In recent years, under the hostage of the health trend, more and more people are taking various nutrient supplements on a regular basis, and more and more people are buying foreign nutritional supplements at sea. If you say you’ve never taken any health supplements and have never used any products, it seems to be outdated ……
So, should you take supplements or not? The answer is that the decision should be based on an analysis of the specific situation and the amount of supplementation should be reasonable. Don’t take large doses for too long.
Because there are still many people who do not belong to the true sense of the word “healthy people”, may not be able to guarantee “daily from natural food to obtain sufficient nutrients”, may still need to pay attention to certain nutrients supplement in the short term. After all, everyone has different genetics, different health conditions and different diets, and their reactions to various nutrient supplements are also different.
What kind of person might benefit from short-term supplementation with some nutritional supplements? Here is a brief list of conditions.
- people who already exhibit nutrient deficiencies
There has never been any question that deficiencies must be replenished. The addition of vitamins and minerals to many everyday foods in the United States has eliminated various micronutrient deficiencies that were widespread in the middle of the last century. Our country has not undergone extensive food fortification, and it is not uncommon for people to have subclinical deficiencies (not yet at the level of becoming a serious disease, but already having various mild discomforts that do not allow their bodies to perform optimally). Nutrient supplementation would likely improve the condition of these individuals or speed up the recovery process.
To determine whether there is a micronutrient deficiency, visit the nutrition department of a tertiary care hospital, or consult a registered dietitian.
- People who need certain nutrients because of illness or medication.
Some diseases consume extra nutrients. For example, it has been found that people with respiratory infections can recover faster if they get enough vitamin A. This is because vitamin A is necessary for the differentiation and repair of mucosal tissues. Some medications may interfere with the absorption and utilization of certain vitamins, such as folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.
- people with insufficient digestion and absorption capacity
Such as after gastrointestinal surgery, liver, gallbladder and pancreas surgery, digestive system diseases, chronic dyspepsia, etc., can reduce the absorption efficiency of many nutrients. For example, patients with atrophic gastritis have a severe lack of stomach acid and low pepsin activity, while minerals such as iron and zinc in food are difficult to adequately ionize. At the same time, vitamin B12 is not adequately absorbed because of an endogenous factor secretion disorder.
Some medications impair the function of the stomach or intestines and may also reduce the absorption efficiency of the nutrients. At this time some additional nutrients can make up for the loss, to avoid the risk of nutritional status decline.
- People who are particularly physically active
Athletes, marathon runners, bodybuilders, and others should consult a nutritionist about the need for micronutrient supplementation. A lot of exercise and sweating will consume a lot of B vitamins, so if you eat little and exercise a lot, it is easy to cause a relative lack of nutrients in the long run.
- Insufficient rest, excessive stress and frequent fatigue.
It is easy to feel fatigued when there is a deficiency of B vitamins, for example, a deficiency of vitamin B1 can lead to frustration, fatigue, and muscle aches and pains. Being overly tired and staying up late both consume additional multivitamins, and the adrenal glands also need a greater supply of vitamins such as vitamin C and pantothenic acid in their response mechanism to stress.
- inability to secure regular meals
There’s no need to explain this one, we all get it. But unfortunately, many people who think they are eating healthy don’t actually get enough micronutrients.
- people who are losing weight
It is best for people who are losing weight to be able to moderate their micronutrient supplementation, and this large group of people must also be specifically mentioned. In my weight loss recipe instructions, I do recommend that you take a multivitamin tablet daily (not required, but recommended), or a multi-nutrient pill, just plain cheap. My recipes are formulated according to a dozen or so nutrient targets, and I’ve tried to match up as many of the various micronutrients as possible.
But even then, there’s no guarantee that all the nutrients are in line with your body’s needs, and to be on the safe side, it’s best to supplement a little extra. The reasons are as follows.
First, consider other micronutrients that are not accounted for. There are dozens of nutrients, some of which do not have sufficient content data, and not all varieties may be in adequate supply. For example, pantothenic acid and biotin, which are in the B vitamins, and some micronutrients, which are also important to humans, are not in the ingredient list. The data for folic acid and vitamin K are incomplete. So, I can’t guarantee that every micronutrient in the recipes is in good supply condition. All I can say is that those vitamins with full data, and several minerals that are easily deficient on a daily basis, are adequately supplied.
Second, consider ingredient loss and cooking loss. Improperly handling cooking, such as cooking oatmeal for too long, over-rinsing the rice, throwing away the water used to soak the rice and beans, etc., can increase vitamin losses; eating in meal preparation mode, which means making it once and saving it in several portions and taking one portion at a time to warm it up, is more convenient, but reheating it will increase some vitamin losses anyway, such as vitamin B1, folate, and pantothenic acid, as well as vitamin C.
Third, consider that there may have been inadequate intake or mild deficiencies in the past. Some people who regularly diet and lose weight are likely to already have an inadequate supply of several micronutrients before eating nutritional recipes. If eaten in normal amounts, while the amounts are reasonable, there is no remainder to make up for past deficiencies. If the supply of macronutrients is increased, the past deficiencies can be gradually compensated for, making it easier for the body to recover.
Fourth, consider the vitamin needs brought about by increased exercise. Weight loss exercise will bring about an increase in the demand for a variety of nutrients, but also more or less bring about the loss of water-soluble nutrients caused by sweating. For example, the movement of muscles requires a greater supply of B vitamins. Some people have a higher need for certain nutrients than others because of genetics, or physiology, and are more likely to have mild deficiencies when they lose weight or exercise. Adequate supplementation can be “preventative” to avoid deficiencies.
Fifth, take into account the need to change metabolic pathways. During weight loss, the need for increased lipolysis, possible enhanced glucose allosterism, and mild ketogenesis will increase the demand for B vitamins from the perspective of altered metabolic pathways. The stress that is often present during weight loss can also increase the need for micronutrients.
Sixth, consider the increased demand for detoxification stress. During weight loss, in addition to fats and carbohydrates, which can be partially reduced, none of the other nutrients should be reduced or even increased. For example, the breakdown of fats and the release of energy require the participation of a variety of B vitamins. There are contaminants stored in fats, which are released during fat breakdown, requiring increased stress on the detoxification system, as well as an increase in multivitamins to work with.
A final word of advice.
- I am in good condition, eating a good quality diet in sufficient quantity, not under any particular stress, and not exercising a lot, so no additional nutrients are necessary.
- Nutrient supplementation must be in reasonable quantity. It is more reasonable to reach 1~3 times of the recommended amount, which is safe and can make up for losses and replenish body reserves.
Nutrient tablets or capsules can reduce the risk of malnutrition, but they cannot replace the disease prevention effect of a healthy diet, nor can they extend life expectancy.
- Nutrient supplements are not the more expensive the better, commercial fads do not have to be taken too seriously.
- Long-term supplementation of a few nutrients in large doses may carry unknown risks.
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