Sunday 8 February 2009

Supplements: Who needs 'em?

According to Health Professionals, nobody. Apparently, we get all of the vitamins, minerals & other nutrients that we need from a "Healthy Balanced Diet" (whatever that is!).

According to me, just about everybody. Due to modern farming methods, food ain't what it used to be. Dammit, even nostalgia ain't what it used to be! Due to changes in lifestyle:-

a) People are more sedentary than they used to be. This means that they require less food than they used to in order to not get fat. Less food, coupled with less nutrients in the food = dietary deficiencies.

b) People don't get as much sun on their skin as they used to, as they now work, play & live mostly indoors and when they do go outside, they are encouraged to Slip Slop Slap (slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat). This results in hypovitaminosis D, as only an Eskimo's diet contains enough dietary Vitamin D. The RDA of 200/400/600iu/day (depending on age) is woefully inadequate and totally out of touch with modern research.

c) Many people don't eat much oily fish. Also, animal & vegetable produce now contains more omega-6 & less omega-3 than it used to. This can result in a large imbalance. I eat two 120g cans of mackerel in spicy sauce a day. This also provides protein.

d) Diets low in dark green vegetables & fruits lack Magnesium & Potassium.

e) Diets low in fermented foods lack Vitamin K2.

I currently supplement with:-
400mg/day of Magnesium, as 4g/day Epsom Salts dissolved in water & the solution added to drinks.
5,000iu/day of Vitamin D3.
15mg/day of Vitamin K2.

See also The usual suspects.

4 comments:

Dr. Art Ayers said...

I think that your link between decreased energy needs and dietary deficiencies is very insightful. It parallels the loss of muscle mass and increase in fat, sarcopenia, that is the basis of age-related increase in inflammation. Thus increasing degenerative disease and aging result from dietary and sedentary sources of inflammation. Aging is poorly managed chronic inflammation. Correcting diet and increasing muscle mass/eliminating belly fat, delay the symptoms of aging.

Rosso said...

Cheers Nige,

I've put an order in with Zipvit for some Vit C and Citrus Bioflavonoids tabs.

Still waiting on my Vit K2 from www.seeknatural.co.uk so I went and phoned them today. They actually import it in from VRP USA hence the delay. So I think they pay the tax on it I guess.

I've pinched your salmon and mayo paste sarnies for my mother. Shes recently switched jobs and likes to buy the world of crap to take with her to nibble on at work. It doesn't help me if I'm constantly being tempted by Mr Kiplin cakes laying around so I figured I'd bang her on those and give her some theory behind it too.

Nigel Kinbrum said...

I got my last lot of C + Citrus Bioflavonoids on a BOGOF offer from Boots. 500 tabs of 500mg C + 25mg CBs cost ~£4.50.

Get your mum on salmon + D3 and see what happens. You may have to coax her down from the ceiling!

Unknown said...

Agreed that Most people don't get as much sun on their skin as they used to