Introduction:
With the recent flood of supplements in the street shops,
pharmacies and ones presented by sales representatives, the question in my mind
remains whether one really need these supplements. More worries grip me when am
being approached by one of these sales representatives telling me the wonders
these supplements can perform in one’s body system.
What are dietary supplements?
Dietary supplements are drugs or other substance taken with the
aim to provide the necessary nutrients which are not consumed in sufficient
quantity. These drugs supplement for vitamins, minerals, fibers, fatty
acids, amino acids etc.
Why do we need dietary supplements?
Busy schedules and sometimes laziness has made us rely on junks
instead of a proper meal. The body system requires specific amount of nutrients
daily called daily requirement, for the proper performance of the body. When
these nutrients are not supplied in their normal quantity, their deficiencies
are noticed in occurrence of disease.
A typical example is the occurrence of sores in the mouth when
there is deficiency of vitamin C in the body, let me try to explain.
Vitamins are divided into two types which include; water soluble
(B complex and C) and fat soluble (A,D,E,K). Fat soluble vitamins can be stored
in the body system and therefore are not normally deficient. On the other hand,
water soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body and therefore are always
deficient if not consumed daily in the required quantity.
So when vitamin C is deficient because less food or fruit rich in
vitamin C was taken, sores would gradually appear especially in the mouth and
refuse to heal faster. So when you take vitamin C supplement, the wound would
heal.
Why we do not need dietary supplements:
If these nutrients are present in the food we eat or should eat,
then we do not need supplements. For instance, liver of animals had been known
to contain minerals and vitamins. So the consumption of such food is advisable
to meet up with the daily requirement of the body.
Bottom-line:
Instead of depending on supplements to meet up with daily
requirement of nutrients, why not visit a nutritionist for advice on the
necessary balance diet that would provide the required nutrients for the body
because there are several factors that surrounds taking drugs on daily basis.
But in the case of a diseased condition where these nutrients are depleted
rapidly, supplements might be recommended.
So eat right, think right and live right.
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