Nutritional supplements being included on a daily basis in the family routine is a controversial topic in all households today with most having a strong view. Those who are against this feel that they should focus more on eating fresh food. Going back a decade, I was one of those who thought the same. But as my interest and work grew in the field of healthcare my perspective started to change.

No doubt eating fresh produce and cooking fresh food everyday should be the natural way of life. But, is this expectation realistic in today’s busy lifestyle. Are we sure that we are only eating everything that is healthy for us?

We know that there are a few motivated bunch of people who are really conscious and spare more time than others in making sure what’s absolutely right for them and their family’s health.

However, we need to look at some of the important facts which may not be that commonly known before taking a stand on this.

The nature of farming practices during the modern times is such that the quality of vitamins and minerals in the soil is greatly depleted and this continues at a rapid pace. This means that less and less vital micronutrients are making their way into the food we eat. In fact, to get the same amount of vitamin A from any fruit that our grandparents would have eaten, we would need to eat 8–10 times of the same today.

This of course is impossible to do.

Meaning of soil depletion or degradation?

Soil depletion occurs when the components which contribute to fertility are removed and not replaced, and the conditions which support soil’s fertility are not maintained. This in turn leads to poor crop yields. In agriculture, depletion can be due to intense cultivation and inadequate soil management.

This is a feature of modern intensive farming to meet society’s ever-increasing food requirements with no way of the minerals making their way back into the soil.

Unfortunately, this leads to the soil being stripped of valuable nutrients, with each crop containing less of them than the one before. These faster growing crops allow farmers to produce more output in a year, but do not enable plants to manufacture or uptake nutrients at a similarly faster rate.

There are a lot of ongoing studies being done on the nutrient value of the foods. It has been found that the average calcium, Iron, and potassium content has declined. Vitamins A and C, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, magnesium, zinc and copper have also shown a reduction. To top it all, the produce is being shipped hundreds and thousands of miles and is sitting in storage or on shelves for weeks; which means even greater reduction of the nutrient value.

What can be done to bridge the gap?

Unfortunately, steps to improve soil quality like alternating fields between growing seasons is not possible due to the high all-year round demand of yield. What we can do is to ensure that our fruits and vegetable intake is high enough to accommodate the reduction in nutritional value. As per the NHS recommendation, we should consume a minimum of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day to preserve good health. Some recent studies show that this consumption of fruits and vegetables could be higher than 5; even 10 servings per day to meet the optimal level of nutrient value.

Is this even possible? That role is played by high quality chemical free, organically harvested and extracted dietary supplements. These multivitamin supplements can help address the insufficiencies of some of the most lacking vitamins and minerals. The supplements can in no way be the substitute for an actual diet. There are things in fruits and vegetables other than vitamins and minerals that are still essential to our good health including macronutrients like fats, carbohydrates and proteins, fiber, and beneficial phytochemicals.

A chemical- free, high-quality dietary multivitamin supplement daily along with a diet that predominantly comprises whole-foods rich in vitamins and minerals will make a much more “healthier” you, when taken in the right proportion, from an appropriate source!

In the current scenario the need for higher immunity levels makes this even more important. In COVID treatment, apart from proper diet and required prescription medication, the healthcare providers are prescribing supplements like Vitamin C, B , Zinc, Magnesium etc. that will boost the immunity of the person.

Having multivitamin supplements as a regular routine is no longer a luxury, but a health imperative now!