It is now clear: food today no longer has the same nutritional value as in the past. The depletion of active ingredients in intensive cultivation soils, the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the permanence of food products on supermarket shelves for long months are all important factors capable of decreasing the presence and possible absorption. beneficial nutrients (such as vitamins, minerals) in food.
Already from a scientific study of 2003, it was possible to compare the mineral content of 27 varieties of vegetables, 17 varieties of fruit, 10 cuts of meat and some products based on milk and cheese: the results showed the presence of a significant loss of minerals and trace elements in these foods.
Dr. Thomas, author of this review, having therefore compared the decline of nutrients in these 64 foods by comparing the data of scientific studies supported by the US Government, he soon realized that in just 13 years, from 1978 to 1991, vegetables they lost 57% of their zinc content, an essential element for the immune system and for male fertility.
As if all this were not enough, in recent years the human body has had to face drastic changes: increasingly frenetic lifestyles, stress, environmental pollution, pesticides, dyes and pollutants often present in small quantities in the food we eat: a A healthy and balanced diet is increasingly emerging as a fundamental choice for achieving health but, perhaps, it is not the only choice to make.
A Healthy and Balanced Diet
At this point it is therefore good to clarify what is meant by the term “food supplement”, often used as an alternative to “supplement” or “food supplement”. In fact, it is nothing more than molecules, usually contained in plant extracts, phytonutrients or natural foods, which have been known and used since the most ancient traditional medicines, precisely because of the beneficial active ingredients they contain. Their therapeutic and preventive properties against many of the most common diseases have been extremely appreciated for centuries.
Often in medicine there has always been talk of supplementing vitamins to avoid a condition of avitaminosis: to date, the latter is a very rare clinical condition. More frequently, on the contrary, for all the reasons listed above, there are chronic deficiencies of minerals and vitamins, which, if prolonged over time, are able to lead to malfunction at the so-called “subcellular” level.
The cell, constitutive unit of living organisms, not functioning properly, is able to lead to the manifestation of chronic diseases, the real challenge of modern medicine.
Nutrition and, closely connected, food supplementation, is essential for the recovery of energy and the regenerative capacity of cells, in order to prevent or reverse chronic cell diseases.
You don’t need food supplements
Sometimes, some people, even in the media, speak of the lack of usefulness of food supplementation: according to these people, a balanced diet would be sufficient.
In the face of what has been said so far, it is easy to understand the groundlessness of these claims.
Number 1
A healthy and balanced diet requires large quantities of fruit and vegetables (preferably of organic origin), as well as adequate protein sources such as meat, fish, eggs, which could require a considerable economic investment.
Number 2
Furthermore, even if all this were ensured, often our body may not be able to properly absorb the nutrients contained: this not only due to the stresses of modern life, but also for the cooking methods chosen, for the conservation strategies of the foods, and so on.
Number 3
An emblematic case is that of athletes: in the sports field, in fact, metabolic needs increase and so does the demand for nutrients, often specific and difficult to find in normal foods, essential to be able to better face one’s sporting performance.
Number 4
It would also be really controversial to say that, for example, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) sold as a supplement does not work, while the same active ingredient, that is always N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), marketed in different mucolytic drugs, is commonly considered effective and used in the medical field globally.
To sum up
- A healthy and balanced diet remains the foundation of any healthy lifestyle, but it is now clear how the nutrients themselves have depleted compared to past years.
- Even with a careful selection of foods, the constant stress that our body undergoes due to the environment in which we live could reduce the absorption of the nutrients they contain.
- A correct dietary supplement should be an essential component of any correct diet: antioxidants, phytonutrients and nutraceuticals are essential for living at the best.
- Often the sufficient levels of vitamins and minerals do not correspond to the optimal levels for our health: this is true for all people and, in particular, for all those who see their energy expenditure increase, such as workers, students and, above all, athletes.
- Different formulations of food supplements offer different benefits and results: it is important to always choose those containing nutrients that are bioavailable and easily assimilated by our body.
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