Food supplements: Do they help to achieve a healthy lifestyle?
MD Thordis Berger is back with a take on food supplements. If you are looking for a healthier lifestyle, incorporating these concentrated sources of nutrients can be a solution. However, there are some things to consider.
Food supplements are products intended to supplement a diet. They may be made from synthetic or natural substances and may be composed of a set of vitamins and minerals or contain only certain substances. It is important that your intake is adjusted individually, taking into account what each individual needs.
For those who want to have a healthy lifestyle, we should consider the following important components:
Sleep
A good night's sleep is better than any medicine or supplement.
Insomnia is the most frequent sleep disorder in adults and is associated with important consequences, such as increased mortality from cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorders (such as depression), accidents and work absenteeism.
It is helpful to avoid substances that aggravate insomnia such as caffeine, tobacco and other stimulants. The effects of these substances last up to 8 hours.
Stress
Our nervous and endocrine systems have evolved to increase the release of neurotransmitters and hormones during infrequent or acute stressful situations (eg in distress), but they are not optimized for seemingly frequent or chronic stressful situations (eg getting stuck in the traffic stress, job stress, or simply having repetitive negative thoughts).
Although it is not the main cause of heart problems, chronic stress can contribute to trigger or aggravate them, as it increases blood pressure, makes healing more difficult and makes us more vulnerable to external pathogenic attacks.
To maintain a healthy body in the long run, it is imperative to find a way to manage stress, for example with the help of exercise, yoga or meditation.
Social contacts
Human beings are social creatures. Modern life generally does not meet our needs for socialization.
Social isolation has the ability to influence hormonal regulation and balance of metabolic systems and as a consequence increases the risk for chronic diseases, including depression, heart disease or diabetes.
These three factors, in addition to emphasising a diet low in ultra-processed foods (Healthy eating should be rich and varied, avoiding eating fast food and snacks even if a strict diet is not followed) and performing sufficient physical activity every day, contribute largely to a healthy lifestyle without the need of supplements.
It is important to remember that most medicines have been developed from natural products and are sufficiently studied and controlled to be safe to use, which is not necessarily the case with all dietary supplements. Note that taking supplements without supervision by a healthcare professional can lead to serious consequences resulting from interactions with drug therapies. However, not all supplements have health benefits and even negative events may result from taking them.
Our food should be the main source for extracting energy and nutrients necessary to ensure our health and physical performance.
However there may be situations in which only food cannot guarantee this offer. In such cases, dietary supplementation may help to fill the deficit. Bottom line: These products do not replace food. They are intended to supply nutrients that are missing from a diet, if any.
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