Articles > Bodybuilding Supplements > Food vs. Supplements

Which One Is Better For You?
Supplements are near to obligatory in the bodybuilding world. Nowadays almost everyone is using Creatine, which has become a key landmark. The contemporary bodybuilder can get marvelous results from using the substances that have stood the test of time. However, even though there are plenty of perfectly balanced supplement drinks out there, they’ll never take the place of actual food.

You’ve spotted the advertisements: “Natural herbs dissolve pounds– without diet or exercise,” or “incredible new finding heightens physical performance!” Having trouble believing these ads? Dietary supplements are products that comprise vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, or botanicals – or any concentration, extract, or combination of these – as part of their ingredients. How safe are they? Are supplements truly superior to food? Did you ever observe how articles about supplements in certain bodybuilding publications are hardly ever objective? They all appear to be slanted towards hyping some “radical” new product. It certainly

sounds credible when protein companies toss around fancy words like cross flow micro filtration, oligopeptides, ion exchange, protein efficiency ratio, biological value, nitrogen retention and glycomicropeptides, particularly when scores of scientific references are quoted.

It could be disputed that never in history has so much been spent on the marketing and buying of any goods, with so little information on the merchandise itself, on the part of either the supplier or purchaser, as has been spent on vitamin and mineral supplements. Billions are being spent yearly, and the majority of the buyers, wholesalers, retailers or direct-to-the-consumer salespeople do not know the distinction between a synthetic, a crystalline, and a truly natural vitamin, or the difference between a chelated organic and an inorganic mineral.

Americans are now paying out in excess of $17 billion a year for supplements for health and wellness. Yet, one thing seems quite clear: for the most part supplements aren’t helping very much. There certainly are helpful supplements, but their users must first deal with the fundamentals of health and nutrition.

The demographic group of 15 to 25 year olds – known as “Millennials” – is now rising as a commanding force for determining trends in food and nutritional supplements. This information augurs well for the prospects of functional foods, organic produce, various nutritional and of course sport supplements. Participants in a recent study named food’s vitamin content as one of their top five priorities: freshness was at the very top of the list, in fact.

Milk vs. Calcium Supplements
The majority of people can best meet their calcium requirements through food. Ideas for action to improve calcium intake:

• Learn which foods are rich sources of calcium.
• Take pleasure in calcium-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt every day.
• Keep track daily of the number of servings of milk products that you consume.
• Talk about your concerns with a registered dietitian, doctor or pharmacist if you are not capable of meeting your calcium requirements through food.

• Combine exercise with eating well
• Eat a variety of foods
• Eat foods in moderation

Most foods are made of carbohydrates, fat or protein. Carbohydrates are the sugars, starches and fibers found in plants foods, and are your body’s main source of energy, so they should provide the bulk of your calories – about 50-60 percent of your daily intake. Fat, also a concentrated source of energy, should supply no more than 30 percent, with protein providing the rest.

Nutrition Supplements: Science vs. Hype
Aggressive advertising has directed millions of recreational and elite athletes to use nutrition supplements in hopes of improving performance. Nutrition supplements are a profitable business in the United States. These supplements are sadly subject to little regulation by the US Food and Drug Administration. This lack of regulation can bring about dishonest marketing, impurities in manufacturing, and potentially hazardous reactions among supplement users.

The choice is clear when it comes to whether to use real foods or dietary supplements. The big advantage of food over supplements is that real food contains multiple nutrients. People need a variety of nutrients and fiber to stay healthy. Supplements can be useful, but they don’t offer a total nutritional package. The bottom line is to eat a variety of food from all the food groups and don’t be over-reliant on food supplements.



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