Supplements

Should we take supplements, or not? Some swear by doing so others say that they are not needed because we get all we need from our food and can, in some cases, be harmful.

What is the truth behind this?

Both agree that it would be better if we obtained our nutrients from our food and not rely on supplements. Those who advocate taking them point out that most of our food treated with chemicals while they were growing, have, in many cases, travelled long distances and were picked before they were ripe and treated with chemicals to keep them and that this destroys the nutrients they should contain.

In addition to this vegetables and fruits are grown in ground that has been depleted of what they need to ensure the nutrients we require are in them and that these are replaced with chemicals which are vastly inferior to natural fertilisers. For these reasons, they say, we need supplements. Those who say we do not need them say they do contain what we need and that chemical fertilisers are just as good as natural ones.

The fact that there are so many health stores, both on and off line suggests that many people agree with those who say we do require supplements. So which ones should you be taking? This, as with so many other things, depends on your lifestyle, what food you habitually eat, i.e. is it organic, or do you have to rely on those that have been grown with chemicals.

If you have access to organically and locally grown produce, particularly if you are the producer then you may not need those supplements that are needed by those who do not have access to them.

There is one thing that everyone can do no matter where you live and that is to grow sprouts, as these are a great source of vitamins, fiber, protein, anti-oxidants, and enzymes. A sprout is produced when a seed starts growing into a vegetable. Sprouts can grow from the seeds of vegetables, from grains such as buckwheat, and from beans. While Mung beans are perhaps the most common source of sprouts, you can also obtain good results from lentils, soybeans and chickpeas just to name a few. Sprouts also taste good. The various ways they can be grown are given in the next article.

But sprouts do not provide all the nutrients we need and it is necessary therefore to take supplements. But you must take into consideration when chosing what supplements to take and that is the easy with which your body can digest them, as some forms are easier to digest than others and this should be born in mind when choosing them.

Supplements come in 2 forms: liquid and tablets. Multi and single vitamins usually come in tablet form, whereas liquid is usually a tonic consisting of either various ingredients, or a single fruit, herb, etc.

You have been provided with a list of vitamins and you will know which ones are likely to be lacking from your diet altogether, or if you are consuming foods that should contain you are not sure how it was grown, etc.