Be Healthy - Take Nutritional Supplements

by: Paul Wallace


Adding dietary nutritional supplements to our diets has for years been advocated by nutritionists and nutritional research scientists.

Now, the American Medical Association has reversed its long held policy regarding the need for nutritional supplements.

The AMA now recommends daily use of these nutrients they had previously considered unnecessary for health.

Doctors now recognize the absolute need for everyone to take dietary nutritional supplements every day.

The AMA has finally recognized and accepted the preponderance of data that proves a direct link proving that the nutrients in our diets are so poor that they are a major cause of our diseases.

While the most commonly recognized nutritional supplements are vitamins, many more nutrients are classified as nutritional supplements. They include:

1) Minerals,
2) Amino acids,
3) Enzymes,
4) Essential fatty acids,
5) Fiber

Our health and wellbeing is greatly dependent on the food we eat. There simply is no other way to obtain the nutrients we need except through eating.

As early as 1936 the Government reported on the impact of depleted soils. One excerpt from this report states:

"Laboratory test prove that the fruits, the vegetables, the grains, the eggs, and even the milk and the meats of today are not what they were a few generations ago (which doubtless explains why our forefathers thrived on a selection of foods that would starve us!)".

In agreeing with what nutritionists and research scientists have been saying for years, the medical profession is confirming that our food no longer is capable of providing the essential elements our bodies need.

At first glance this may seem unimportant but it is a major change in policy that should not go unrecognized by the general public.

The reasons for this complete reversal of policy are many:

1) Soils are depleted of the nutrients they once provided.
2) Fruits and vegetables are picked too early.
3) Processing destroys nutrients especially enzymes.

Every element needed for growth, health, wellness, and even survival must come from the food we eat. This is because our bodies are "closed systems.

Virtually every leading cause of death today was either unknown or only a minor health concern 50 years ago. Scientific research has proven a definite and immediate link for this to the changes in the food we eat,

Americans, in general, want to improve their health. Over 43% of Americans now take some form of nutritional supplements.

Probably this is a result of having experienced a general feeling of being tired, exhausted, or a sustained feeling of simply not feeling the way we think we should feel.

This indicates that we are concerned enough to take some action. The question is whether it is enough.

We probably picked our nutritional supplement, most likely a vitamin or two, based on some advertisement that described our "symptoms".

The problem is, if we believe that our diet is deficient in one or two vitamins, is it realistic to assume that we are getting all the other nutrients that we get from the same source?

We are the "victims" of advertisers who tell us part truths.

Companies that market food make large sums of money by capitalizing on our desire to be healthy. Two of the biggest "buzz-words" in food advertising today are "Free Radicals" and "Anti-Oxidants".

Free radicals have been proven to cause aging and disease, make changes in DNA structures, suppress the immune system and cause many other health related problems.

Anti-oxidants are vitally important to our health because they destroy free radicals.

Fruit juices provide vitamin C which provides anti-oxidants.

Where this line of advertising is misleading, and possibly dangerous, is that the public is led to believe that simply drinking a glass of juice a day will significantly improve one's health. The glass of juice is beneficial but it certainly is not the "cure-all" to our nutritional deficiencies.

Vitamin C and anti-oxidants are absolutely vital for health, but so are the myriad of other vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, and essential fatty acids that our bodies need.

Furthermore, anti-oxidants are produced by many other elements of our diet, not just vitamin C, and vitamin C is needed for many other processes in the body.

If one is truly concerned about their health and that of their family, they need a complete dietary nutritional supplement.

The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements

Nutritional Supplements contain such nutrients as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. It's not really that surprising they’re called nutritional supplements because they are designed to improve your nutrition. Food or nutritional supplements help us compensate for a particular nutrient deficiency in our body. A complete balanced diet is required to keep the body healthy by maintaining a certain level of all these nutrients, if any of the nutrients level becomes too low then our health will start to deteriorate.

There are many different kinds of nutritional supplements available on the market today. Usually these products come in the form of caplets, tablets or powder; however there is often an option of having liquid medication. All supplements are different; you would take each one for a different reason because they all have their own benefits. Calcium for example is very important for healthy growth of bones and teeth. If you don't eat or drink enough foods or consume a certain amount of calcium supplements, you would eventually end up being calcium deficient. This means that your body doesn't have enough calcium, simply because you aren't eating enough in the first place. As a result of this at some time in your life your bones and teeth will suffer and the older we become the more of a negative impact it will have on our bodies.

Calcium and certain other vitamin supplements also help to fight against osteoporosis in women. Folic acid is a type of B vitamin that prevents abnormal births and other birth defects. Doctors normally advise pregnant women to take folic acid tablets in their early pregnancy. Everyone else should also take a small amount of folic acid to ensure protection against heart disease and cancer.

Other than the above-mentioned nutritional supplements, antioxidants are also gaining popularity these days. They are more commonly known as anti-aging supplements. They slow down the oxidation process in the body and consequently reduce cholesterol levels. They protect against various heart problems. Some vegetables like tomato, onion and garlic are rich sources of antioxidants, but if you think your intake of these vegetables is low then you should consider taking antioxidant supplements.

There are many different reasons for taking nutritional supplements and there are numerous supplements that you can take if you’re into weightlifting or bodybuilding. If you want to bulk up and gain muscle then by taking one of the many bodybuilding supplements you may be able to do just this! Similarly if you want to increase your strength and muscle mass then there are several weightlifting supplements on the market that can do just that.

Always remember to consult your physician before you start taking any supplements because these nutritional supplements can do a lot of good but also can be very harmful to you as well. By taking the incorrect dosage of any supplement it can lead to health problems but by supplementing with the right ones it can lead to a longer, healthier, happy life.

Christopher DiCicco is an owner of a online Nutritional Supplements Store http://www.flexhealthnutrition.com/details/shop/BN-020 and has been involved with health and nutrition for over 20 years.
http://www.flexhealthnutrition.com/details/shop/BN-018
http://www.flexhealthnutrition.com/details/shop/BN-036

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_DiCicco