Nutritional Supplements for a Healthy You
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NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
Supplements are substances that supposedly enhance your nutritional intake, possibly improving health status or boosting performance.
Nutritional supplements are important for at least two simple reasons. The first is that many of us rely overly too much on fast foods and highly processed foods. And the second rationale for nutritional supplements is that evidence continues to mount that many of the nutrients and health promoting substances that we might take to achieve optimum health levels may not be obtained through normal diet alone.
Of course, any nutrient that is not acquired through normal eating habits may be classified as a supplement. They are marketed in the form of powders, pills, beverages, or even sublingual liquids. Polls have shown that approximately 40% of all Americans take some sort of supplement on a regular basis. Moreover, an even greater percentage of athletes experiment with supplements. To keep things in proper perspective, you should always remember that supplements are just what their name implies: something meant to supplement, or "add to," your regular diet. If you are not eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, it is doubtful that self-prescribed supplementation will make up for that. Regardless of how many multi-vitamins, minerals, protein drinks, herbal formulas or carbohydrate drinks you consume on a daily basis, your nutrition will probably remain flawed if you are not eating a well-balanced diet.
Some supplements, like sports drinks, seem to fulfill specific needs for certain types of athletes. Endurance athletes like marathon runners, distance swimmers, cyclists, and triathletes have reported some degree of success with high-carbohydrate sports drinks. In addition, weight lifters and body builders seem to be satisfied with the simple and complex carbohydrates and electrolytes that some sports drinks offer. These high-carbohydrate sources may also provide the means to quickly begin replenishing glycogen stores following their training sessions.
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