Food Supplement Quiz

The food supplement industry is the most happening industry today. It is estimated to cross well beyond 9 billion dollars by 2010. Today, drug stores are displaying more supplements than medicines in their shelves. Few years back, food supplements meant Vitamins & Minerals, today this term is broadened to include; antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids etc.  Are these positive signs?  Is this trend hinting towards a healthier life style? Are these supplements necessary? Could it be possible that these supplements are harming us in one way or other?

You may find many articles on this issue in the internet. These articles are written by doctors or promoters of manufacturing companies. This “healthy eating tip” is an article by a commoner like you who is faced with the same dilemma as you do.

Here are questions that bugged me for quite some time until I found out the answers.

Q 1. Are food supplements necessary?

A.  Yes! With today’s life style & depleting nutritional value of food products, it is imperative that we bridge any potential nutrient gap.

Q 2. Can’t I just eat better / more nutritious food.

A.  Food supplements can never replace the benefits of wholesome food. But fact still remains that because of:

• Irregular meal timings
• Depleting soils
• Gama ray treatment of food products
• Long Transit time of food
• Wrong cooking methods
• Stressful modern lifestyle

We do not get the maximum benefits from the food consumed.

Q 3. Why do I see so many negative report & research papers on food supplements?

A . All research papers which claim that food supplement harm the humans were done with synthetic supplements & not plant food supplements or natural food supplements.

Q 4. So, is there something like good food supplement & bad food supplement?

A. Yes! In fact most the supplements you find in your neighboring drug store are bad for you, because they are synthetic in nature.

Q 5. If I am getting all the vitamins listed in the bottle, how can this synthetic pill/powder be bad for me?

A.  Let me illustrate this with an example here:

When a synthetic supplement says that it has Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid, it is not the same as “Vitamin C Complex” present in natural food supplements. Ascorbic Acid is only the outer component of “Vitamin C Complex”. Our body does not synthesize Ascorbic Acid in Isolation, so it takes all the remaining Vitamin C complex vitamins from  tissues of our body thus further depleting our body .

It’s also a fact that all synthetic food supplements tax our kidneys before being excreted through Urine.

Q 6. How can I differentiate between a synthetic supplement &  Whole food supplement ?

A. It’s Simple , Just look at the label .

If the label has only Vitamins listed like: Vitamin A 1200 IU , Vitamin D   200IU – then this is a synthetic supplement.

If the label contains words like: Carrot extract, Spinach extract, Acerola Cherry extract etc – this is a natural food supplement.

Q 7. Which supplements should I take?

A. The most essential supplements that one should have is  Vitamin C, Calcium,  B-Complex ,  omega-3 fatty acids & Folic acid.

Q 8. Is it safe to have multiple food supplements?

A. Absolutely yes, if they are all plant based.

Q 9. What is the best time to eat these supplements?

• Vitamin C – at least twice a day
• Calcium – before sleeping (Have you read the warm milk tip?)
• B- complex – after breakfast
• Other vitamins – with meal.
• I personally prefer to have multi-vitamins between 11:00-12:00 in the day. This will help to keep you active through the day.
• Taking Vitamin C at night will make you active & prevent sleep from setting in soon.

Q 10. Could children be given food supplements?

A. There are milder food supplements designed for children according to their RDI. Anything other than Vitamins & Mineral supplements is highly discouraged for kids.

This article does not negate any of the theories of healthy eating practices discussed in the previous healthy eating tips. Neither am I suggesting that dietary supplementation overcomes an unhealthy lifestyle. This eating healthy tip is only recommending that dietary supplementation complements a healthy lifestyle by providing additional nutrients for Optimal Health.