hello friends, welcome to fitness with kapil
should we take supplements?
are they like medicines?
are they harmful?
today we will discuss whether or not should we take supplements?
First lets understand why should we take supplements?
for example
around 100 -150 yrs ago
when population was less and supplies sufficient
on a patch of 100 acres land, the amount of agriculture that was done
was 3 times a year
on the same patch of land, now because of increased population and demand, atleast 10 times crops are being sowed
hence the soil is drained of minerals and the plant produce also is not that rich in vitamins and minerals
also the vegetables that we consume are not fresh from the farm
its 3 to 10 days old
few fancy vegetables that are sent out of town
go through a process of transport, cold storage and then reach us
it takes 10-12days
this is called food mileage
this results in nutrient loss
this creates deficiencies
hence, supplements become important
Minerals help make you stronger and improves the immune system
plays a role in different chemical reactions
if the minerals are deficient, various metabolic functions of the body are also affected
thats why supplements are important
a lot of people also have concern that doctors do not recommend supplements
i would like to quote from India's leading Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar's book
about why doctors do not recommend supplements
you can read it on the screen
I am also listing an article from BBC news in this respect. Find the link in description box below
in the article , medical students claim that they are not well proficient in nutrition
so it is advisable you visit your nutritionist for better guidance
because good supplements have a major effect on your body's health
today we will discuss what all supplements should we take on a daily basis
and are completely safe
first lets discuss about vitamin b-complex
it is a water soluble vitamin hence optimum amount is necessary for its absorption
sources - whole food, vegetables, food
but that still be insufficient hence the need to take a supplement
with breakfast
it is water soluble and is not stored in the body
excess is washed out of the body
B complex has a series of vitamin b subtypes like b1, b2, upto b12
vitamin b12 is very important for nervous system
low levels can lead to you feeling tired
deficiency can lead to slow cell function
get a blood test done and if the levels are low, take a separate supplement for b12
if b12 is within normal range, then continue to take 1 bcomplex capsule with breakfast
next is calcium
sources are milk, dairy products etc
but the requirement is not met
1000mg is required everyday
you can include a calcium supplement of 500mg
along breakfast
which maintains bone health
serum calcium when tested always comes within normal range
and the question is asked that my blood calcium level is normal then why should i take supplement?
whenever blood calcium goes low, body removes calcium from the bones and increases the blood calcium again so the level of blood calcium is always normal
thats why with age bone density reduces
calcium plays an important part in muscular contraction
studies have shown a direct link between vitamin e and cholesterol
include vit e in your diet if you have high cholesterol level
other studies show no relation
vit e is important for immune system
anti oxidant
reduces cancer risk
improves hair and skin health
evion 200 mg
vit e is fat soluble and is stored in the body so excess can be harmful
include in your diet after conducting a blood test
if its within range then you can take 400 mg of vit e twice  week
Vitamin d is so important that it is now called a hormone
it is important in almost everything
maintains testosterone levels
bone health
sleep cycle
affect level of serotonin
it has a link in case of depression also
calcium absorbtion
there needs to be optimum amount of fat in your diet for its absorption
get a blood test done
if its deficient then start on vit d supplements on a doctor's or nutritionist advice
anti inflammatory
cooking oils are inflammatory
omega 3 helps maintain this ratio
reduces risk of cancer
improves heart health
brain health
sources are fish, flax seed
walnuts
but body's requirement is not met
Include 1 gm capsule with dinner
take fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin e and d with omega 3 at night
for better absorption
gut has bacteria and they are called probiotic
they are important for gut health
include a probiotic 5 mins before your breakfast
helps relieve constipation
very important if you are on anti biotics
as the antibiotics kill your gut bacteria also
helps in case of diarrhea
recommended widely by gynecologists
it is related directly to your stamina
atleast 10 days during the menstrual cycle 3 days before to 4 days after the period
take iron capsule on a empty stomach with lemon water
iron absorption with vitamin c is very effective hence use lemon water.
this is an elctrolyte
should be taken by those who sweat a lot
sweating result in electrolyte & water loss and not fat loss (check my video on relation between sweating and fat loss)
zinc and magnesium is found in vegetables but their quantity in diet is low
those who do heavy weight training and also sweat a lot can incude a capsule 30mins before going to bed
magnesium has direct link with sleep
dosage can go as high as 3 tabs per day but only under supervision
there are a lot myths associated with intake of protein ( See my separate video on protein - link in description box below)
body requires protein regardless of age
If you in your 40s, then 1gm body weight of protein is required
it reduces as you age
and if you workout then requirement is even more and does not go down with age
if you are 80kgs and your protein requirement is 80gms and you can meet this from diet then very good
and if not then whey protein should be taken
it comes in powder form and can be taken from any brand
there are a lot of options available in the market
whey is extracted from milk
helps meet your protein requirement
i hope this helps you
Please leave your questions and comments below
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