Nutrition Only From Food is Bad
Brooke Edman
Why Getting Your Nutrition Only From Food is A Bad Idea
Critique
There are two sides to every story and this author went into this assignment with an open mind about supplements. Many people will take a multivitamin on the days where they feel that their diet has been less than well rounded. The article "Why Getting Your Nutrition Only From Food is A Bad Idea" is obviously supportive of supplementing the human diet with the pill form of vitamins, minerals, and herbs. I believe that Dave Asprey is exaggerating that necessity to profit from the use of scare tactics. He is overstating facts that are common knowledge about the American diet lacking balanced nutrition. The topics mentioned on his website are biased to promote his own agenda. He is the founder and CEO of Bulletproof which is based on his story of losing 100 lbs., boosting his I.Q. to 150, and improving his overall health by taking supplements. It states that some of the research provided in the post may have been conducted by the Bulletproof staff which furthers my statement of his overlying agenda. Bulletproof is a trademarked company that sells the philosophy of making your body bullet proof by using biohacking to alter your body's environment inside and out so you are in control of advancing your health to become a super human. He sells cookbooks, natural cleaners, special coffee, and of course the Bulletproof diet book which details the life instructions of Asprey's personal agenda. The information on the website has not been evaluated by the FDA; which unfortunately would not be a reliable source in itself for information on the art of supplements because vitamins and minerals are not validated by that government agency either. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org as well as www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org would be reliable sources for information. It is the opinion of this author that balance must be the priority. Eating less processed foods and more whole foods is the key. If the body is not spending the majority of its energy cleansing the toxins and saturated fat from poor diets it can utilize proper nutrition to maintain body functions. Nutrients are better absorbed when they come from food sources rather than a concentrated pill form that is processed so quickly that we just end up with very expensive urine. That is not to say that supplementation does not have its benefits. Pregnant mothers need more iron, folate and B12 to prevent neural tube defects, people that are lactose intolerant and live in areas that do not receive ample amounts of sunshine may need to take calcium and Vitamin D. It is hard work to be healthy and the key is to make good decisions with choosing what to put in your body. There are some nutrients that are hard to find in whole foods and require supplementation. However I do not think that supplements can replace a well balanced diet and an active lifestyle. Regardless of the propaganda that is being used to misinform the public finding that homeostasis that our bodies can utilize the best of what we can offer them cannot be overlooked. The general public wants a quick fix which includes taking pills instead of eating responsibly, fad diets that they believe will help them drop the weight fast so they don't feel guilty about the fast food and martinis that they are ingesting.
Works Cited
Scott, C. (2015, March 26) Americans are wasting billions of dollars every year on health supplements that don't even work. Healthline.com. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/money-wasted-on-health-supplements-2015-3. April 1, 2016.
Images:
celiac.org-4288X2848
lifehack.org-1700X1390
lifeplus.com-650X288