One of the most common questions I receive, is ‘Why do I need supplements if I eat a full-balanced nutritional diet?’. Years ago it would have been true that your diet could supply all the required vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy and prevent illnesses. Unfortunately, this is not true according to today’s standards. Farming practices, the environment, stress, overabundance of processed foods and antibiotics (topical and ingested) minimizes the nutrients in our soil & food and the bioavailability of nutrients in our bodies.
Standard American Diet
A diet high in saturated fats, red meats, processed grains and refined sugar causes a shortfall in many nutrients, magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin K. Even if we eat a whole organic diet, it’s possible to be deficient of essential minerals, vitamins and amino acids (building blocks for our tissues). The deficiency can be caused by stress, pollution, environment and farming practices.
Stress
Stress depletes our bodies of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Stress coupled with a poor diet, amplifies the need for vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
Food Preparation
Cooking and storage methods can decrease the activity of some nutrients by 30%. Heating certain foods for more than 2 hours can result in a 10% loss of vitamins. Not only does cooking contribute to the vitamin loss, but chilling, storage and reheating food can further decrease the nutrient contents.
Genetically Modified Foods
Most GMO foods are higher in sugar, contain pesticides and are lower in fiber, protein, essential fatty acids and vitamins.
Farming Practices
Poor quality for plant soils and agricultural technologies can strip the important vitamins and minerals away like B12, magnesium, zinc, potassium and selenium. Even foods that are enriched with vitamins and minerals our poorly absorbed by our bodies due the subpar quality of the enriched foods.
Environment
Chemicals from factors and household cleaners pollute the land, water and food supply. Studies have shown that most people in the U.S. carry a significant body burden of pesticides. Our bodies rely on vitamins, minerals and amino acids to eliminate toxins from our bodies like pesticides, pollutants (CO2 emissions), cosmetics, food chemicals, cleaning chemicals.
Supplements are Not Created Equally
Many supplements contain fillers, artificial coloring, ingredients that are not absorbed well, a minimal amount of key vitamins or minerals and are substituted with a poor bioavailability form of mineral or vitamin that is not well absorbed into the system.
What to Avoid In a Supplement
- Artificial coloring, flavors and sweeteners
- Wheat & Gluten
- Trans fats and hydrogenated oils
- GMOs
- Magnesium stearate
- Coatings and shellacs
- Unnecessary binders, fillers and preservatives
Pure Supplement Options
- Pure Encapsulations
- Designs For Health
- Thorne Research
- Douglas Lab
- Nordic Naturals
To learn more about what supplements are right for you, contact us.