Food for Thought

Our preceding Fit cover star, Harshvardhan Rane is of the opinion that natural bodybuilding is the key to attaining a strong mind and soul. He does not take any artificial means such as steroids to bulk up and you shouldn’t too. But, what should be done if you are still feeling under the weather? We present to you, natural supplements. “Today, people have become very busy that they don’t have time to have complete meals which are essential for their body and that’s why supplements have become quintessential to prevent diseases and improve health and get ample nutrition,” says Dolly Kumar, Director, GAIA.

However, nowadays, a lot of individuals have a number of allergies. So, who shouldn’t use natural supplements? “Natural supplements are made from naturally produced foods. A person allergic to a specific food is not suggested to take supplements made from that food. Supplements are something similar to the natural whole foods and consist of the same elements as that of the whole foods,” she adds.

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You may ask, how are natural supplements different from the synthetic dietary supplements available in the market? “Natural supplements are obtained from whole food sources in the diet, while synthetic dietary supplements do not include ‘whole food supplements’ and are made in an artificial laboratory setting or industrial process. The majority of supplements available on the market today are made artificially. These include vitamins, minerals and amino acids, among others,” Dolly adds. Since many people don’t get enough nutrients from the diet alone, dietary supplements play a vital role by meeting the required daily dosage of vitamins and minerals.

Supplements market have changed the game across the world and India is not lagging behind. Today there are over 100 players in the market. Moreover, rising health consciousness, rapid growth of the e-commerce market and rising per capita income are driving the growth of the dietary supplements market in India. “The concept of food is changing today. People who were used to their diets which they have had since childhood are now shifting towards healthier foods,” says Kumar. The company believes that to obtain optimum well-being, everyone must make small changes such as replacing regular tea with green tea, sugar with stevia or honey and so on.

Supplements are over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, which means you do not need a doctor’s prescription to consume them. However, If you suspect any side-effect from a dietary supplement, immediately consult a doctor and beware of any contamination.

From the August 2019 issue of FHM India.