Naturopathic health

Supplements for a healthy diet

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Why you probably need supplements

It may seem contrary that naturopaths who are keen to ensure that your lifestyle is healthy and ‘natural’ also often recommend supplements for both healthy people and those with ailments.

Nutrients can be lost from food as a result of modern farming methods. Long term soil abuse by fertilizers has leached many of the nutrients out of the soil. There is research to show that where farms have converted back to organic production even when the fertilizers and pesticides are out of the soil and they are certified organic the nutritional value of the fruit and vegetables takes a much longer time to recover. Nutrients can also be reduced in foods as a result of poor methods of storage, preparation and cooking. Sometimes our modern lifestyles can force us to eat snacks or ready meals without having the time or opportunity to think about a balanced diet with the correct combination of nutrients to meet and where beneficial exceed our Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamins, proteins, enzymes and other essential components of healthy nutrition.

In addition, certain people may also have particularly good reasons to take supplements (we’re not talking about body-builders!): pregnant and breastfeeding women, young children and adolescents, immobile, housebound or institutionalised elderly people, vegans and certain vegetarians, smokers, heavy alcohol consumers; people who are chronically ill, and anybody on a restrictive diet, including certain allergy sufferers.

Before you go rushing off to the health food shop to stock up on countless supplements, it is worth noting that your supplement requirements will vary depending on other lifestyle and dietary factors. Excess use of nutritional supplements can be harmful. We will be listing below some common supplements that we recommend for various situations but ideally you should visit a trained naturopath for dietary advice. Also, if you can afford them, you should only take supplements that are ‘bio-available’, these are often more expensive but use more natural rather than chemical sources of nutrients that the body can more easily absorb.

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