The supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar a year industry that continues to show a strong growth trend. I venture to say almost half of everyone I know takes at least one over-the-counter supplement, and possibly several such products. People take these supplements to make sure they get enough essential nutrients and to maintain or improve their health. But the question many of us want to know is, are they necessary?
The answer to this question depends on your goals – that is the short of it. If your goal is the immediate impact of nutrition and exercise, then maybe you can get by on a well-balanced diet with minimal deviations. If your goal is the immediate AND the long-term, supplementation will likely be necessary.
What do you mean Anthony? Well, Mother Nature does not really care about optimal health or longevity. Her primary objective is survival and propagation of the species. Think about it – when you were in your teens and twenties, you likely survived on terrible diet of food that had little (if any) real nutritional value. Then what happened? For some, after the roaring 20’s, you started to gain weight on the same crappy diet that used to leave you rail-thin. Why? You reached an age to reproduce, and Mother Nature was done with you; you were on your own at that point.
The point here is we can remain fairly healthy with solid nutritional choices that span a variety of nutrient dense food. But if we want to achieve optimum health and maximum life span, we need to eat nutritious foods AND we need supplements. Supplements are intended to enhance the nutrient density of your diet. By nutrient density, I am referring to the ratio of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients to macronutrients (fats, protein, and carbohydrates). The higher this ratio, the healthier your diet.
Which nutrients do you need and in what amounts? Opinions vary. I can assure you that the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) are woefully inadequate as they only provide short-term protection against acute nutrient deficiencies. Google Optimal Daily Intake or Allowances (ODI/ODA). The ODIs are the ranges of nutrient dosages prescribed by nutrition-oriented medical specialist. Each range represents a consensus of experts and is based on thousands of studies that determined the nutrient levels to PREVENT and TREAT chronic degenerative diseases.
Without optimum nutrition, you cannot achieve optimum health. And without supplements, you cannot achieve optimum nutrition. Again, if longevity and anti-aging are not your goals, then pass on the supplements. But if you want to put the brakes on aging and slow/prevent/reverse chronic degenerative diseases, take a hard look at supplementing your well-balanced diet.
What are your thoughts on supplements? Drop me a comment below!