Truth About Supplements....

The word "supplement" means exactly that: a nutrient or group of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates, fats and oils) that are meant to supplement, but not substitute for a healthy diet that you eat on a regular basis. Nutrition supplements come in a variety of forms: pills, capsules, powders, liquids, and even in gel form. The cost of nutrition supplements can range from almost "at cost" to being outrageously expensive.

Unfortunately, a lot of money is spent on protein supplements (usually in a powdered form), in the hopes that the protein consumed will go straight to the protein of your muscle. If it were only that easy, we could all save a lot of time in the gym! The body likes to take a more indirect route, however. Much of this high level of protein is actually converted to carbohydrates and fats in the body. Too much extra protein can put a burden on the kidneys, be dehydrating, and can cause calcium loss from the body. Your protein needs are usually met quite easily by a slight increase of protein in the diet. Most Brown students, unless they are restricting calories, get about 1-1/2 to 2 times the protein they need just with a regular diet. This is true for both vegetarians and meat-eaters. Some people hate pills and will do anything to avoid taking a supplement, while others are convinced they need every vitamin on the market. So how do you know which vitmain or mineral supplements are really necessary? And how do you get the most bang for your buck? First, it helps to understand that everything that happens in our bodies, from the beating of our hearts to the growth of a fingernail, happens through a series of complicated metabolic reactions that require specific nutrients. Without sufficient amounts of these various vitamins and minerals, these processes can become slowed, abnormal, or impaired. Eventually, they may even stop altogether. So, can you get all the nutrients you need simply by eating a healthy diet? Yes...in theory. Our ancestors did it. But our food supply isn't what it used to be. The nutrients in our soil have been depleted from years of pesticides and pollution. Additionally, the packaged and processed foods that are so common in our culture are not only nutrient void; they actually rob our bodies of vital nutrients. Consequently, even a person who tries to eat with nutrition as a primary concern may still be lacking in some of the most basic nutrients.