Do supplements really work?

The supplement industry is worth billions and many companies spend large amounts of their budget into marketing campaigns to win over new consumers.

Many health professionals claim that supplements ‘don’t work’! Well guess what they are right. Doctors, dieticians and personal trainers alike will say something like ‘supplements are a waste of money’ ‘expensive urine or ‘you can get all you need from a healthy diet’.

There is an element of truth in all these statements; the big problem is that 7 in 10 food supplements are not even bio-available to the human body. Some food supplements are manufactured with plastics, binders and other artificial ingredients that the body cannot utilize as a fuel.

Another big problem with food supplements especially the ones that are sold in shops, only meet to food grade standards, which is based on the recommended daily allowance (RDA). To define ‘RDA’ in a nutshell, means adequate nutrition or as I like to call it ‘minimum wage’ nutrition. The government recommends we all take 80mg on a daily basis of Vitamin C but to stay optimally healthy you actually need 1200g. Food grade standards in western society are so lax; that what is on the back of the bottle is not actually by law guarantee to be in the product itself. Manufacturers can make and sell a product to anyone provided they can prove it has no harm to the human body, shocking isn’t it?

A food supplement is designed to fill in the nutritional gaps in your diet and complement it, not replace it!

So the big question, do we need to take supplements?

A study of 100,00 people was carried out in the United Stated in the mid nineties to evaluate the level of nutrition the population was consuming. The results were shocking to say the least, 98% of the survey didn’t even eat the level of nutrients (RDA) levels within their diets. The Journal of Nutrition concluded that all adults should as a minimum take a multi-vitamin as part of their diet. So we have a dilemma!

These are the facts!

The fact is that our nutritional requirements have changed over the last 30 years to say the least. There is an increase in pollution, pesticides and fertilizers but a depletion of nutrients in our food chain.

Take an orange; it now has at least 50% less nutrients today than it did back 30 years ago all because of the above.

Think of the first time you bought something special like a car, bike or boat. You wouldn’t use anything less than the best wax, the best fuel and the best oil so why should you treat your

body any different. You do this to prolong its shelf life, right? Food should be generally treated the same way, look after your body and it will look after you.

So use this checklist when considering supplements

1. Does the product meet to pharmaceutical standards or are they made to RDA? If they only use RDA don’t touch it!

2. Has the product been third party tested for purity and contaminants?

3. Are the ingredients bio-available and natural to the human body?

4. Do you know if the same company on the label manufactures the product? If not, don’t even consider it!

5. Are the supplements made to optimal nutrition?

I believe everyone should take responsibility for what goes in their mouth and so should you, don’t just automatically presume that what is said in the media is good for you. Do your research!

For more information on supplements take a look at my new book ‘Move it or Lose it’ available on www.xclusivecorporatefitness.com/health-and-fitnes-book and download your first 3 chapters absolutely free!

Adam Strong is a Corporate Personal Trainer, Athlete and International Author of his

groundbreaking new book called ‘Move It or Lose it’ available through Amazon, Waterstones

and Barnes & Noble. His book is written for corporate executives that want to address their

hectic lifestyles that often lead to burnout, unhealthy behavior habits and poor performance.

His company Xclusive Corporate Fitness specializes in working with executives and

companies in achieving peak performance in the corporate world. He has created a

methodology that uses techniques in stress management,

fitness, mindset and nutrition to enhance physical and

mental well-being.

▪                Facebook

▪                Twitter

▪                Linkedin

▪                Google +

Pinterest

Telephone +44 (0) 7738-276169