A lot of us are very particular about what we eat. As we grow up, the preciseness goes up too. From studying the ingredients to deciding the quantity of consumption, there are lots of specifics we look into before we intake food. On a broad scale, we know what to avoid – staying clear of junk/ processed food. On a limited scale, we’ll probably count the number of nuts before we consume it (half a nut included). So, if we can be this specific about what we eat and are able to control our nutrient intake, where do supplements fit in?
‘Dietary supplements’. You have heard about them and have probably consumed(ing) them for various reasons. In western countries, you have them stacked in supermarkets where a consumer can easily pick them up. In our country, it is mostly sold (barring muscle and vitamin supplements) in pharmacies, which is probably a kind of restrictive mechanism to avoid abuse. This begs the question of when and why are they required? If you are eating all the right ingredients (food groups) and are exercising, do you still need them?
There have always been debates regarding supplement intake. There are many who believe they are redundant and are probably marketing gimmicks. Then, there are others who consume supplements above and beyond what is required or prescribed. However, if the abuse factor is left out, intake is essential for multiple reasons.
There are medical reasons that require a person to consume supplements. There are two kinds – one, due to genetics and the other due to lifestyle and age. The former is the type where some form of bodily malfunction causes malabsorption of certain nutrients hence making certain supplements a mandate for their healthy existence. While this type needs no further explanation, the latter is what requires focus.
The most common deficiency found today are vitamins. Almost every individual builds a Vitamin D deficiency as they grow up. It’s largely due to our indoor lifestyle and geographical location. The ones deficient in Vitamin D have to get sunlight, but that alone, cannot fix low deficiencies. They need to consume supplements for a considerable time.
Another main factor for deficiency is diet. Omitting certain food groups can lead to vitamins and mineral deficiency. If the solution to that is by including all food groups, it would have been easy, but not today, not in today’s world. The food you eat should ideally take care of all nutrients but it doesn’t because of alteration and adulteration. Depending on where you live you may not be eating foods in their pure form. There are specific methods of cooking certain vegetables to help retain its property, which in reality cannot be always adopted. Thus, the cooking process drains these foods of adequate nutrients. Thereby, creating a gap inspite of right consumption.
Age is a primary factor in causing deficiencies and disturbances in our bodily functions. While exercise can maintain your physical and mental health, biological health will follow its aging process. For example, the deficiency of elements such as Calcium and Iron are bound to occur in aging women and it can be compensated with supplements alone. Thus, the inclusion of these supplements becomes necessary.
If investigated early on we can end up consuming the right supplements. Majority of the time we are not aware of any deficiencies in our body unless they reach dangerously low levels which manifest in the form of various symptoms. It’s just that today, probably due to a proactive approach, people either test voluntarily or assess their lifestyle to infer deficiencies which makes them adopt preventive measures. It is however, always better to get an opinion from a certified person before popping that supplement pill. If you have had certain conditions in the past, which gives you prior knowledge from doctors about these pills, and you have understood your body on how positively they react to them, then it is fine to go ahead with it. To answer, “Supplement intake – a yea or nay?” is based on individual assessments. It’s not definitive. It’s neither a villain nor a hero.
