Why Supplements: A Holistic Natural Medicine Perspective

From the perspective of the practical logic of holistic natural medicine, the core purpose of supplementing nutrients has never been to replace a balanced diet, but to fill the nutritional gaps that are difficult to avoid even if you eat conscientiously in the contemporary lifestyle, and to speed up the body's self-repair.

I have been practicing naturopathic medicine for almost 7 years, and the most common question I have come across is that "just eat well, supplementing nutrients is a tax on IQ." This is not entirely wrong. If you can sleep until you wake up naturally every day, eat fresh fruits and vegetables picked locally in the season, meat and eggs are free-range without additives, have no work pressure, and have a regular schedule, then you really don't need to supplement. The problem is that most of us don't have this condition. Two months ago, a little girl who works in Internet operations came to me and said that she strictly followed the dietary guidelines, one pound of vegetables and half a pound of milk every day, but she was still so tired that she couldn't open her eyes every day, and her hair fell out so quickly that her hair cracks were exposed. When she checked her serum vitamin B12 and ferritin, they were almost at the lower limit of the standard value. She also wondered, "Am I eating pork liver twice a week?" Guess what, the iron content of conventionally farmed pig livers today is nearly 40% less than that of free-range pigs raised 30 years ago. In addition, she works on plans until early in the morning every day. When she is stressed, her consumption rate is 2-3 times that of ordinary people. That amount of intake is simply not enough.

Don’t think this is alarmist. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has long had data. Due to problems such as ripening and reduced soil fertility, the average vitamin and mineral content of fruits and vegetables grown in greenhouses is 20% to 70% lower than half a century ago. Coupled with long-distance transportation and refrigerated storage, it is normal for half of the water-soluble vitamins to be lost by the time you get it. Not to mention that many people eat takeout every day. The vegetables are rich in oil and red sauce, and there are not many vegetables left. After repeated heating, there is not much nutrition left.

Of course, I don’t mean that everyone should take supplements. I have seen more problems caused by random supplements. Last year, a businessman heard that vitamin C can improve immunity. He took 1,200mg a day for more than 20 days. Not only did he have diarrhea for almost a week, but his physical examination also revealed that uric acid was elevated, which actually put a burden on the kidneys. What Holistic Natural Medicine is most opposed to is blind supplementation regardless of body constitution or needs. Before we make a plan for a person, we have to ask about the diet and rest for half a month, past medical history, and blood test reports if necessary. What is missing is supplemented, and the dosage is also very strict. It is just enough for the body to repair. If there is too much, extra metabolic capacity must be mobilized to eliminate the gain, which is not worth the loss.

In fact, this is just like growing flowers. The soil itself is fertile enough, and it can grow well just by watering and exposing it to the sun. If the soil itself is deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus, the flowers will not bloom no matter how much you water. The nutrients are just targeted flower fertilizers. It is not necessary, but if you add some when it is lacking, the results will be much faster. I have met several elderly people who were recovering from surgery before. They had poor appetite and could not eat. If they supplemented with high-quality protein and multivitamins, their recovery speed was nearly one-third faster than those who only relied on eating. This is the benefit of taking the right supplements.

To put it bluntly, there is never a unified answer to whether or not to supplement nutrients. The core is that you must first find out whether your body is deficient. Don’t just follow the trend and buy what others say is good, and don’t just label all supplements as IQ taxes. After all, our bodies are the most honest. You will know if they are useful or not.