Although supplements have become part and parcel with health routines worldwide, many people still feel a bit put off by the necessity of swallowing their vitamins in pill form. Those with the motivation to use solely food sources for their nutrient requirements often find themselves embarking on a fruitless journey, becoming frustrated and food obsessed without reaping any rewards.
So, why is it that food is no longer providing us the nutrients we need?
Simply put, our agricultural practices have changed drastically over the years so that we are no longer utilizing sustainable farming techniques for long term benefits, but rather industrial farming for short term gain. Add to that the processing and refinement practices, along with our degrading dietary habits, and you have a recipe for failure.
In this day and age you can literally gorge yourself on many types of foods and still suffer from malnutrition.
The statement would be laughable if it weren’t so sadly accurate. Yet many consumers are unaware of this drastic drop in nutritional value, and doubly unaware of the detrimental effects of processed foods on the precious few minerals you do absorb. What was that? Yes – eating processed foods can actually strip your body of nutrients compounding an already troublesome problem.
Grocery shopping has become a balancing act of monumental proportions – and that’s when one is at least marginally well-informed. For example, the average shopper is still naively unaware of the fact that when a product proclaims that it’s “Fortified with A, B, C…”, that usually means that they are merely replacing 2-3 of the over 30 nutrients that were stripped during its manufacture.
This isn’t even touching on the financial impact of trying to battle your deficiencies through tenacious grocery shopping and meal planning. And honestly, in this economy, who has the time or energy? Buying and eating whole, healthy foods is tough enough in most areas without throwing more hurdles in the way.
Because of these many factors, supplementation is often more cost effective, convenient and sometimes the only way of getting all of the various nutrients you require in beneficial quantities – especially minerals like magnesium.
So, now that you know a little more about the vitamin and mineral content of your food, take the next step by asking:
– What factors cause depletion of minerals, so that I can avoid them?
– Which supplements would be best for me?
– How can I get more magnesium without taking pills?