NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS: WHY TAKE THEM WHEN I JUST FEEL FINE?

Nutritional supplements are meant to be taken on a regular basis to obtain the most benefits over a long period of time. But, do you need them?

If you are in this website, it is either you are already taking nutritional supplements and believe the benefits you can obtain from continuous use, or you are trying to figure out if you need them or not because you just feel fine. That’s how I used to feel until my brother was surprisingly diagnosed with nasal cancer.

We may not be aware of it, but our bodies take some abusing from environmental factors and processed food that we consume, where in most cases are deficient in needed nutrients. Even a “balanced diet”, based on numerous national nutrition surveys conclude it is not well-balanced and have reported deficiencies of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, the B-Vitamins, Calcium, and Iron. Nine out of every ten diets are marginal in chromium and contain only one-half of the RDA for magnesium. It is also estimated that the average intake of folic acid is approximately one-half the adult RDA.

Our lifestyle habits have now changed where some households may no longer have sit-down meals together, and the single-parent household now relies on convenience and has rearranged eating habits. Highly-processed foods and refined foods seem to have found a place in every household meal, which makes it more a reason for nutritional supplements to be taken.

As a busy Mom, wife and career woman, I have been guilty of skipping meals, and then end up snacking on convenience foods or eating a larger meal at the end of the day. Even worse, I may try to diet which means consuming fewer calories that cannot guarantee daily recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals.

According to Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac. and Elson Haas, M.D., authors of "Vitamin for Dummies", there are ten most common nutritional deficiencies and their possible signs of deficiency, enumerated as follows:

Magnesium: Insomnia, anxiety, increased menstrual or skeletal muscle cramps, high blood pressure, and irregular heartbeat.

Vitamin B6: Chronic nerve pain (called neuropathy), mood swings, depression, irritability, fatigue, and osteoporosis.

Vitamin B12: Pernicious anemia, fatigue, reduced appetite, nervous system disorders, and mild mental confusion.

Vitamin C: Frequent colds or viral infections and bleeding gums, injuries taking longer to heal.

Vitamin D: Weak bones, leading to fractures or osteoporosis.

Essential Amino Acids: Failing to heal from injuries as quickly as you think you should, chronic back pain, fatigue, and mood imbalances.

Essential Fatty Acids: Mood disorder such as depression, or anxiety, dry skin, hair loss, body coldness, and increased susceptibility to infections.

Should nutritional supplements, whether in traditional form or gel form, play an integral role in our overall health plan? Undoubtedly, YES!