Why do people take supplements? In Malaysia, the alternative medicine and supplement industry is estimated to be six times the size in monetary terms compared to the pharmaceutical ethical (medicine) market. Across the world the ratio ranges from two to twelve times the size of the ethical market. It is big business.
I am not here to support or decry the food supplement industry, neither is this written to promote any particular type of product. I know that this section will be controversial, and in truth a lot of the products are highly over priced and unnecessary, but let’s all throw away any commercial interests we might harbour, and just look at the facts. What I will do in this section is to:
- Highlight various supplements
- The marketing claims being made
- Consider the validity of these claims valid and the opinion of health experts
Firstly, what are some of the reasons health food companies claim that we must take supplements?
a. Loss of vitamins and minerals in our modern food processing
b. Nutritional deficiencies in our diet despite taking adequate calories
c. Stresses of modern living and the need for higher levels of these nutrients than our diets can supply
d. Depletion of vital nutrients such as B-vitamins, vitamin C and antioxidants due to urban factors such as smoking, alcohol and pollution
