The topic of food supplementation has seen significant development in the last 10 years, driven by various factors including consumer awareness, scientific research, dietary habits, and regulatory updates. Generally speaking, food supplements, also called dietary or nutritional supplements, aim to deliver nutrients that may be lacking. They can be minerals, vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, and other substances delivered in the form of liquid, capsules, powder, etc.
The most important point here is that supplements are not a substitute for a balanced, whole foods diet. Having said that, one of the main arguments in favor of food supplementation is the growing concern of soil depletion on a global scale, caused by intensive farming practices, use of chemicals, erosion and loss of soil biodiversity. These practices vary in different regions but overall it does seem that finding high quality foods becomes a bigger challenge for the public. I discussed the topic in this video but the website platform allows for more organized information sharing and is easier to process for the people that want to dive deeper into it. See below a concise breakdown of the main pros and cons regarding food supplementation:
Pros:
- Nutritional Support: Supplements can provide essential nutrients that may be lacking in your diet, ensuring you meet your daily recommended intake of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.
- Improved Health Outcomes: In some cases, supplements may help improve certain health conditions or prevent deficiencies, leading to better overall health outcomes.
- Specific Health Needs: Supplements can target specific health needs, such as vitamin D for bone health or omega-3 fatty acids for heart health, which may be challenging to obtain through diet alone.
- Convenience: They offer a convenient way to obtain nutrients, especially for individuals with busy lifestyles or those who have difficulty getting enough nutrients from food alone.
Cons:
- Quality control and regulation can vary between different markets and countries, leading to concerns about purity, potency, and safety.
- Nutrient Interactions: Some supplements can interact with medications or other supplements, potentially altering their effectiveness or causing adverse reactions. It’s crucial to consult with a healthcare provider before adding supplements to your regimen especially if you’re taking medication.
- Expense: Quality supplements can be expensive, especially if you require multiple supplements to meet your nutritional needs. It’s essential to weigh the cost against the potential benefits and consider whether dietary modifications could achieve similar results at a lower cost.
The value I’m bringing here is derived from my extensive experience with supplementation in the last 9 years. I’ve always been very active, often participating in high intensity contact sports like football (soccer). Growing up, based on the information I received from my environment, I formed my belief in a way where supplementation was seen as a rather negative thing, even cheating. This limiting belief, formed at a rather early age, didn’t allow me to experiment with supplements until I was living abroad in my twenties. This was the time when my body and mind had to meet very high demands due to working the night shift in a super-intense industry.
The truth is, within a few years, based on the progress I was seeing for myself, I transitioned from never ever taking any supplements to always taking something (constantly rotating, based on demands). When I was dealing with complex long term injuries increasing my magnesium intake made a big positive difference for me. But I can’t highlight enough that the holistic, preventative approach to health needs to focus on the diet and digestion, as well as quality of the sleep, before diving into supplementation.
Here are my personal recommendations, based on my experiences from the last 9 years:
- You must be clear about your intention. Do you want to supplement against deficiencies or to improve athletic performance, or concentration, or fertility, for example? Being intentional and not relying on previous conditioning (like I did in the past) will allow you to move closer to your goal. It’s always good to discuss this with a medical professional.
- If you are to supplement, you have to dedicate the time and attention to do your own research. I mentioned my experience with magnesium, but there are 8+ different types of magnesium and it comes in different shapes — pills, powder, transdermal products. Again, if your intention is clear, you allow yourself to move closer to your desired results.
- For best results supplementation must be adapted to the different specifics of the products. Some are better on an empty stomach while others are best taken with food. Some are better to take at night while others in the morning. This must be an essential part of your research, otherwise the desired results may be affected.
- Demands for the body and mind change all the time. There are travels, different seasons, varying demands at work or home. Supplementation must be tailored to that for best results.
- I emphasize the importance of conducting your own research. That should encompass the desired results, the different products and types, the different brand qualities and brands. For the most curious ones, it should include real, medical studies on the subject. But, unfortunately, for a lot of potentially great supplements, not enough research has been done. In these cases, as well as the cases with insufficient data or conclusions, we just have to experiment. Long term health varies so much from individual to individual, so the only way sometimes to really find out if something works or it does not, is to try it. Too many people look to get external confirmation or validation on health related topics that are ultimately the sole responsibility of the individual themselves. We all have that amazing tool in the human body! It’s important to get it out for different rides in different circumstances to see how it reacts and how we can adapt to that. Not all knowledge is in the books.
Last, but not least, I am sharing a few simple truths from the professional sports world:
- All pro athletes at the highest levels take food supplements to boost their performance and recovery. Supplementation is an essential part of their job.
- Athletes always prioritize sleep. At the same time so many people around the world consistently go to bed after 11pm and expect to be feeling great. Sleep must be a priority if we want to be healthy and feel well.
- Athletes use electrolytes to hydrate well. They do not rely solely on water, as a lot of people do. This is because when we sweat we lose important minerals; water alone cannot restore the balance.
Hope this is helpful! If you would like to see a specific topic covered drop us a message here.
Pavel