The first installment in a series highlighting the latest nutrition trends throughout the health community.

Scientists have debated the need for nutritional supplements ever since the discovery of essential life substances in food almost one hundred years ago.  While it has long been believed that those with “severe” nutrient deficiencies need supplements, the practice of treating “mild” or “moderate” nutrient deficiencies to maintain proper health is now widely recognized.

While “mild” nutrient deficiencies are hard to diagnose because while they do not cause tangible health disorders, they can often cause a decrease in wellness.  If left unchecked, nutrient deficiencies often lead to future health problems.  To avoid problems down the road, it is important to receive the proper amounts of nutrients to maintain overall physical and emotional well being.

The typical American diet has long been cited as a direct cause for many of the deadly diseases that affect a large portion of our population including, high blood pressure, stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.  According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a large portion of the United States population receives less than 70 percent of the US Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamin A, vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, calcium, magnesium and iron. 

The problem with nutrition in the United States today is what Jeffery Bland, Ph. D., a biochemist and nutrition expert, calls “overconsumptive undernutrition.” While many people throughout the United States are eating enough food, the food that they are eating does not have the proper nutrient density, or the ratio of nutrients to calories.  They are consuming mostly refined sugars and fats that don’t offer what the body needs to function properly on a daily basis and for the long term.

The nutrients that the body needs on a daily basis can be divided into two groups, essential nutrients and accessory nutrients.  Dr. Bland as defines

essential nutrients, “those nutrients derived from food that the body is unable to manufacture on its own.”  These nutrients are vital for the body to function properly and include at least fifteen minerals, at least thirteen vitamins, and eight amino acids, plus fatty acids, carbohydrates and water.  Accessory nutrients are those nutrients that work with the essentials to help the body breakdown and convert food into cellular energy, and support all of the body’s mental and physical functions. 

Essential Nutrients Include:
• Minerals
o Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Iodine, Chromium, Potassium, Sodium and certain trace elements

• Vitamins
o Fat-soluble – Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and Vitamin E
o Water-soluble – Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, folic acid and biotin

• Amino Acids
o L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-valine, L-methionine, L-threonine, L-phenylalanine and L-tryptophan

Accessory Nutrients Include:
• Choline, Insitosol, Q10, Lipoic Acid, PABA and bioflavinoids

The best way to obtain the nutrients that the body needs is through a healthy diet.  Eating high-nutrient-density foods will give the body much of what it needs to function properly, but for many reasons, most of us cannot get everything that we need from our normal diet.  This can be a result of many factors, but is where nutritional supplements can be the most beneficial.

While nutritional supplements can benefit almost everyone, it is important to remember that they can also be harmful to the body if taken in the wrong dosages or over a prolonged period of time.  Personal research and the consultation of an expert are the only way to ensure that the body receives the supplements that it needs.  It can take quite a bit of research to achieve a proper individual regimen. 

This series of articles will outline some of the most important long-known supplements, along with those that are on the forefront preventative medicine.