How useful are dietary supplements really?

10 possible reasons for nutrient deficiency

• 1. Not enough fruit & vegetables
  The average German eats just 289 g of fruit and vegetables per day! This is far too little, because even official sources recommend 400 g, which, by the way, we consider the absolute minimum. Since only 27% of all women and 20% of all men even get this amount, it’s no wonder that many of us lack vital vitamins, fiber, minerals and trace elements. But even if we consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables every day, we may still be deficient in nutrients. The reason: many fruits and vegetables are often of inferior quality, harvested unripe or overheated in preparation. All of this leads to nutrient losses.
• 2. Too little high-quality protein (amino acids)
  Vegans and vegetarians in particular have the challenge of replacing animal protein adequately and sufficiently in their diet. But also pregnant women, seniors, athletes, sick people or people who would like to stay vital have an increased need for amino acids. Not without reason are these considered the basis of all life. A sufficient and high-quality supply is essential for our health, since amino acids are responsible for cell formation and cell regeneration, among other things.
• 3. Insufficient sunlight (vitamin D3)
  As northern and central Europeans, we are of course at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to taking in enough sunlight every day. However, our body urgently needs this to produce the vital vitamin D. Vitamin D controls the calcium absorption of our bones, among other things, and strengthens our body’s defenses. Unfortunately, even a longer walk per day is not enough to provide us with sufficient vitamin D3 – especially in the cold and dark season.

  

• 4. High level of stress
  We are all exposed to a wide variety of stressful situations every day: high pressure to perform at work, school or university, taking care of the family in addition to the job, homeschooling, financial responsibilities, etc. This constant stress is an ideal basis for free radicals, which can cause an imbalance in the nutrient balance. Antioxidants provide effective protection against free radicals.
• 5. Denatured food due to industrial processing
  Here the rule of thumb is: The more industrially processed a food is, the fewer nutrients it usually contains. However, since our stressful and modern lifestyle is usually tightly timed, many of us reach for quickly available foods in everyday life. Sandwiches, instant soups, convenience foods, and even supposedly “healthy” options such as yogurts, instant muesli, and soy products are usually very low in nutrients.

• 6. Mineral-poor soils
  A fact that cannot be avoided even with the most balanced diet: fruits and vegetables are often so low in nutrients because very many soils are simply depleted by modern efficiency-oriented agriculture. The use of fertilizers does the rest, so that the nutrient soil for our food is neither particularly rich nor sustainable.
• 7. Too much sugar and carbohydrates
  It is human nature to prefer sweet foods. After all, our first gustatory perception is our mother’s milk, which is said to have a slightly sweet taste. Unfortunately, we often indulge this inclination for sweet things very excessively these days. Foods and beverages containing sugar and carbohydrates dominate our daily diet, while foods rich in nutrients are increasingly being pushed into the background. As a result, the more sugar we eat, the fewer vitamins and minerals we absorb. A fact that, incidentally, was confirmed again by Lund University in Sweden just last year.
• 8. Too little fish (omega-3 fatty acids)
  Not only vegans and vegetarians are affected when it comes to an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency, but also many “omnivores”. And so many of us consume too much omega-6 fatty acids, but at the same time suffer from an acute omega-3 deficiency. It should be obvious that the regular consumption of fish sticks or baked fish sandwiches is not the solution. Breaded fish usually contains few nutrients. Instead, high-quality sea fish from sustainable organic aquaculture should be on the menu at least once a week. However, since this is not always readily available and fish from conventional aquacultures or wild-caught fish are often heavily contaminated with heavy metals, omega-3 fatty acids can be supplemented well via algae oil.
• 9. Increased nutrient requirements in various life situations.
  Of course, the respective nutrient requirement always depends strongly on the individual life situation. Pregnant women, seniors, athletes, children, vegans, vegetarians, people with health problems, smokers or people with a high stress level have an increased nutrient requirement. This clearly deviates from the official recommendations and should therefore be adequately covered in addition.
• 10. Regular intake of medication
  What many people are not aware of is that taking certain medications can lead to a glaring nutrient deficiency. The list of medications is so long that it would go beyond the scope of our article. Therefore, our tip: It is best to discuss with your doctor or therapist how you can prevent a nutrient deficiency when taking medication, or you can look for suitable alternatives together.