supplements

NECESSARY food supplements

Let's be clear

Food supplements are PREPARATIONS (powders, capsules, tablets, tablets, gels and liquids) to be taken in UNITARY doses in order to supplement the NORMAL diet; food supplements are composed of (or contain):

  • NUTRIENTS
  • NOT nutritious (however important or useful to the functioning of the organism - eg FIBER alimentary)
  • MICRO

Food supplements INTEGRATE BUT DO NOT SUBSTITUTE food;

this observation, while seeming obvious, escapes most of the companies that market (and the users who buy) the "formulas" called REPLACEMENT MEALS. The replacement meal CAN be used from time to time to cover an urgent nutritional need (fundamentally energetic), BUT IT MUST in no way systematically replace and continue the main meals; to make it short, ALL food supplements must be consumed ONLY to favor the achievement of one or more recommended rations if it is impossible to do so with foods in the diet.

Food supplements needed: Examples

A striking example of NECESSARY dietary supplementation is that of: iron (Fe), cobalamin (vitamin B12) and folic acid in case of anemia secondary to Crohn's disease; this inflammatory pathology of the intestine causes chronic malabsorption sometimes associated with bleeding from the enteric mucosa. Among its most frequent complications, there is often a lesion and consequent removal of the terminal ileum (area responsible for the absorption of cobalamin). Malabsorption, possibly associated with intestinal resection, can result in an ANEMIC form that can be improved with iron-based dietary supplementation, cobalamin and folic acid.

Also the dietary supplementation of calcium (Ca) and calciferol (Vit. D) in subjects strongly at risk of osteoporosis (females in old age), in children who, due to malnutrition, struggle to reach the peak of bone mass and in adults who suffer from osteomalacia, represents a preventive attitude quite effective, therefore necessary (albeit with a certain difference between the various cases). It often happens that children and the elderly (but also adults) are INDUCED to take POCO calcium with food or suffer from diseases that alter their endogenous metabolism; individuals with: lactose intolerance, severe malabsorption, protracted malnutrition, "veganism" (poor intake associated with excessive amounts of chelants), endocrine disorders, renal diseases, etc. are at risk. In this case, promoting the intake of dietary supplements based on calcium and calciferol is undoubtedly a necessity, especially if the subject (due to immobility or serious psychiatric pathologies) does not have the possibility to expose himself to the UV rays of sunlight ( which determine the endogenous synthesis of vitamin D).

Other dietary supplements (but also diet foods) often necessary are those based on iodine ; this mineral is essential for the synthesis of thyroid secretions, therefore its deficiency causes some imbalances in the hormonal axis. According to some population studies, iodine is LOST in almost all of the world population (with the due differences between geographical areas), therefore, use iodine based food pilgrims (or even only fortified diet foods such as iodized salt) constitutes a healthy nutritional habit.

Even during pregnancy (and in the months that precede it) it is necessary to use food supplements : those based on folic acid ; the lack of this vitamin appears to be the main cause of alterations in the neural development of the fetus, therefore (despite being a molecule naturally present in RAW plants) by virtue of its nutritional importance and given its remarkable thermolability (cooking food reduces the content in food folic acid) its dietary intake must necessarily be extended through the consumption of food supplements.

Wanting to mention the additions necessary for the subjects suffering from alterations of the metabolism, they cannot miss:

  • Potassium and omega3 essential fatty acid in hypertension
  • Lecithin and essential fatty acids (AGE) in lipid disorders.

Potassium is a mineral that intervenes in the regulation of arterial pressure and (in contrast to sodium) in the right doses it hinders the onset and the progression of hypertension; in parallel, even if for totally different mechanisms, the omega3 essential fatty acid has the same metabolic advantages. It can therefore be deduced that, if we want to improve arterial hypertension regardless of the use of drugs (in addition to the practice of low-sodium diet therapy and regular aerobic physical activity), it may be necessary to use potassium-based and other food supplements. omega 3 base as prescribed by your doctor.

Also in hypercholesterolemia it is advisable to use AGE; they act positively both in maintaining a good HDL / LDL ratio, both in the reduction of total blood cholesterol, and in the moderation of circulating triglycerides. On the other hand, the phospholipid lecithin (naturally contained in vegetables and egg yolk, but above all in legumes), when taken in significant quantities (in the main meals) binds the fats, hindering intestinal absorption; not only! Good concentrations of lecithin in the blood promote the elevation of HDL lipoproteins, further improving the cholesterolemia balance.

In addition to those already mentioned, there are many other molecules useful for reducing cardiovascular risk in hypertensive, dyslipidemic, obese, diabetic subjects etc .; among these, the most important are the ANTIOXIDANTS . Antioxidant food supplements are very useful (if not necessary) when the subject shows a high metabolic oxidative stress; through this supplementation it is therefore possible to effectively combat free radicals which (if in excess) promote the oxidation of lipoproteins and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, lowering the probability of carcinogenesis. The most important antioxidants, therefore more included in food supplements, are: beta-carotene (a PRO-vitamin A), ascorbic acid (vit. C), selenium and especially tocopherols (vit. E).