5 Reasons You Might Need a Supplement in Addition to Your Diet

If you’ve ever been to a vitamin shop or a health food store, you’ve probably noticed their full shelves of endless supplement varieties.

But what do people take all those supplements for?

Many people think that if they eat right, work out, and maintain a healthy lifestyle, there’s no need for supplements. But that’s not necessarily the case.

Want to know why?

Here are five reasons why you might need a supplement added to your diet.

1. There Are Essential Nutrients You’re Not Getting Through Food

Unless you eat a perfect diet, it’s likely that you aren’t getting all the nutrients you should be getting through your food. And most people do not eat the way they should.

Our food choices have consequences on our weight, our immune system, and our overall health. Taking the supplements you don’t get through your food choices is a great way to fill in those gaps in your diet. It’s also a way to ensure that you’re taking in the vitamins, minerals, and other elements you need.

Supplements aren’t just for people who eat fast food, junk food, and processed foods. Supplements are also important for people on a limited diet, such as vegetarians, vegans, and those with food allergies.

2. Supplements Can Enhance Your Overall Health

There are dozens of different supplements on the market, and they come in various forms. The supplement market offers plenty of variety from pills and tablets to powders, liquids, and chewable gummies.

Besides that, they make supplements from a variety of different things. When you take one you’ll get a mix of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and antioxidants.

The form you choose isn’t what’s important. What’s important is the type of supplement you want.

Some people take weight loss supplements to shed pounds or protein powders to bulk up. Ultimately, your weight can affect your health, but those aren’t the supplements we’re referring to.

We’re talking about supplements that are essential to the body — minerals, and vitamins that aren’t in enough supply in your diet.

For example, calcium is crucial for bone health. Vitamin C and Vitamin E help to prevent cell damage. Fish oil can improve your cardiovascular health. And if you’re pregnant, folic acid is a must.

It’s also worth noting that some supplements, such as zinc carnosine and L-glutamine, can promote gut health. And a healthy gut with healthy bacteria can boost your immune system and ward off all sorts of bacteria and viruses.

3. Supplements Can Assist With Certain Medical Conditions

You can ease or improve certain medical conditions by adding the proper vitamins and minerals to your diet. If you have an existing medical condition, ask your doctor if any supplements could be beneficial. There’s a good chance the answer will be yes.

For example, people with Celiac disease or colitis have a much more difficult time absorbing nutrients through food. So no matter how healthy your diet is, you may still need supplements to counteract the fact that your body can’t absorb all the nutrients in your food.

Keep in mind that certain supplements can actually be detrimental to certain medical conditions. Vitamin K can counteract the effect of blood thinners. St. John’s Wort can speed up the breakdown of antidepressants and birth control pills.

Before adding a supplement to your diet, speak with your physician to make sure it’s safe.

4. Supplements Are Helpful If You’re Over the Age of 50

As our bodies age, it becomes harder to absorb all the nutrients we eat. Plus, as we age, our immune systems tend to weaken, making it harder to fight off viruses and diseases. So if you’re over the age of 50, it’s worth considering adding some supplements to your diet.

There are a few key supplements that people over the age of 50 should consider adding to their daily routine.

Vitamin D and calcium are especially important for women, as women lose bone density as they reach post-menopausal age.

Vitamin B12, which improves brain function and cell metabolism, becomes more difficult to absorb with age.

If you take statins, a CoQ10 supplement can be helpful. CoQ10 can also be useful in treating specific health issues, such as congestive heart failure and high blood pressure.

5. Soil Depletion Has Negatively Affected Our Diet

Even the fittest people with the cleanest eating habits can benefit from taking certain supplements.

And that’s because our agricultural lands are over-farmed.

Over-farmed lands have lower levels of vitamins and minerals in the soil. Unfortunately, many large farms that produce our food have this issue.

The fruits and veggies we grow in the earth today have lower levels of nutrients than those from decades ago. Calcium, phosphorus, iron, and riboflavin are just a few of the minerals depleting regularly.

Regardless of how well you eat and how much of a healthy diet you maintain, this is something that everyone should be aware of.

Conclusion

The world of supplements can be confusing, overwhelming, and a bit intimidating. But if you take the right supplements in the right doses, they can be quite beneficial to your diet and your overall health.

Before you load up your online shopping cart with all sorts of supplements, speak to your doctor. Supplements can counteract the effects of certain medications. So if you’re on any type of prescribed medicine, make sure it’s safe to add a supplement to your daily routine.

The better your diet is, the more likely you’ll get the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals through your food. But if you don’t have a perfect diet, there’s probably at least one or two supplements you need.

Do your research and speak to your doctor. A chewable calcium gummy or a fish oil capsule per day may be all you need to put yourself on a path to wellness.