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Add a Healthy Supplement to Your Diet and Live a Healthier Lifestyle

The tendency to believe we can substitute healthy supplements for food is totally erroneous. Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, the Federal nutrition policy and education’s cornerstone makes it abundantly clear
that a person’s nutritional needs must be met through diet. The guidelines also clarify that some people do
require-supplements to acquire missing nutrients. Gaining awareness of what diet enhancers can and cannot
do is an important step toward enjoying good health.

Most people are in the habit of taking supplements to stay healthy and promote general wellbeing. With the
over-abundance of products available on the market, for the consumer, it is a daunting task to say the least
deciding which diet enhancers genuinely provide health benefits. The best method is to gather information
about the products, safety considerations and overall health benefits prior to shopping for these products.

Healthy Supplements as defined by law in the U.S.:

• Labeled as a dietary supplement

• Complements diet

• Contains dietary ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, other substances or their
constituents

• Taken orally in tablet, softgel, powder, capsule, gelcap or liquid form

Extensive research in the field of dietary enhancers has shown that certain supplements are effective in
treating and possibly preventing diseases. Calcium and vitamin D are found to prevent and treat
osteoporosis and bone erosion. Folic acid, which is a vitamin found in the body, helps in preventing specific
birth defects. Zinc helps to slow age related eye disease. Fish oil has proven effective in reducing pain and
inflammation while promoting healthy joints.

The rule of thumb states that people who regularly consume a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, legumes,
low-fat dairy items, fish and lean meats are generally healthy. Recommended supplements-(fortified foods)
may be prescribed for:

• People who consume below 1,600 calories per day and generally poor eaters

• Vegetarians and vegans who consume limited variety in their diet

• Patients who undergo surgery on the digestive tract that prevents normal digestion and the absorption of
nutrients

• Patients with a medical condition such as chronic diarrhea, food intolerance, liver disease, food allergies,
gallbladder, pancreas or intestinal disease

• Women who experience exceptionally heavy bleeding during mensuration

• Pregnant women need pre-natal vitamin-supplement

• Women who may become pregnant require additional folic acid from fortified-supplements

• Adults above the age of 50 years

Digestive Enzymes Information on  Health Benefits

Digestive enzymes are found inside the digestive tract where they perform the function of aiding food
digestion and cellular survival. These enzymes are diverse in nature and can be found in the saliva from
salivary glands, pancreatic juices, intestinal secretions, stomach lining and the gastrointestinal tract lining.

Digestive enzymes are grouped as follows:

• Amino acids, proteases, peptidases

• Lipases that split fat into fatty acids and glycerol molecules

• Carbohydrases that split carbohydrates (starch and sugars) into glucose, etc.

• nucleases

When considering digestive enzyme-supplements remember the measurement is based on potency and
activity of the enzyme. The Food Chemical Codex provides the only accepted national standard evaluation of
enzymes.

Quite often, without the aid of digestive enzyme-supplements, food does not digest properly, especially
cooked food. The enzymes in the food are killed through the cooking process, giving rise to digestive
disorders such as acid reflux, gas, indigestion and more. This in turn is often found to be the underlying
cause of other health problems.

Busy lifestyles, stress and the tempting presence of convenient fast food makes it difficult for people in the
modern age to stay focused on daily nutritional requirements. The food pyramid teaches us about the
different food groups and the required daily intake from each group. How many people remember the
pyramid and what needs to be consumed? Diet enhancers do not replace proper nutrition from food; they
work by complementing dietary intake to ensure the body gets the right nutrients needed to stay healthy.

Herbal-supplements and fish oils are types of dietary-supplements. Each type of supplement has its own
benefits, but in general most diet enhancers provide the following benefits:

• The number one benefit is in overcoming a range of nutritional deficiencies. The body requires nutrients in
the right amounts to maintain optimal health. Nutritional additions to diet help to fill in the gaps when nutrients
are missing.

• Nutritional enhancers work to boost the immune system making it stronger and more disease resistant. For
example, popping a few vitamin C tablets can help prevent the onset of a cold, and it does not harm the body
in any way.

• We take in toxins on regular basis that need to be cleaned out of the system. Harmful toxins lead to various
health problems and anti-oxidant supplements help to rid the body of toxic waste.

• Fish oil has emerged as one of the top healthy supplement of the age, providing a number of health
benefits including the promotion of cardiovascular health and protection against heart problems and strokes.
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