Why do you need Supplements

As per our internal research almost 22% people in India are consuming supplements and this number is expected to rise in near future. If you are searching for this post I can safely assume that you want to know “why do you need supplements”. This article is an attempt to explain you exactly the same perspective.

In simple terms supplements are things which are added to something to complete or enhance it. the need to add something external to anything arises due to:

• Either lack of requisite ingredient
• Or additional demand of a requisite ingredient.

What is a Dietary Supplement

Dietary supplements are intended to fulfill needs of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acid and fatty acid that may not otherwise be consumed by us through our food in sufficient quantities. Something which is worth noting here is that nutrient requirements of two individuals may not be same.

Why you may need Supplements

Nutrient requirement depends on several factors such as

• Nutrient deficiency in the body
• Age
• Health concerns
• Toxic exposure levels
• Type of food being consumed
• Quality of food intake

With alarming levels of pollution in cities, stressful life, increasing usage of pesticides and long distance transportation the nutritional profile of our food products is degrading. Our food products do not carry enough vitamins and minerals necessary for our body to function.

With so many varied reasons, the level and type of nutritional deficiency or malnourished could be very different in two individuals. At the same time there is misconception among people that

• Only poor people who do not have means to buy food are malnourished or have nutritional deficiency.
• They are consuming sufficient amount of food several times of the day and they are eating what is important for their body.

However when people consume food it is primarily rich in Macro-nutrients. Macro-nutrients are defined as a class of chemical compounds which humans consume in the largest quantities (must be above a threshold amount) and which provide humans with the bulk of energy. when we consume food it is rich in Macro-nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrate and fats primarily. Most of the time our food lack Macro-minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, sodium & chloride and micro-nutrients such as Vitamins & trace minerals

This is the reason more and more people are using dietary supplements today.