Having a balanced diet is the key to provide essential nutrients to the human body. However, amid tight routines, the growing popularity of fast foods, and unhealthy eating habits, most of us miss out on a balanced diet and vital nutrients. This results in nutritional deficiencies and an array of health problems. The necessity to proactively invest time and energy in maintaining health has become a requisite with the changing lifestyle. A balance of making nutritious food choices and taking nutritional supplements plays a crucial role in improving diet quality and living a deficiency-free healthy life. Here’s how.
Dietary supplements: Making up for our diet inadequacies
While we live in a stressful age with our fast-paced lifestyle, most of us are likely to experience nutritional deficiencies. Despite consuming a well-balanced diet, we miss on some of the most essential nutrients such as Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Potassium, and Folic Acid among others. This is why we resort to supplements – to get the nutrition we are missing. And, rightly so as supplements not only make up for what our diets lack but also give us an extra health boost.
Nutritional supplements: A preventive defence to ward off diseases
Nutritional supplements may not replace complete meals but they play a vital role in supporting our nutrient intake because an average diet may not be able to fetch us all elements that drive a healthy body.
Nutritional deficiency does not only affect adults but children as well. Deficiency disorders have become quite predominant. In fact, Vitamin D deficiency prevails in epidemic proportions with 70-100% prevalence in the general population all over the country. Further, it has also been found that having a well-supplemented diet can help gage against the on-going pandemic led by the deadly coronavirus.
Supplements contain active ingredients and extracts from superfoods which have strong effects. Precisely what our body needs to build a protective shield against diseases at any age. Nutritional supplements have also proven effective to support recovery from critical illnesses. Hence, consuming nutritional supplements is indispensable with the changing way of life.
How much of nutrient intake from supplements is enough?
Some of the most common dietary supplements include calcium, immunity boosters, fish oil, vitamins, and more. While combining them with your regular diet is recommended, this also has a finish line beyond which you may come across their harmful effects. So, it is important to know how much of their intake is right. Long story short, one should not consume nutritional supplements beyond their recommended dosage unless your healthcare expert advises it.
The Bottom Line
The importance of getting nutrition right can’t be overstated. However, it can also not be neglected for a longer period as apart from combating deficiency disorders or diseases, nutritional supplements also help to improve one’s health. Alongside a normal diet, the impact of nutritional intake has several benefits such as it enables a healthier, more wholesome life, helps prevent early ageing, and supports in maintaining not just physical but mental well-being. In the end, it is about the nutritional choices that we make that affect our overall health and quality of life.
The writer is Founder & CEO, Nirvasa Healthcare.