Are Supplements Really Necessary ?

The supplement industry has been growing exponentially for several decades, and the Coronavirus pandemic has played a part in accelerating that growth, as people become more mindful about their condition. But are nutritional supplements necessary? You may think that as a supplement retailer our answer would be an unequivocal yes, but that’s where you would be wrong. The truth is, for somebody who consumes a diet consistently high in all of the essential nutrients supplements would not be necessary. But this is where you need to be very honest with yourself, because rarely do I meet somebody who truly ticks all the boxes. Let us look at some examples; First let’s use the example of a vegetarian/vegan diet. Often, vegetarians and vegans have a diet rich in a variety of nutrient dense foods coming largely from plant sources, meaning it’s likely that they’ll be fairly well covered from a vitamin and mineral perspective. But the lack of animal products does leave some significant shortfalls. Not consuming animal products makes meeting your protein requirements more challenging, makes hitting your BCAA requirements unlikely and achieving your B vitamin requirements near impossible. This group of people would benefit from a good quality protein supplement to include BCAA’s and a vitamin B supplement. Next up, let’s use the example of a health-conscious office worker. Let’s call him Steve. Steve works 9 – 5 and hit’s the gym 4 days a week after work. He practices mindful eating, consumes a variety of colours and supplements with protein to ensure good recovery from exercise. But Steve never sees the sunlight, or should I say the sunlight never sees Steve, meaning that his Vitamin D consumption is minimal. Vitamin D is essential for good bone health and immune function. The fact is that even the most health conscious of people often miss out on vital nutrition due to lifestyle choices and habits and doing a little research may just point out some areas where you’re lacking.