| Introduction | | | | or fight off infection. Your body requires additional |
| Most people believe that by following the FDA's Food | | | | nutrients in order to perform this work. For instance, to |
| Guide Pyramid, that they will be getting the necessary | | | | recover from surgery, the body must utilize the cellular |
| vitamins and minerals in their diet. In theory this | | | | repair mechanisms, which increases the need for Zinc, |
| assumption would be correct; however there are other | | | | Vitamin E, as well as other nutrients. To repair broken |
| factors that the pyramid does not take into | | | | bones, the body needs additional Calcium and Vitamin |
| consideration. Vitamin supplements provide a good | | | | C. To fight infections, the body requires additional Zinc, |
| way of getting the vitamins that we may be missing. | | | | Magnesium, Vitamin B5, and Vitamin B6. |
| Age | | | | Lifestyle |
| Rapid growth spurts can quickly deplete nutritional | | | | Consumption of alcohol can affect the absorption of |
| resources. Children are subject to growth spurts, and | | | | vital nutrients, and increase the bodies need for |
| therefore may require nutritional supplements. The | | | | Thiamine, Niacin, Pyridoxine, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, |
| alternative to supplements is to ensure that the child is | | | | Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Zinc, Magnesium, and Calcium. |
| receiving sufficient nutrition through food intake. The | | | | Smoking tobacco can affect the digestive tract and |
| downside of this approach is that when the child is not | | | | increase the bodies need for Vitamin C. The human |
| experiencing growth spurts, their food intake will be | | | | body absorbs Vitamin D from sunlight. People with |
| excessive, and can result in obesity. | | | | minimal exposure to sunlight do not get the Vitamin D |
| Although the cause is not known, elderly people may | | | | necessary for proper Calcium metabolism. |
| have a lower intake of vitamins and minerals, in | | | | Medications |
| particular Fiber, Calcium, Iron, and Zinc. The reduced | | | | Prescription medications, over the counter medications, |
| intake appears to be associated with deficiencies in | | | | and herbal remedies all have one thing in common. |
| Folic Acid (Folate), Vitamin C, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | | | | They all interact with the body in some way, and have |
| and Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine). | | | | an impact on the bodies functions. Many drugs affect |
| Allergies | | | | the way your body absorbs or uses nutrients; one |
| Most individuals suffer from some food allergies. When | | | | example of this is the use of antacids. Antacids greatly |
| the allergy is substantial enough, it can result in the | | | | reduce the stomach production of acid. Without the |
| complete omission of some foods from the diet. When | | | | proper amount of acid in the stomach, food does not |
| an allergy is to wheat (Gluten) or dairy (Lactose), it can | | | | break down completely, and absorption of the foods |
| result in omission of complete food groups, and dietary | | | | nutrients is inefficient, causing a nutrient deficiency. |
| sources of Thiamin, Riboflavin and Calcium. | | | | Nutrients that are most affected are Folic Acid, Zinc, |
| Chronic Stress | | | | Iron and Vitamin B12. |
| Stress is when your body experiences a fight or flight | | | | Poor Digestion |
| reaction to a given situation. When stress becomes | | | | Besides the extensive use of antacids, there are other |
| unrelenting, it is called chronic stress. Chronic stress | | | | factors that can result in poor digestion. Inadequate |
| drains the body of energy, and accelerates the aging | | | | chewing or eating to fast can result in the food size |
| process. Chronic stress has been linked to depression, | | | | being to large and insufficient creation of saliva, which |
| anxiety disorders, suicide, heart attack, stroke, and | | | | is responsible for the first stage of digestion. Drinking |
| perhaps, even cancer. | | | | hot liquids and consuming irritants such as coffee, |
| Convenience Foods | | | | pickles, spices, etc… can also result in a |
| All food is not created equally. Convenience foods are | | | | decrease in secretion fluids, meaning a decrease in the |
| foods that have been designed to be readily available. | | | | absorption of nutrients. |
| These foods tend to be high in calories, but relatively | | | | Pregnancy |
| low in nutritional value. Although some convenience | | | | You have certainly heard that a pregnant women is |
| foods are more nutritional than others, they all tend to | | | | eating for two, well it is true. Pregnancy creates a |
| lack the nutritional value as a freshly prepared meal. | | | | much higher demand for nutrition to ensure healthy |
| Diets | | | | growth of the baby. Nutrients that require |
| If you go back and look at the FDA's Food Pyramid, | | | | supplementation include Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, A, |
| you will notice that just about all foods are included. | | | | D, E, Folic Acid, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc, and |
| The exceptions of course are the so called junk foods, | | | | Phosphorous. |
| which have relatively no nutritional value, hence the | | | | Shelf Life |
| term junk food. The pyramid suggests that your diet | | | | To increase shelf life, a number of things are done to |
| should include all of the food groups, and in specific | | | | our food including, chemical preservatives are added, |
| portions. Most diets suggest that the portions should be | | | | or irradiation, the exposing of foods to x-rays or other |
| different, or that some foods should be avoided | | | | types of radiation. With preservatives, the food looks |
| completely. Although modifying your diet from the | | | | good longer, but the older the food becomes, the |
| pyramid may result in weight loss, the odds that it can | | | | fewer nutrients it has. Also, preservatives are |
| do so, while still providing the same nutritional value is | | | | chemicals that are bodies must expel by using |
| slim. | | | | nutrients. Irradiation destroys many of the nutrients in |
| Environmental Elements | | | | food immediately. |
| We pollute our environment, and it in turn pollutes us. | | | | Soil Depletion |
| Our bodies have the ability to deal with the toxins that | | | | Soil depletion occurs when the same crop is grown on |
| we eat, drink, and even breathe, but the detoxification | | | | the same land for multiple seasons. As the crop |
| of our bodies requires additional nutrients. | | | | grows, it extracts nutrients from the soil, and actually |
| Food Preparation | | | | replaces those nutrients with other nutrients. Ideally, the |
| Food contains the most nutrients; the less it is removed | | | | farmer would rotate his crop each season, planting a |
| from nature. The way we prepare food has a direct | | | | crop that uses the nutrients left by a previous crop, |
| impact on its nutritional value. As an example, beef is | | | | and replacing nutrients used by a previous crop. If the |
| at its highest nutritional value raw. As you cook the | | | | crops that you are consuming are grown where crop |
| beef, it starts to lose some of its nutritional value, and | | | | rotating is not performed, the nutritional value of the |
| continues to do so the more it is cooked. The same is | | | | crop is substantially less. |
| true for other meats, dairy, vegetables, and fruits. | | | | Conclusion |
| Food Processing | | | | Most people should be taking a multi-vitamin on a daily |
| Commercial food processing does any of a number of | | | | basis. If you have a medical condition, or a lifestyle |
| things to the food in an attempt to make the food look | | | | involving excesses, other supplements would probably |
| more appealing, have a longer shelf life, or to protect it | | | | also be recommended. Always talk to your doctor |
| from insects during growing. Some of the processing | | | | before taking anything, because some supplements |
| results in the food losing some of its nutritional value. | | | | may interact with any medication that you are |
| Others such as pesticides, are toxic and remain in the | | | | currently taking. |
| food, and are digested by the body. These toxins build | | | | Find Nutrition Supplements and more articles like this: |
| up in the body, and the body must consume nutrients in | | | | Patrick Lewis founded Greatest Health Supplements in |
| order to detoxify itself. | | | | mid 2006. Greatest Health Supplements is an |
| Illness | | | | ecommerce website dedicated to providing the |
| When the body is suffering from any type of illness or | | | | consumer with the best nutrition supplements available |
| injury, it needs to work extra hard to try to repair itself, | | | | online. |