Tips » Supplementation
Don't we get all of the nutrients we need from a balanced diet?
I believe even a healthy, balanced diet falls woefully short of adequate nutrition. There are dozens of reasons why people should be taking in appropriate nutrients. In fact, it used to be the position of the American Medical Association that everything you need has to come from the diet, and old habits die hard. The truth is that the Journal of the American Medical Association recently published articles that recommend every adult take additional supplementation to meet their nutrient requirements.
It is also true that the RDA is not an amount that is deemed sufficient for good health. Most people assume this, and say, "I'm getting my RDA." The truth is that the RDA is the minimum amount for survival, not health. For example, the USRDA for Vitamin C is around 75mg and that is the minimal amount known to prevent the onset of the disease scurvy. Obviously, Vitamin C has many other uses other than scurvy, but this is how the RDA was set. The upper tolerable limit, i.e. the government established amount at which it may become toxic or create negative side effects, is 2,000 milligrams (2 grams). A huge jump from 75mg!
There are a few more cutting edge books on nutrition available. John Berardi is certainly a pioneer. The textbook for the Specialist in Performance Nutrition course from ISSA is also one of the best, most up to date nutrition resources I know of. Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill by Udo Erasmus is a great way to learn more about healthy fats. The Memory Solution by Dr. Julian Whitaker is another that comes to mind. Perhaps the best explanation of the need for multivitamins and examination of how woefully inadequate most are (people still assume they are actually receiving something when they throw $5 on a cheap grocery store brand) is the Comparative Guide to Nutrition Supplements by Lyle MacWilliams.