| What is the role of nutrition supplements? Quite | | | | There would be dramatic reductions in the rates |
| simply it is to fill the gap between what we should | | | | of cardiovascular disease and strokes |
| eat and what we do eat. Because for all the food | | | | The estimated savings across all these conditions |
| pyramids and Recommended Daily Allowances | | | | could be as much as $100 billion annually. |
| that government publishes, the truth is that most | | | | They suggested that doctors should be doing |
| people eat a diet that is deficient. | | | | much more to get their patients to take regular |
| The reasons for our poor diet are well | | | | nutritional supplements - as they concluded, for as |
| documented and include:o The easy availability of | | | | little as a dime per day, people can make a sound |
| nutritionally poor fast foodo Fresh food that is | | | | investment in their long term health. |
| available contains far fewer nutrients than 50 | | | | The categories of nutritional supplements they |
| years ago due to intense farming methods and | | | | looked at included multivitamins, antioxidants |
| soil depletiono Long term storage methods further | | | | (vitamins C and E), calcium, long chain omega-3 |
| deplete the nutrient value of foodso Cooking | | | | fatty acids (fish oils), vitamin D, vitamins B-6 and |
| methods (including frying, boiling and microwaves) | | | | B-12, and folic acid. |
| destroy essential vitamins and mineralso Busy | | | | So what is the take home advice from this? |
| lifestyles mean we eat on the goo Lifestyle | | | | Quite simply that we should all be looking to |
| choices including restrictive weight loss diets and | | | | supplement our diet with supplements such as |
| vegan diets | | | | multivitamins and minerals, and omega-3 fatty |
| The net result is that most Americans are | | | | acids - the evidence is just too compelling to |
| deficient in one of more vitamins or minerals. | | | | ignore. |
| Does this matter? According to a report issued in | | | | In addition, there are certain populations who are |
| 2002 by the Council for Responsible Nutrition | | | | even more vulnerable. These include:o Pregnant |
| (CRN), if more Americans took a regular nutrition | | | | women or those trying to conceiveo Children |
| supplement:o Neural tube birth defects like spina | | | | (from babies through to teenagers)o Dieterso |
| bifida could be reduced by as much as 70%o | | | | Athleteso The elderly |
| Infectious diseases among the elderly could be cut | | | | If you, or anyone in your family, falls into any of |
| by 50%o The rate of hip fractures among the | | | | these categories, it is essential that they take a |
| elderly could be reduced by at least 20% - that's | | | | regular nutrition supplement in order to ensure |
| 40,000 to 50,000 fewer hip fractures per yearo | | | | that their health is the best that it can be. |