we get all the nutrition we need from our food. Maybe that used to be so. Our ancestors didn’t need nutritional supplements. The food they consumed was mostly fresh and unprocessed so, therefore, rich in vitamins, minerals and micro nutrients.

These days the majority of our foods are processed, and even when we do consume fresh fruits and vegetables, they are mostly missing the nutrient content that was evident just 50 years ago. Over the many years of constant farming, soils have become depleted, toxic fertilizers and insecticides are used frequently and in many cases fruit is harvested before it’s reached its full nutritional value. That is - it is picked before it has fully ripened, it is sometimes gassed to ripen and held in cold storage for many months.

As it is only as fruit and vegetables ripen that the nutrients become fully available, it stands to reason that if they are picked before ripening, we are not getting the goodness out of them that we require. It would seem then, that it would be prudent, taking all the above factors into account to add nutritional supplements to our diets.

It seems hard to believe but a study was conducted that showed that to get the same level of nutrition that was once available in one peach, we would need to eat 53 peaches. That’s a lot of peaches!

If you do happen to eat the now recommended 8 servings of fruit and vegetables each day, and they are all grown organically and left to ripen naturally, you’ll be in better shape than someone who doesn’t. It seems very clear to me, though, that in today’s toxic environment our body needs all the help we can give it if it is to repair and regenerate as it should.

Diseases associated with dietary deficiency and imbalance, are among the leading causes of illness and death in the Western world today. We are becoming more aware of the critical role that nutrition plays in the prevention of many common diseases - coronary heart disease, cancer, hypertension, obesity, dental caries, gingivitis and periodontal diseases, and non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, to name a few.

Clearly, we need to supplement to provide the nutrients we are not getting in our diets. In fact, even the AMA (American Medical Association) reversed their long-standing position and stated in an article in JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association - June 2002) that everyone should be using nutritional supplements.

Here is a list showing what we need to enable us to maintain optimal health; - something I am sure we are all aiming for.

* Vitamins and minerals, essential for the creation of healthy cells

* Glyconutrients for cell-to-cell communication and immune support

* Plant Nutrients or Phytonutrients, to detoxify the system

* Phytohormones, or plant hormones, necessary for glandular function

* Essential fatty acids (EFAs) regulate hormonal function and metabolism

* Essential amino acids, which serve as the building blocks for all proteins

* Antioxidants to protect our cells from oxidative damage

More and more supplements have appeared on the market as it has become apparent that we need to supplement. Unfortunately, many of the available supplements are synthetic and are not readily absorbed by the body. The best nutritional supplements will be composed of whole food and will be manufactured to very strict specifications. Please don’t buy supplements without first checking them out thoroughly.

About the Author:

You know now that you should be adding nutritional supplements to your food. Learn now why you should consider carefully just what supplements you should be taking. Learn more about nutrition here.