Skip to main content

Dietary Supplements: To Use or Not To Use?

Saying that we now live in an extremely fast world may sounds like a cliché, but it is true. We no longer have patience for sitting calmly in a cafe. We drink coffee to go. We eat food to go. If people have no more patience to look at one TV channel for more than five seconds, how do you expect them to care about their diet, to plan it and devote some time to making it successful?

Besides, today we can find a vide variety of food on the market. But, market increase has also resulted in the appearance of genetically modified food which often does more harm than good. Let’s face it – unless you pay very close attention, chances are your diet is lacking some basic nutrients. What do you do then? Do you build all of your life around adhering to a carefully planned diet?  Do you start growing your own vegetables and becoming obsessive about the amount of X or Y in your every meal? Or do you simply take a pill, or a powder?

Supplements(1)

photo credit

 There are a few things one must know about dietary supplements. First, their sole purpose is to compensate specific ingredients the human body needs. Therefore, they are true friends to human health, but the way some people use them is just not friendly at all. And this is how we get to the second lesson one must learn: dietary supplements are not food and they will never ever compensate a meal, even when you`re trying to lose weight.  Before taking any kind of supplements it would be advised to ask for doctor's opinion.
Just to check off the list, dietary supplements include everything from vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, botanical supplements (commonly known as probiotics), to various protein based muscle builders, weight gainers, weight burners etc. It is safe to say that vitamins are most commonly used. It is a popular opinion that a multivitamin pill is all the health a person needs. This is as far away from the truth as possible. What most people forget is that we don't need the equal amounts of all vitamins, nor everybody has the same needs.

Every single person that decides to use some specific supplement needs to know exactly which supplement he or she needs, in which dosage and in which form (besides tablets there are capsules, powders, softgels, gelcaps and liquids). The need for supplements varies and that depends on various factors such as age, sex, weight, specific physiological state and many other factors. More so, if you lack Vitamin C during winter, it doesn't mean you will need more of it forever.

It's important to know that all the ingredients found in dietary supplements have to be 100% natural. They cannot contain chemical additives such as colorants, fragrances, additives or sugar. These ingredients not only reduce the quality of the supplement, but are, in fact, contrary to its purpose. Therefore, read the ingredients list carefully.

Supplements were primarily meant to address a lack of certain matters in the organism. Doctors will always tell you that, given a choice, you should always go for natural food sources instead of supplements, because they usually contain other beneficial nutrients. However, they are a good alternative in case you are unable to consume certain foods due to allergies or various medical conditions.

As for various sports supplements, the important thing is to be informed and always know what you’re taking. Many products promise to get you “buffed overnight”, but you should always keep in mind that supplements are only there to aid you on your path to a perfect figure. The main factors that are going to lead you there are discipline and commitment. Know what you’re introducing into your body, and whenever in doubt, consult a doctor. Do your best to stick to trusted brands with a proven track record and trusted suppliers of sports supplements.

The bottom line is, dietary supplements can play a big role in helping you restore the chemical balance in your body, but they do have their limitations and they can never fully supplant natural food sources. So, be smart, eat healthy, and choose your supplements wisely. Get them to be your friends, not an obstacle in your path to a healthy life.

Contributed by Jenny Hahn

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Aspirin for acne-prone skin

Aspirin has been around for a long time and its health benefits are wide and varied. Aspirin , or acetylsalicylic acid is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains , as an antipyretic to reduce fever , and as an anti-inflammatory medication. Aspirin's greatest benefit is reducing cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes. According to the American Heart Assoc. virtually all women are at risk of heart disease and doctors should more strongly consider prescribing a daily aspirin for their female patients. There is growing evidence to suggest regular aspirin use may reduce cancer and dementia as well. Investigators from the Women's Health Study have reported important new findings demonstrating that aspirin reduces the risk of a first stroke in women. When given to someone immediately after a heart attack, aspirin decreases death by 25%.

Kapalabhati Pranayam for wrinkle-free, radiant complexion

Did you know that Kapalabhati Pranayam / kriya can also be used to enhance your beauty and ward off skin aging? Done the right way,  Kapalabhati Pranayam can be used as a beauty aid - it can give you a wrinkle-free, luminous forehead and radiant complexion. Kapalabhati For Beauty   ‘Kapalabhati’ Pranayam breathing exercise is an excellent way of maintaining good health and fighting diseases. ‘Kapala’ means ‘skull’ (and ‘forehead’ also) and ‘bhati’ means ‘shining’. By doing kapalabhati, the ‘nadis’(nerves) of the brain get good exercise. This is achieved by exercising the diaphragm. There will be a glow on the forehead. After the age of 25, the tell-tale signs of ageing start making their appearance in the form of fine lines on the forehead. A regular practice of Kapalabhati for 10-15 minutes everyday will give you a tight forehead sans wrinkles for many years to come. Avoid Botox, try Kapalabhati Why resort to Botox   and other expensive chemical or surgica...

I Tried a Headache Balm and Ended Up with Rashes

I do have this habit of slathering pain balms whenever I have a headache. But never did I get a skin reaction or rashes from it. It so happened that I had an extremely severe headache a few months ago.  The pain was so unbearable that I gingerly reached out for a pain balm kept on my bedside table and kept on slathering it repeatedly all over the temples of my forehead. Next morning, after I woke up, I found that the skin on my forehead was peeling off and worse there were red rashes!  This was the first time in my life that I was getting rashes from applying a pain balm on my forehead !  I have never had any pain balm allergy or as such!  Side-effects due to application of a pain balm  was something I've never come across all these years! I usually use pain balms of reputed companies – my usual favourites are Tiger balm, Amrutanjan, Zandu balm and Sloan’s balm.  This time I had used Tiger balm. But why did it  give me rashes now, when I had used it...

Aloevera, the wonder herb

Of all the herbs available in the kitchen garden, aloe is perhaps the richest in healing properties and has been rightly named the “first-aid” plant. It has moisturizing and emollient properties and is used in cosmetic creams, sun-lotions, shaving creams and face packs. It can easily be cultivated as a house-plant in a sunny warm spot with good drainage. Cosmetologists mix aloe with several other herbs and draft fancy names for it. Then these “herbal” avatars are sold at exorbitant prices. Growing a plant and using fresh gel is much more effective than bottled gel, simply because it is alive and therefore is more potent. It is the only plant whose extract is applied directly from plant to face in its natural and purest form.

Lemon as a beauty aid

The diminutive lemon is a very versatile beauty-aid and this cheap and golden-coloured fruit has excellent properties for enhancing your looks. Simple lemon-based preparations, you can mix in your own kitchen, will surely bring a dramatic transformation in your beauty regimen.