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I hope this site will explain how to choose a supplement that is right for you and make it simpler for you to choose the best value for money product without needing a degree in nutrition. Just look through the sections below to find out what all the main supplements actually do, how they can affect you and what the major signs of deficiency are.
We all know that we should eat at least five portions of fruit and veg every day – because the Government tell us – and that we are what we eat – because the TV is telling us, but sadly, “knowing” and actually “doing” what is good for us are entirely different things. Even if we do make the effort and produce a meal rich in vegetables and full of “good” foods, the stark truth is we’re still unlikely to be getting all the nutrients that we should. Aggressive factory farming has seen nutrient values of vegetables diminish measurably over the past few years - to the extent that the calcium content of broccoli is down by 50%, the iron you used to find in watercress is down by up to 90% and the vitamin C in cauliflower has dropped by 40%. We live in a world where time seems to be shrinking and we never have enough hours in the day to live our lives anyway, without having to stop and think about what we are eating or trying to cook a nutritious, balanced meal at the end of a hectic day. When you add to this our love affair with fast foods, processed foods and junk food, frankly, we haven’t got a hope of having a healthy, balanced diet rich in all the essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements that we need to keep us running around in our daily lives. This is where food supplements come into their own. Millions of people, every day, happily take some form of supplement in the belief that it will compensate for some lack of nutrition from other sources, or will cure their ills. And it’s true – they will - but only if they are taken for the right reasons, in the right way, in the right combinations and only if they’re right for you.
These products are exactly what they say they are – supplements, not replacements – and so should only be taken after you have looked at your lifestyle and food intake and discovered a shortage. In fact, many of them can do more harm than good if you are already getting sufficient from your diet. Above all, remember that supplements are a part of complementary medicine (not alternative medicine) and should be taken – preferably – under the guidance of your doctor, pharmacist, or health professional for you to get the best possible result.
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