Nutrition in a pill - Research Paper Example

What they do not seem to care or think of is the undeniable fact that these efficient meals, although economical, have an underlying dangerous effect to their health. Years of depending on these have evidently been affecting many and have consequently caused growing concern about health. Consequently, because of demand and need, many have come up with, yet again, new ideas. Among the most sellable is the use of vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements, but their widespread use has had questions arise.

Do they really work? Are their effect really worth the money? When people make the decision to take in supplements as the replacement for the nutritious food they are expected to eat, they begin to lose sight of what supplements and vitamins can never replace: a healthy lifestyle that only proper diet and exercise can give. Yes, although supplements do indeed, at a certain extent, become the solution to specific health problems such as cholesterol or high blood pressure, they simply do not give the same effect as nutritious diet and regular exercise do.

Therefore, supplements, vitamins and minerals are not for everyone, are not for most. These only greatly benefit the elderly and those who suffer from specific health conditions and illnesses, not for the majority who eat moderately and exercise regularly. On the September issue of Time Magazine, in its special health and nutrition issue, is an article of five pages that is entitled: “Nutrition in a Pill?” It features the writer’s journey of taking roughly three thousand dietary supplements for about five months to test if vitamins, minerals and supplements indeed are worth the thousand dollars they cost, and the results it has brought about.

Summarizing the results of John Cloud’s five-month journey is in an article in Science-Based Magazine. “Only two measurements changed significantly: his vitamin D level… and his HDL level… He felt better on the supplements, but he attributed that to placebo