Does eating a healthy well balanced diet alone provide all of the nutrients that the human body requires to work correctly? There are numerous kinds and brands of nutritional supplements available to the consumer, but what are the benefits of using these products?
These are only a few of the questions people might have regarding nutritional supplementation and the purpose of this post is to answer many of these questions.
There are numerous kinds of nutritional products currently available and the health and wellness sector is among the fastest growing sectors currently. This is because of a lot of factors such as the rise in weight problems and the increasing numbers of people being identified as having degenerative diseases.
It is sometimes believed (specifically amongst older generations) that eating a balanced diet and regular exercise is sufficient to maintain good health, but there is also the conflicting argument that without supplementation, many people's intake of vital nutrients falls far short of their body's needs.
Before I discuss these issues, I'd first like to give a brief overview of a few of the nutrients that the human body needs to function correctly:
Firstly there are the macronutrients. Macronutrients include Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats. At the most simplified level, carbohydrates supply our bodies with energy, proteins are responsible for building and repairing muscle tissues and fats supply extra energy reserves and permit for the transportation of micronutrients around the body. Fats are also required for the production of certain hormones.
Secondly there are micronutrients. Micronutrients include vitamins (also known as anti-oxidants) and minerals. Each vitamin (A, B12, C, D, E, K, etc.) and mineral (Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, etc.) works a particular role in the body and they are all essential for good bodily function. Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals have been identified as one of the primary factors in the development of degenerative disease, as vitamins specifically are responsible for the removal of toxins within the body.
Toxins are harmful molecules, that are produced by chemical reactions within the body, and also by factors in our external environment. They attack healthy cells causing them to break down (degenerate), potentially resulting in the growth of degenerative disease in the long run.
For instance, it has been suggested that to promote optimum health, 400 IU (International Units) of vitamin E should be consumed daily. To put this into context, an individual would need to consume 14.5 kg of spinach every day to accomplish this level. On the other hand, 1kg or almonds would provide the same oxidative defence for the human cells. This example should highlight that it is very hard to consume 400 IU of vitamin E without integrating nutritional supplements. This value is significantly greater than the Suggested Daily Allowance (RDA) for a number of reasons:
Firstly, RDAs were established in the 1940s and were guidelines to prevent diseases like scurvy and rickets and are often considered to be somewhat out of date. Moreover, the external environment in which we live nowadays contains higher levels of pollutants, radiation and other toxic compounds, which significantly increases our requirement for anti-oxidants.
It is known that the levels of vitamins in fresh fruit and veggies depletes with time, thus in order to get the best antioxidative defence from foods, we would have to eat them instantly after they were harvested. This is very difficult nowadays due to the nature of supermarket's distribution processes.
In conclusion, high quality multi-vitamin and multimineral health supplements could be good for everyone, to ensure the intake of enough quantities of vitamins and minerals. This can support healthy body function, elevate levels of energy and may also reduce toxin damage and cellular degeneration inside the body.
Macronutrient health supplements (i.e. proteins, meal replacements and wholesome snacking options), also serve a purpose to a lot of individuals:
An example would be for a vegetarian who may generally find it hard to eat adequate quantities of proteins. In this case, a Soy Protein supplement might be of use. Soy protein doesn't contain animal products and can provide all the essential amino acids that the body needs for developing and repairing bodily tissues.
For individuals looking to manage their weight, meal replacements may provide the correct balance of nutrients in a low calorie supplement. Meal replacements can be a handy method for people with hectic lives to regulate calorie intake.
Healthy snacking options might also provide a great means for getting a good balance of nutrients with little or no preparation. It would normally be more helpful to an individual's health to consume a high quality healthy snack bar than to purchase a snack from a convenience store.
Therefore, the use of macronutrient snacks generally depends on an individual's health targets and personal dietary needs.
About the Author:
Andrew Smith is an Independent Associate for Usana Health Sciences, who produce world leading nutritional supplements. To read an extensive Usana products review please go to this site: usana products uk
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