Are Supplements Necessary to Get Enough Nutrients?, Food plays a crucial role in providing the essential nutrients our body needs to maintain good health and prevent diseases.
However, sometimes it can be difficult for individuals to obtain adequate amounts of nutrients from food alone, making them view supplements as a way to bridge this gap. But are they really necessary? Let’s take a look at the available evidence and information.
Are Supplements Necessary to Get Enough Nutrients?
Whether you need supplements to get enough nutrients depends on many factors, including:
Your Diet
Diverse and balanced diet: If you eat a diverse and balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy products, you’ll probably get most of the nutrients your body needs.
Restricted diet
If you follow a restricted diet, such as vegetarian or gluten-free diet, you may not get enough of some nutrients, such as vitamin B12, iron or calcium. In this case, supplements may be necessary.
Your individual needs
Some age groups, such as the elderly or pregnant women, may require certain dietary supplements.
People with certain health conditions, such as diabetes or autoimmune diseases, may need dietary supplements.
Some drugs may interact with nutrients, which may require dietary supplements to compensate for any deficiency.
Research on supplements
According to TIME, nearly 90% of American adults do not eat enough fruit and vegetables, but many try to make up for it by taking supplements.
They are not alone, most people around the world believe that the appearance of vitamin supplements is one way to get the nutrients they need, but the results of a research study published in Annals of Internal Medicine suggest that vitamins and supplements may not be enough to keep you healthy.
Nutrients consumed by supplements do not effectively improve health and longevity like those eaten through foods, according to the study by the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, The study’s co-author, an associate professor of epidemiology at Tufts University, says that getting the required amount of nutrition by eating the right amount of nutritious food was associated with a longer life, but the same did not apply to nutrients from supplements.
“In general, there is no need to take supplements,” he told Time magazine, and “more evidence suggests that there are no benefits, so we should follow what the dietary recommendations suggest achieving adequate nutrition from food, rather than relying on supplements.”
details about the study
Researchers used data from about 30 thousand American adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Screening Survey from 1999 to 2010.
For the survey, participants were asked what foods they had eaten in the past 24 hours and what supplements they had consumed in the past 30 days, if any.
Researchers then used this information to determine the nutrient levels of participants, and researchers followed up with ingredients for about six years.
In this period, more than 3,600 people died. By the end, 945 respondents had died of heart disease, while 805 had died from cancer, according to Live Science
Results of the study
Dr. Zhang and her colleagues initially began by assuming that supplements were associated with a lower risk of premature death, she said.
But adjusted for factors such as education, socio-economic status and demographics, the relationship between supplements and longevity disappeared.
There is no denying that to reduce the risk of early death, getting enough vitamin A and vitamin K, magnesium, zinc, and copper, vitamins have played a key role – but only when these nutrients come from food.
Benefits of dietary supplements
- Filling dietary gaps: In some cases, an individual may not be able to fully meet their nutritional needs through the daily diet, whether due to diet constraints or limited food choices.
- Compensation for nutritional deficiencies: In some cases such as iron deficiency or vitamin D, supplements may be necessary to compensate for these deficiencies and prevent health problems.
- Support for specific groups: Supplements can be important for some special groups such as pregnant women, the elderly, and athletes who need certain amounts of nutrients to support their health.
Factors to consider
after we know Are Supplements Necessary to Get Enough Nutrients or not we should consider some factors which include:
- Diversity of diet: The primary goal should be to eat a diverse and balanced diet that provides most of the necessary nutrients. Individuals should focus on eating a wide range of natural foods.
- Individual’s needs: Individuals must consider their individual needs and health conditions. It is necessary to consult a doctor or nutritionist before starting any supplements.
- Quality supplements: Individuals should choose supplements from reliable sources and ensure their quality and safety such as GlucoTrust and Gluco24.
Read more: The Link Between Diet and Oral Health
Are supplements dangerous?
In fact, the question “Are supplements dangerous?” cannot be answered by Only yes or no, when using some supplements properly can help reduce the risk of some diseases, improve some health problems caused by some diseases or take some types medicines.
In addition, most people can get and use supplements safely like Flat Belly Shake as long as this does not exceed the maximum required limit, and on the other hand, supplements can be said not to be completely safe and can be harmful to some people in some cases.
This can support the fact that dietary supplement manufacturers do not have to prove their benefits or negate their risks and damages, contrary to stringent FDA laws and legislation for drug certification.
This, in turn, emphasizes the need to consult a doctor before taking any type of supplement, since he or she can assess the need to take a particular type of supplement and determine the desired dose, or perhaps achieve the required balance between foods and nutrients without having to take supplements.
In conclusion of our topic about Are Supplements Necessary to Get Enough Nutrients? nutritional supplements are not necessarily necessary to obtain nutrients, and can be obtained by eating a balanced diet. However, in some cases they may be necessary to fill nutritional gaps or compensate for nutritional deficiencies.