DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS- MYTH & REALITY

Food Supplements -not Required?

Dietary supplements and vitamins are really not required if we take balanced food of seasonal fruits, vegetables, cereals, meats, eggs, milk etc.

Do we really need all those multivitamins, minerals and food supplements for healthy living? Not really if we have balanced food instead. Seasonal fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, cereals supply adequate vitamins, minerals and nutrients required by our body. Nature is endowed to provide all needs of human beings and even that of the animal kingdom from its abundant food chain. But food supplement is multibillion dollar business all over the world- supported by publicity blitzkrieg singing its unproven virtues-aptly clouding myth from reality.  

Daily dose of dietary and vitamin supplements are normally much beyond that can be absorbed by our system and gets flushed out-in the shade of costly deep yellow. Our bodies have ability to draw required vitamins from food we eat and get even some vitamins like Vitamin D from the Sunshine.

If we take vitamins, minerals and proteins as tablet, our bodies will not produce or extract the nutrients from the food we eat and take easy way to draw the daily need from costly supplements.  

There are also food supplements for specific needs – like body building, weight loss and for joint lubrication to name a few. Normally combination of whey, casein and egg proteins is marketed for muscle building- while all ingredients therein are abundantly available from natural resources which are much better and cost effective too. Protein supplements mixed with daily milk of children is also waste while better proteins can be had from easily available eggs. Similarly there is much fad for organic foods and Ayurvedic combinations from herbs etc. How can dry and powdered bitter gourd can be more effective than farm fresh variety? But that is the way supplement are made.

Supplement of Glucosamine combinations for joint pain by rejuvenation of cartilage has been virtual failure with hardly any reliable scientific supportive study. In old age when the cartilage has worn out, it is almost impossible to rejuvenate it in the knees. Oil from some rare fish varieties found in far off lands is also sold for joint re-lubrication -again without any proven scientific basis.

Bottom-line is that all our dietary needs can be adequately met from naturally available food items like animal meats, fats, eggs, milk, cereals, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Food supplements are more of fad than making much difference to healthy living. Balanced food, some exercise, fresh air, sunshine and positive attitude are more than adequate for healthy living –sans any food supplement.