There are so many different dietary ideas floating around the world. With the internet being so robust and ever-growing, it’s hard to know who is telling the truth about what we should be doing (or not doing). A lot of times we hear health specialists or doctors say that we should be taking vitamins and supplements daily. But why take supplements? Are they really necessary?

Here we give you 8 solid reasons why we think taking supplements is something you should be doing, at least if you care about your health.

8 Reasons why we should take supplements

1) Our Modern Junk Food Diet

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data suggests that less than 7 percent of us are eating the recommended number of servings of vegetables. Many of us today rely on a diet rich in junk foods like pizza, chips and burgers. Convenience is king and we have found a way to make food cheaper but a lot of times that means heavily processed. The foods that most of us eat are hardly nutritious – they are not organic or even fresh, and more often than not they are loaded with salt, fat, sugar, or unhealthy additives!

Of course, we do eat food that isn’t processed, like red meat and poultry, but even then they are normally full of growth hormones, GMO’s and god knows what else.

2) We Encounter More Toxins Than We Used To

The world is a much different place from when our ancestors lived here. Every day we are breathing in toxins that we release into the world, and we haven’t even discussed what we put into our bodies on purpose! In our modern and ever-changing world, our bodies need more nutrients to handle and combat those toxins. The nutrients in food today is not up to the challenge, especially when you think about all of the food that we eat that is low in healthy vitamins as it is.

Taking daily vitamins and supplements can help with the pollution and toxins we experience in our everyday environment.

3) Producers Create Genetic Hybrids That Have Low Nutrition Values

There are producers (the makers of our fruits and veggies) that are learning how to create hybrid forms of these foods to enhance them in some way. Either changing their colour, weight, or even how long they last on the shelf. This kind of genetic manipulation just drops the nutrition values. 

In 2013, the New York Times stated that we genetic manipulation like what is found in America is simple, “breeding the nutrition out of our food.” Which makes sense, right? The more we try to manipulate nature and the way it grows, the less we are maintaining the nutrition value. Supplements can help offset the lack of nutrients from our daily fruits and veggie intake.

4) Even Our Water is Depleted of Minerals

The way modern water production methods work, coupled with the excessive use of filters, even our water is depleted of minerals. For centuries, we as humans have relied on the nutrient-rich water sources to get the essential minerals our bodies need.

The World Health Organization revealed in 2005 that many important minerals like magnesium are being removed from the water in all of North America. In our world today, we are missing out on key resources because we believe in over filtering from the source.

5) Poor Growing Conditions - Lack of Nutrition in Soil

According to USDA records and a 2004 report in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, nutritional values for fruits and vegetables today are below what you could get in 1970s. It's because of commercial farming and all of the powerful fertilisers we use that our soils have been significantly deprived of vital nutrients. Soil is becoming less and less nutrient rich and lacking in the essential vitamins and minerals we need.

The food we eat is only as good as the soil is grows in.

6) Long Distance Produce

A lot of the produce you see at your local grocery store was sent from across the country or maybe even around the world. The Center for Environmental Farming Systems says that vitamins in certain produce are depleted because they have been shipped from long distances and stored for long periods before we even see them on the shelves.

Sometimes, produce is harvested weeks or months before your purchase! Buying local and organic produce is your best option for the maximum amount of nutrition! Think about going to Farmer’s Markets, or even starting your own garden!

7) People Today Don’t Absorb Nutrients Very Well

As we get older, and the food in our world changes, we have a harder time digesting food and retaining the nutrients we need. Especially because, as we get older, we also take more medications, and that could interfere with nutrient absorption. Half of the U.S. population has inadequate stomach acid, according to the Poliquin Group, which means the food we eat isn’t getting absorbed properly.

Vitamin supplements can help compensate for nutrients lost during digestion and consumption.

8) You Need Nutrients To Exercise

Your body demands more nutrients when you exercise for proper energy production and recovery. Supplements can bridge the gap between the nutrients we need and the food that is lacking them. The more you exercise, the more your body needs to maintain optimum wellness (read more in the U.S National Library of Medicine.)

So, why take supplements?

Unfortunately, a “good, balanced” diet may not be  enough to be healthy. When you take into account the combination of poor food choices, over-processed foods, and poor farming practices, the nutrition we eat is pretty much sub-standard. Many people (including the elderly, vegans, alcoholics, and those with absorption problems) were not getting an adequate vitamin intake. Especially in today’s society, taking supplements is an essential step towards optimum wellness!

Supplementation is intended to bridge the nutritional gap, so that we maintain the proper balance of nutrients from food and supplementation. #VK6 nutricosmetics are formulated to enhance the nutrient density of your diet and make sure you are obtaining the right amount of nutrients tailored to support healthy skin, body and mind.⁠ Check out our collection of holistic beauty-boosting supplements here.