Why is it necessary to take vitamin and mineral supplements?
“Food does not always meet nutrient needs.”
· Balanced diet or vitamin and mineral supplements? The truth is that one does not exclude the other, it all depends on the needs of each person and their lifestyle.
One of the words from which ‘vitamin’ derives is the Latin word ‘vita’ or life, very appropriate for these organic substances, crucial for the proper functioning of our body. When we are lacking, many of the physiological processes that sustain the activity of the human body stop working properly and deficiency diseases can appear .
Vitamins are present in food so , with an adequate amount of food, we should obtain the necessary amounts naturally . However, today eating habits have changed and it is common to abuse processed foods to the detriment of fresh products that are much richer in nutrients.
Something similar happens with minerals, essential molecules for the proper functioning of our body. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that almost 2 billion people in the world are deficient in essential minerals and / or vitamins . This allows us to see the magnitude of the problem. It has been proven that deficiencies in these essential minerals pose a risk to our health and quality of life.
Many people do not get even the smallest amounts of vitamins and minerals through their diet, but can supplement them with dietary supplements.
One way to avoid possible deficiencies is to include supplements with these elements in the diet . However, they should be used only as a supplement to a balanced diet and not as a substitute for it. However, there are more reasons why it is advisable and even necessary to take multivitamin and multimineral supplements :
Food supplements can be a very good option to prevent diseases, to improve the state of your body and it is also a very good way to add nutrients to our body.
It happens that the food we eat is sometimes not enough for our body to feel strong and want to do any activity and it is just at that moment that you can consult a doctor to determine what type of supplement you need.
There are special supplements for certain illnesses that can affect your body, so it is very important that you monitor your body as this way you will know what you need and what you should look for in a food supplement.
7 reasons to take more vitamins and minerals
1. The agricultural revolution has reduced the quality of our food.
The exploitation of agricultural soils and intensive livestock farming have made our food have less nutritional density , that is, less nutrients ( vitamins and minerals ). However, “intensive” foods have a similar caloric density (calories per 100 grams) and, in the case of processed foods, even higher.
2. The nutritional content of foods varies geographically. Even with the same agricultural production methods, there can be significant differences from one region to another.
3. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) set for each vitamin and mineral is not the maximum amount but the amount necessary to avoid suffering from deficiency diseases. In addition, stress and lifestyle may require higher doses in certain cases, as in periods of convalescence, surgeries, etc.
4. It is not easy to meet the minimum nutritional requirements , because today’s foods are less dense in nutrients and higher in calories. On the other hand, there are studies that show that even individuals who take vitamin supplements do not achieve 100% of the minimum amounts for all nutrients.
5. Some micronutrients increase their positive effects if they take you in greater quantity . This is the case of vitamin D, in which it has been proven that people with higher levels (between 60-80 mg / dL) than what is considered normal (30 mg / dL) had longer telomeres. Similarly, vitamin C in high doses in a situation of body stress (such as a serious infection or surgery), has shown benefits in terms of survival.
6. They are safe products . Taking vitamins for a long time at doses above the RDA and below the maximum level has been shown to be safe in the long term.
7. Nutritional needs vary from one person to another , depending on their nutritional status, physical activity, illnesses and the possible medication they are taking, among other factors. For that reason, dietary supplements cannot be prescribed indiscriminately to the entire population in the same doses.
What vitamin and mineral supplements to take?
In conclusion, not everyone needs to supplement their diet with vitamins and minerals, nor does everyone need the same or in the same amount. The ideal is to have a healthy diet rich in fresh food. But if we have a more restrictive diet or our needs increase, supplementing our diet with a contribution of micronutrients will make it easier for us to achieve the necessary amounts to be in optimal health .
Neoactives has NeoVitamin Plus and NeoMineral Plus , its two Advanced Nutrition products that can be used to supplement the diet. NeoVitamin Plus provides all the necessary vitamins in significant, balanced amounts and in highly bioavailable forms. For its part, NeoMineral Plus is a complete formula that stands out for its optimal levels of minerals and high bioavailability, with very good levels of magnesium, chromium and selenium.
