#FitU with Phindi Gule: Why are Vitamins Supplements crucial?

These are just a few of the promises found on the labels of vitamin and mineral supplements. But can vitamins and minerals really live up to these claims, or is it more hype than truth?

Experts say there is a place for vitamin or mineral supplements in our diets, but their primary function is to fill in small nutrient gaps. They are "supplements" intended to add to your diet, not take the place of real food or a healthy meal plan.

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Here is what you need to know, when it comes to the things that Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Can Do for your Health.

Vitamins and other dietary supplements are not intended to be a food substitute. They cannot replace all the nutrients and benefits of whole foods.

 However, they can plug nutrition gaps in your diet, but it is short-sighted to think your vitamin or mineral is the ticket to good health the enormous power is on the plate - not in a pill.

When the food on the plate falls short and doesn’t include essential nutrients like calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, a supplement can help take up the nutritional slack. Vitamin and mineral supplements can help prevent deficiencies that can contribute to chronic conditions.

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Here is why you should consider supplementing your diet with high-quality nutrients/supplements.

 1. Current commercial agriculture techniques leave soil deficient in important minerals, causing the food grown in this soil to share the same mineral deficiencies.

 2. Many foods are shipped long distances and are stored for lengthy periods of time, both of which cause the depletion of vitamins in these foods, including the important B-complex and C vitamins.

 3. Food processing, cooking, and preserving leads to nutrient depletion in our food supply that makes it difficult to obtain adequate nutrition from foods alone.

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4. Many fruits and vegetables are genetically bred to improve visual appeal and crop yields, not nutritional value, which frequently result in lesser nutritional values than our ancestors’ food supply.

 5. Erratic eating habits, insufficient chewing of food, eating on the run, and stress contribute to poor digestion, making it difficult for our bodies to extract all the nutrients it needs from food.

 6. Specific times in life and health conditions may result in higher needs of certain nutrients.  For example, folic acid needs tend to be higher during pregnancy, while menopausal women may be vulnerable to calcium deficiencies.

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 7. We all have genetic weaknesses, including higher needs of some nutrients, higher rates of depletion for certain nutrients, and an increased likelihood of genetic expression of some illnesses if vitamin or mineral deficiencies are present.

 8. Many nutrients have been proven to prevent or aid in the treatment of health conditions like high cholesterol, arthritis, birth defects, and more.

 That's why I take Immunizer - one tablet with everything I need.