Fasten Your Supplement--Right Now

by: Makinzee Price

Nobody is perfect. Even if you aim for a super-healthy diet, but on occasion you work right through lunch or grab fast food or eat frozen chocolate yogurt instead of dinner. Remember that it happens. And even when you try your best, sometimes you will come up short. Some days it is hard to get the recommended level of essential minerals and vitamins. That's why it is suggested that a supplement should be taken. But taking a supplement so you can skip broccoli and strawberries--but load up on cookies and chips--makes as little sense as fastening your seat belt so you can drive through red lights. Both practices could be very risky to your health. By understanding the role and by taking supplements our bodies can get the essential nutrients that we always don't provide it with.

Staying healthy requires, first, the basic knowledge of what supplements are. According to Webster's Dictionary, supplements are "something added to complete a thing, to supply a deficiency, or to reinforce or extend a whole." Basically, supplements are any concentrated source of nutrients that are taken in addition to food. Concentrated makes the supplements stronger, more intense and more efficient. Each nutrient has its own specific function and relationship to the body. For instance, vitamin C is vital for healthy skin and it also aids in healing and protecting the body from the effect of viruses, toxins, drugs, and allergies (McIntyre 71). Knowledge of a specific nutrient and its function in the body is necessary for understanding the importance of good nutrition (Dunne 9). Good nutrition is crucial in order for the body to function properly.

Supplements are classified in different types and forms according to how they function in the body. Vitamin supplements come in two types, natural and synthetic. Natural supplements are organic, which means they are taken directly from animal and plant tissues. Little disturbance of the nutrients is given to the structure of natural vitamins. Synthetic supplements often contain salt to increase the stability and potency of the nutrient. Natural and synthetic vitamins function separately in the body, but they are equally effective (Dunne 116). Equally effective meaning that one isn't better than the other.

All supplements, whether they are natural or synthetic, are available in many forms to provide for the individuals needs. One form is a tablet. Tablets are usually covered with a sugar syrup coating. Inside the coating is a variety of compressed nutrients. The coating on tablets may make them difficult to dissolve, especially to those individuals who have a weak digestive system. Another form is the capsule, it is a small container made of gelatin that has either a powder or a liquid nutrient inside. Capsules have a distinct advantage over tablets because they are easier to break down in the stomach. Capsules are made with a soluble material that makes digestion easier. Whereas, tablets require more pressure performed by the stomach to break down the coating. For those who cannot swallow pills, capsules can also be opened and sprinkled on top of food or in a beverage. Tablets and capsules are available in the same potency and both should be stored in cool, dark places because exposure to air will reduce their potency (Dunne 123-124).

Another form that nutrients come in is liquid. They are easy to take and effective for those who cannot swallow pills. However, the liquid is usually found in lower potencies and once opened, should be stored in the refrigerator. Another form is powdered nutrients. Powdered nutrients are an excellent way to provide the essential amino acids that the body needs. They can be sprinkled on foods and in beverages but without the hassles of a gelatin container. They should be kept in a dark place and away from high humidity. In some cases a nutrient is also available in drops or ointments. For example, vitamin E is available in an ointment to treat a burn or to help the healing of a scar. Flintstone vitamins are an example of the variety that supplements are available. All ages can take these vitamins and everybody loves the colorful, fun shaped vitamins. Supplements and nutrients come in a variety of forms and potencies to satisfy the needs of the individual so that the body can function properly (Dunne 123-124).

The various forms of supplements are working together with our bodies to make sure that we stay healthy. Supplements are taken in addition to food to supply a deficiency. They are a convenient way to ensure that the daily diet is full of the essential nutrients that the body needs. However, taking any of the convenient forms of supplements alone will not guarantee that the body will have all of the essential nutrients that it needs. In addition to supplements a variety of foods should be consumed to make sure that the needed nutrients are supplied.

Supplements can improve the quality of life through better nutrition and healthier living, but they also need the nutrients that food supplies(General Nutrition Centers 1). But if you do take a vitamin supplement, please don't use it as an excuse to eat carelessly. You still need to eat properly and every once in a while it is okay if you splurge and go out for dinner at McDonald’s. However, many people don't understand that a variety of food provides all the nutrients that a healthy person needs (Reader's Digest 337). But in reality, few people eat adequately balanced meals on a consistent basis (Dunne 116). According to a food consumption study done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture 40% of people do not eat any fruit, 20% don't eat any vegetables and less than 10% eat the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables (New Vision 14). The majority of people, especially college students, do not eat a recommended and balanced meal. Supplements are specifically designed to make your diet full of essential nutrients because so many people do not eat the way they should.

Supplements, like vitamins and minerals, can be taken to offset the deficiency of the essential nutrients. Vitamins and minerals are both involved to help the brain and the nervous system to function properly. Taking vitamins and minerals to supplement the diet is recommended to everyone, but especially to those who remain deficient in any nutrients.

In order to meet everyone's needs for supplements, we need to remember that people vary in their psychological composition and also in their nutritional requirements (McIntyre 68). The dosage amount of a supplement should correspond with the actual need of the individual taking it. The human body is a balanced system. Tim Byers, a professor of preventive medicine at the University of Colorado, states that "Nutrients are meant to work in delicate balance with each other, not as separate agents" (Napier 1). If it does not receive enough or it is receives too much of a nutrient, its balance can be disturbed. If too much of a nutrient is taken, it can turn into expensive urine, because the body cannot use all of the nutrients that are being supplied by supplements (Dunne 116). "The prudent rule of thumb is to take a multivitamin and mineral supplement that supplies no more than the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA's)." (Supplements 3). Recommended daily vitamin allowances, however, are sufficiently high to prevent a deficiency and to account for individual variations and normal environmental stresses (Reader's Digest 364). But, when taking supplements remember a simple rule, everything in moderation.

Most physicians and nutritionists agree that when taking a supplement, balance and moderation is best. They also disapprove of bulking up on any individual nutrients, except when doctors prescribe them for certain medical conditions(Anderson 401). Pregnancy is an example, when doctors prescribe extra nutrients, because most women have low amounts of these nutrients. However, a pregnant woman should never take any supplements except those prescribed by her physician, because a surplus of some vitamins and minerals can be dangerous for both the mother and her developing baby (Reader's Digest 338). Another medical condition when doctors might recommend supplements to is to an alcoholic. Alcoholics often have an inadequate diet because of alcohol over a prolonged period of time. Alcohol blocks and interferes with the absorption of many nutrients (Reader's Digest 338). Although taking supplements in moderation is best, under certain conditions other regulations can be considered. But it is important to remember that by taking supplements, under any conditions, they can benefit your health.

Hence, supplements can be recommended to anyone. Especially to those who do not eat well-balanced meals on a consistent basis. College students are a good example of this, because they typically eat out a lot or do not eat at all. It is a good idea for everyone, no matter what lifestyle of eating you have, to take supplements to accommodate the needs that you require. The eating habits you establish now will predict the way you'll eat in the future. You have to protect your health for a lifetime, starting supplements right now is the best time.

Dr. John McDonald believes that starting supplements now is the best time because the foods we eat do not provide for us as much as they should. He says that "Our cells are not being nourished with proper nutrients from our foods. Although, we are fatter than we have ever been, we are still starving ourselves to death because of the lack of proper nutrients in the food we are eating." No matter who much we eat, we still are not getting proper nutrition. By taking supplements we can provide our bodies with the nutrients that we need and the nutrients that our food doesn't supply us with.

Some of the foods that we are eating today, lack essential nutrients. Dr. Earl Mindelo believes that foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains that are raised on millions of acres of land, no longer contain the needed minerals no matter how much of them we eat. He speculates this because of this hypothesis

"First of all, much of the soil our food is grown in has been depleted of many vitamins and minerals, thanks to overuse of fertilizers and chemicals. Then the food takes a long time to get to the supermarket--it may be stored for weeks or months before it reaches your shopping cart. The longer these foods are stored, the more vitamins they lose. Many of the foods we eat have been heavily processed, meaning they have been crushed, heated, bleached, extracted, chemicalized and preserved. Then we cook the food, destroying valuable enzymes and what's left of many vitamins. It's a wonder there's any nutrition at all left in our food by the time it gets to our tables!" (Mindelo Live Longer 2).

Mindelo's hypothesis is accurate. He believes that supplements are the only way to provide the essential nutrients that our body needs, because so many processes take place before we actually get to eat the food. Michael Colgan, who is a sport nutritionists and author of The New Nutrition, says "that supermarket foods and the four food groups do not provide proper nutrition. They maintain that most of the food we purchase has been over processed and preservatives have been added for packaging, depleting the vitamin and mineral content" (Health and Freedom 1). Commercial processing of food frequently destroys and removes considerable amount of vitamins (Encyclopedia of Britannica 1049). No matter what we eat, we are deficient in the needed and essential nutrients. Supplements are specifically designed to make your diet full of needed and essential nutrients. This is evidence of many nutritionists who recognize the importance of nutrition, the needs for supplements, and the benefits of dietary supplementation.

From personal experience, as a college student living away from moms cooking, I also recognize the importance of nutrition and identify that I do not meet those needs. I am deficient in the recommended nutrients that are needed to help my body perform. I do not consume the suggested servings of fruits and vegetables every day. It is suggested to eat two to four servings of fruit and three to five servings of vegetables every single day. I try to eat healthy but sometimes I don't have time to cook a good and balanced meal. But by taking supplements every day my body gets the extra nutrients that food doesn't provide it with. The supplements provide my body wit nutrients so that my body isn't deficient in vitamins and minerals. Because a deficiency in nutrients can make us more prone to stress, anxiety, depression and psychiatric problems.

Unless vitamins and minerals are in plentiful supply, especially during times of stress, a deficiency may arise which deepens the stress-related problem. However, if the necessary nutrients are taken, those nutrients will aid in the ability to cope with stress. If they are not taken, nutritional deficiencies will develop and considerably diminish the vital energy and resilience to stress (McIntyre 68).

Supplements can be a preventative measure or a treatment for stress-related problems. College students, unfortunately, have a huge stressor in their lives, finals. During finals, students have a tendency to not eat right, eat fast food more than normal, stay up later than usual, not sleep at all, cram all night long, and not getting enough sleep can all contribute to stress. Stress affects the way our body works and the way it functions. Supplements are not going to make you ace your finals, but they will help you, especially, when you are under a great amount of stress. Managing stress involves a change in lifestyle and by eating a nutritious diet.

It has been proven that during times of stress, the body's need for certain nutrients is greatly increased. Stress is one of the worst modern maladies. Different styles of stress can appear in anyone. In today's tense world, stress can cause colds and viruses, diseases, and other illnesses. Dr. Linus Pauling says that in treating and preventing the common cold and in boosting the immune system the body needs more supplements. Taking supplements before the cold develops can prevent it. Colds are often a result of stress.

You have noticed that you have been extremely tired lately and your body is extremely achy. Your throat has been itchy and you have a constant headache. A couple days later, you develop a runny nose and a cough. You realize that you have caught the flu or the common cold. Is it too late to take supplements to get ride of the cold? What can supplements do now? Actually they can accomplish a lot. Everybody knows that vitamin C is a remedy to cure the common cold. It is one of the most important vitamins our body requires and one of the most powerful antioxidants we know of (Mindelo What you should know about 23). Vitamin C may be the detoxifying agent that your body needs to destroy the virus of the cold. Taking extra vitamin C can help destroy the virus and cold, but spread out the supplements dosage. Divide the dose in two; take half in the morning and the other half at night. Dividing the dose in two will help destroy the virus faster, because after twelve hours your body returns to presaturation levels, no matter how much of a supplement you've taken (Jibrin 4). Another source indicates that at the onset of a cold, vitamin C taken in high doses throughout the day, like every three hours, may be successful for treatment of the cold (Dunne 151). Supplements are recommended in order to prevent a cold before it develops and to treat a cold as it develops. Prevention of colds includes adequate sleep, a well-balanced diet and supplements to help reinforce the immune system. More and more people are learning ways of coping with stress and tension and taking control of their life and their health.

Everyone needs balance in their lives. Supplements are specifically designed to give you balance. They also provide and suit any needs that you require. My dad, Steve Price, introduced me to supplements about a year ago. He recommended them to me because I easily acquire colds and have spent hundreds of dollars at the doctor. Supplements are recommended to help prevent colds. Since I have started taking supplements regularly, I can honestly say that I haven't been sick nor have I been to the doctor recently. Supplements also give me energy and they help me throughout the day while I am at school and under stress. Supplements have provided a balance in my life and kept me active and healthy. I can see the benefits of the essential nutrients that I need and I have only been consuming them for one year.

My dad has been taking supplements for almost two years. He recommended them to me because he has recognized the benefits of supplements. He also has noticed that he is healthier and when he is under a lot of stress he manages it better. But he has also noticed that it has helped to ease and comfort his pain. My dad played college and professional football and as he got older he developed a lot of pain and injuries. In an interview he told me how supplements have helped him. He said, "I have many arthritic conditions from my playing days--sore fingers, hands, shoulders, elbows, hips and from four knee surgeries. Since I have been taking supplements, I can notice a difference in my aches and pains, my sore joints, my cramps and my arthritis" (Price) Not only do supplements provide balance to our diet and prevent sickness, but they also provide comfort for his pain and injuries. There is a plethora of supplements that exist today to suit any demands that anyone might have.

Supplements are becoming more popular, proficient and available. You can purchase supplements just about anywhere. The super-market, for example, has thousands of different types of supplements. A pharmacist can assist you if you do not know what is the best type of supplement. Inside the shopping-malls new stores called GNC (General Nutrition Centers) are opening and becoming more popular. GNC may be more helpful if you do not know what type of supplement is the best because a salesmen can assist you so that you get exactly what you need. Supplements have so many benefits that anyone should realize the importance of them.

Supplements can improve those diets

.who do not eat right, those who recognize the need of nutrients in their diet, and those who are deficient in nutrients. They can strengthen those who are under stress, and who need balance in their lives, like pregnant women, and alcoholics, but basically anyone who needs balance in their diet. They can also aid for those who are sick or those who do not want to get sick, and anyone who thinks that their diet lacks essential nutrients. Supplements can distribute any demands that anyone might have.

It is difficult to always maintain the amount of essential nutrients in our diet. Supplements increase and allow for functions in the body to continue without the provided essential nutrients. They also establish good health during stressful circumstances. Research has proven that commercial processing of food frequently destroys and removes considerable amounts of vitamins. Supplements are easy to attain and are available anywhere. The many types and forms of supplements supply the body in a convenient way to ensure that the diet is full of the essential nutrients to make sure that it isn't deficient. Nutrition isn't easy but experts are making it easier to have.

According to the American Dietetic Association, 80% of all Americans recognize the importance of good nutrition for their health (Life by Design 1). More and more Americans recognize are making the decision to take control of their health. At least 3 out of 4 Americans take nutritional supplements (Reader's Digest 337). The use of supplements is rising, which is benefitting our health care. We have learned that right now is the time to fasten our supplements to ensure that our health is adequate.

Works Cited

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McIntyre, Anne. The Complete Woman’s Herbal. New York, Henry Holt Company: 1995.

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--- What You Should Know About- The Super Antioxidant Miracle. New Canaan, Connecticut: Keats Publishing. 1994.

Napier, Kristine. "Too Many Vitamins?" Harvard Health Letter. Jan. 1996: 1-4.

New Vision. Utah: New Vision International.

Price, Steve. Personal Interview. 26 Nov. 1997.

Reader’s Digest Association. Foods That Harm Foods That Heal. Pleasantville, New York: U.S. General Books. 1997.

Sharp, David. "Multi-Vitamins." Health. Volume 11 Issue 1. March 1997.

"Supplements: How Much Is Too Much?" Getting The Most For Your Medical Dollar Newsletter. 01 Feb. 1997. 1-4.

"Vitamins." The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Volume 14. 1993 ed.

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