| There is never any absolute certainty
about what the nutritional requirements
are for the human body of a certain
age, size and gender. Scientific
research on the subject takes
a long time, and results are often
not that clear. But, at least
scientific research into the subject
of vitamins, minerals and other
nutritional requirements is being
undertaken seriously, and taken
seriously by governments. That
was not always so; at least, if
it was, it never reached through
to the medical profession at the
sharp end. I took an interest
in diet and health in the late
1970s and 1980's and have had
a personal interest since. My
reason then was firstly because
of my own severe, and crippling,
arthritic problem, and in the
later 1980's because of my son's
food allergies, or intolerances.
Doctors in that era generally
dismissed any link between health
and diet as nonsense, and were
even more dismissive of such things
as allergy as a cause of any behavioural
changes in a child. The difficulties
we had then caused me to do a
lot of reading on the subject
of diet and health, and nutritional
requirements. I started taking
a multi vitamin and mineral supplement
at a time when doctors were very
dismissive, and I have done so
ever since. At least, in public
they were dismissive; but I wonder
how many were taking such supplements
themselves? They must have known
the evidence was mounting up even
then. These days, though, doctors
are a bit more aware of the links
between diet and health, and the
possible benefits of some nutritional
supplements. Much of their information
is disseminated from central governments,
and all we can do is judge our
own nutritional requirements based
on the latest research. We do
so, though, in the knowledge that
recommended daily allowances (RDA's)
can change at any time with later
research. People who are on a
diet and trying to lose weight
need to be especially careful
about nutritional needs. There
is not much point losing weight
to prevent one health problem,
only to cause another by being
nutritionally deficient elsewhere.
If you are dieting, the chances
are that if you are following
any restrictive diet plan, you
may be missing some important
vitamins or minerals. Any diet
that heavily emphasizes one food
group while completely restricting
others is, by nature, lacking
in some essential nutrients. A
common conception of dieting is
that, when we feed our bodies
less calories than it needs, it
will begin to take nutrition from
the fat that it has stored. While
that is true, it is a basic fallacy
that your body can derive all
the fuel it needs that way. Part
of the problem with that assumption
is that there are many nutrients
your body simply cannot store.
The body uses what it needs, and
excretes the rest. The nutrients
which cannot be stored need to
be consumed daily in one way or
another, and if your diet doesn't
allow for that, your body will
show the effects. If you are on
a diet that severely restricts
your intake of any particular
food or food group, you may benefit
from adding a nutritional supplement
to your daily menu. In fact, many
doctors recommend that dieters
take, at the very least, a complete,
high-quality multivitamin to make
up for any deficiencies caused
by the restrictions. Other supplementation
might be recommended depending
on which diet you follow. Below
are some specific suggestions
based on particular diets, for
you to discuss with a nutritionist
or dietician before you go too
far with your diet: Supplements
For Any Diet A full-spectrum multivitamin
should be part of your daily routine
no matter what you're eating or
not eating. It will help even
out the ups and downs of your
diet, and supply some valuable
nutrients that are difficult to
get. It is also important to remember
the sun as your source of vitamin
D, which is not derived from any
food source. While doctors often
say that as little as 20 minutes
of full sun per day can supply
your daily requirement of vitamin
D, they also caution that it depends
on your climate and geographical
location. So, local advice is
very helpful here. Supplements
For A Low-Carbohydrate & High
Protein Diet If you are on a low
carb diet, antioxidant vitamins
found in vegetables are particularly
important. Scientists are learning
more and more about how important
it is that our diets contain a
full spectrum of vitamins, proteins,
minerals and acids. If your diet
cuts out most grains and vegetables,
you should be replacing the lost
nutrients with supplementary vitamin
A, C, B (all the B's), E and K.
You should also supplement your
intake of folic acid, and if you're
not getting a significant amount
of your protein from fish products,
you'll need omega 3 fatty acids,
which are found in fish oil, shellfish
and flaxseed oil. Always bear
in mind that the best diet is
one that gives you a balance of
nutrients, and that supplements
should be exactly that - a supplement
to your daily nutritional intake
through food and liquid. And,
be sure you discuss this with
your doctor, nutritionist or dietician.
This weight loss supplementation
article was written by Roy Thomsitt,
owner and part author of the Routes
To Self Improvement website. |
