Nutrition Supplements

The food industry has for years subtly controlled the nutrition supplements of Americans by adding various elements and chemicals to a variety of different foods. The lack of these nutrition supplements runs counter to having a healthy life, and all of these should be included to some extent in a healthy diet. However, having too much of any of these can in fact be harmful. With all the nutrition supplements we receive, people should now start to be concerned that we don’t get over-supplemented in a way that interferes with a healthy life, especially for people who are prone to issues with any of the following nutrition supplements.

1. Iodine

Iodine is necessary for proper thyroid function in the body and, thus, a healthy life. Back in the 1920s, iodine deficiencies were fairly common, so iodine started to be added to salt in order to improve health. This was important as a nutrition supplement back in the day, but since so much of our food contains salt, it’s possible that people who have diets high in salty foods will be getting too much iodine. Iodine in extremely small amounts is essential for a healthy life; iodine in high amounts is exceedingly toxic.

2. Fluoride

Fluoride is added into most public water systems as a way of improving tooth health. It has been added constantly for years as a nutrition supplement, however new studies are starting to suggest that fluoride has no benefit as a nutrition supplement, and that we have added so much fluoride into our water that we are now reaping negative side effects from it that interfere with a healthy life, or indeed even a life at all. Some studies even suggest side effects as harmful as cancer and increased levels of lead poisoning, certainly interfering with a healthy life, though these studies have yet to be widely accepted.

3. Water

Some studies suggest that the commonly prescribed amount of eight glasses of water a day may actually be too much for a healthy life. These studies say that drinking that much water could actually cause one’s body to reduce nutritional content, causing it to require nutrition supplements, and possibly reducing the benefits of an otherwise healthy life.

4. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential for a healthy life (mainly for preventing scurvy which can be horrendous). Vitamin C is water soluble and so plenty of people think that they can’t have too much. Evidence shows, however, that too much vitamin C can actually be harmful. Products such as EmergenC that have up to 1000% of one’s daily dose of vitamin C in a single packet could, apparently, contribute to kidney stones, diarrhea, nausea, and fainting, among other problems. Furthermore, vitamin C is one of the most common nutrition supplements in food because it is so easy and cheap to obtain. Be wary of consuming too much in pursuit of a healthy life, though, especially if you consume a lot of vitamin C fortified foods.

Supplements

A healthy diet is rich in a variety of different nutrients. Many people do not get the recommended amount of nutrients that doctors require, however. Nutritional supplements can be great to ensure a healthy diet, most especially when targeted toward one’s particular deficiencies. These, of course, are supplements, meaning they should be in addition to an otherwise healthy diet. The following nutritional supplements are great ways to ensure that you are maintaining a healthy diet, particularly if you have any problems consuming the recommended amount. Be careful, however, in only consuming nutritional supplements that your doctor agrees to, since some nutrients can be harmful in high amounts, especially if your diet already includes an adequate amount of said nutrients.

1. Calcium

Calcium is one of the most common nutrients in which people have deficiencies in America. Unfortunately, nutritional supplements cannot contain 100% of one’s daily needed calcium because the human body can only absorb about 40% of the daily requirements for calcium at one time. To have a healthy diet, eat foods high in calcium at intervals throughout the day.

2. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the easiest nutrients to get in a natural way, without nutritional supplements. Nevertheless, plenty of people nowadays do not get enough vitamin C. Luckily, your body can absorb high amounts of vitamin C at one time, so a good glass of natural orange juice or a single vitamin C pill should be all the nutritional supplements you need for a bare minimum healthy diet.

3. Water

Though water is not technically a nutritional supplement, many people in America today do not get enough water for a healthy diet. Though many foods and drinks are water-based, many of these do not allow the water to be as fruitful in your body as possible. Sodas, teas, and coffee are actually diuretics that reduce how hydrated one’s body is. The best way to add water into your healthy diet as a nutritional supplement is just to drink more pure water.

4. Iron

Iron is extremely important to having a healthy diet. As a result, nutritional supplements are readily available to people who are deficient in iron. However, iron nutritional supplements should be used sparingly, because iron poisoning is not uncommon and can be devastating.