Dietary Supplements do not replace healthy and balanced eating habits despite having some advantages

With the advancement of technology and sophisticated laboratories, a wide range of dietary supplements is available for the population. With the increasing numbers of supplements accessible on the market, the number of people who started to make use of those dietary supplements also increased.

What most people do not know, however, is that those supplements are not a replacement for a healthy and balanced diet. According to most specialists in this area, dietary supplements are beneficial if used in combination with healthy and balanced eating habits, and not as a replacement for a sloppy eating habit.

Why is it important to have a good nutrition?

The food is an essential condition for sustaining life and, in order for this to be done in a correct way, the food has to be ingested in an appropriate quantity and variety, otherwise the body will not be able to perform its necessary functions properly and it will be unable to prevent diseases caused by poor alimentation.

In other words, maintaining a good nutrition is the ultimate aspect of being healthy. By having a balanced healthy diet, individuals can:

• enhance vitality and energy for life
• maintain proper and desired weight
• boost their immune system
• delay the effects of aging
• help beat tiredness and fatigue
• decrease the chances of developing illness related with poor nutrition

Supplements can be beneficial if used in the proper way

Nowadays, to maintain a diet rich in nutrients that guarantee the necessary quantity of healthy fats, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins can be challenging for several reasons. For example, people in the modern society are always too busy spending most of their time working, studying, exercising, or taking care of their families.

As a result of that fast-paced lifestyle, there is a lack of time for people to prepare meals that are going to provide them with all the essential nutrients. Therefore, there is a tendency for the consumption of unhealthy food such as fast-food, processed food, and aliments that are high in sugar and low in nutrients.

Another consequence of not having enough time is the difficulty to feed properly and in every three hours, which is the estimated proper time interval to be eating. Some of the main effects noticed by people who are not obtaining enough nutrients from alimentation only are physical exhaustion, lack of memory, hair loss, liquid retention, lack of energy, low immunity, and other health-related problems. In this case, dietary supplements are a good alternative in helping to solve all of these problems caused by nutritional deficiencies.

However, it is usual for the general population to have some questions about dietary supplements, such as "Which one should I take?", "How do I know how much to take?", or "Are there any side effects?". This YouTube video, developed by the National Institutes of Health, gives the population short and effective answers for the most frequent questions asked:

Besides this informative video, the National Institutes of Health also provides further and detailed information about numerous dietary supplements on its website page. The NIH is a good and reliable source for additional information on dietary supplements as well as health and nutrition in general.

Finding the right balance between food nutrition and supplements is challenging for several reasons

Because of the lack of time, as mentioned before, it becomes easier for people to prepare a multivitamin shake, or eat a protein bar instead of having a complete and nutritious meal. Yet, it is important for people to realize that food, in its more natural form, is better than taking supplement.

Jordan Jennewine, a nutritionist for the athletic department at The University of Maryland, has as her main responsibility to keep the athletes properly nourished in order for them to perform at their best. And for Jennewine, the same principles of obtaining the most of nutrients possible from food is a rule that applies not only for regular people, but for athletes as well:

There are a couple of aspects that lies on the downside of taking unadvised dietary supplements. First, there are examples of multivitamin supplements on the market that offer larger quantities of vitamins than the actual necessary amount and even quantities that exceeds the a person's tolerable limit.

Additionally, some studies have shown that the risks of improper supplementation may increase the chances of developing some serious diseases. Among some examples of diseases that could be related to the excess of wrongfully supplementation are cardiovascular diseases and the increased chances of developing skin and prostate cancer.

The main explanation for having serious diseases attached with the excess of supplementation is that too much of something, even when it is a good thing, like vitamins, could be detrimental for one's health. In the case of cardiovascular diseases, studies found that the excess of calcium supplements, which is usually recommended for the strength of the bones, expose users to a higher risk of cardiovascular complications.

As for the increased chances of developing skin cancer, a study found that women who took multivitamin supplements, which includes vitamin C, E, beta-carotene, selenium, and zinc, were the group at a higher risk of developing this disease. A different study addressed the excess of vitamin E supplementation as a potential cause for the increase of prostate cancer.

Evidence of increasing use are shown by the growth of the global vitamin and supplement market

Source: ReportLinker

Because of the easier access to information and technology nowadays, society became more aware of the importance of vitamins in order to avoid diseases and also, as a consequence, reduce healthcare costs. In other words, consumers believe that by taking supplements and multivitamin products, their chances of getting sick are very low.

And for the consumers' usually tight budget, spending a few bucks on supplements to avoid diseases are way cheaper than having to deal with high costs of private healthcare policies. Both of these reason combined are key components for the constantly growing numbers of the global vitamin and supplement market. In 2013, the global market for vitamin and supplements exceeded $90
billion, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% from $75 billion in 2009.

Going forward, economists predict that the global market for vitamin and supplements will continue to grow in the next five years following 2013, however the CAGR will suffer a slight drop of 1%. Economists believe that this drop will occur due to increased demand from more health-conscious consumers and also because of the demand for more reliable and effective products.

But having this 1% drop does not mean that the market will stop growing. On the contrary, it is predicted to still be increasing, but at a slower pace instead. Nevertheless, in order to keep generating this growth, the global market for vitamin and supplements need to focus its resources on four key trends that are shaping the industry:

Source: ReportLinker

• Consumers are more health-conscious: This means that since dietary supplements are going to be something new anymore. Therefore, consumers will have feedback such as the effectiveness of the product, pros and cons, if it has side effects, among others. As a way of keeping up with this trend, manufacturers will have to focus on innovative products and advertising campaigns.
• People are buying vitamins online: Technology nowadays is present in everything, therefore with supplements it is not different. Manufacturers should focus on providing information on educative websites as well as provide diversified options for online shopping.
• Regulations on nutritional supplements are set to become more stringent: This one is regarding the reliability of the product manufactured. The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) is being more strict when it comes to the safety of nutritional supplements. Industries of this area should make sure that they are develop a safe and effective product.
• Mergers and Acquisition are Common in the Supplements Industry: Companies should consider acquisitions or mergers in order to enter or grow in this lucrative market. This allow companies to avoid extra expenditures with further research and other related costs.

Dietary supplements can also serve as additional help for high-perfomance athletes

The body of an athlete is his principal tool for his work. His or her perfomance depends 100% on the perfect conditions of his/her body. With that being said, an athlete needs not only to be in perfect health shape in order to perform at their best, but they also need that extra vitamin or mineral that is going to help them to practice, prepare for games, and stay healthy for the season.

Aaron Franco, a student-athlete for the University of Maryland, has been playing soccer for the majority of his live. When asked if he took any dietary supplements, this was his answer:

This interview shows how essential some vitamins and proteins present in the form of dietary supplements are in the life of high-perfomance athletes. Those kinds of supplements are necessary to give them that extra edge in order to win their battles, and they also are fundamental to help athletes to eliminate or to sooth some of the chronicle pains they might have due to the extensive use of a determined part of their bodies.

Despite having a few advantages, dietary supplements does not replace healthy and balanced eating habit

 Why is it important to have a good  nutrition?

The food is an essential condition for sustaining life and in order for this to be done in a correct way the food has to be ingested in an appropriate quantity and variety, otherwise the body does not develop properly the needed functions and it is unable to prevent diseases caused by a poor feeding.

Why supplements are important?

Nowadays, to maintain a diet rich in nutrients that guarantee the necessary quantity of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins is a challenge for most people. People are too busy spending time working, studying or practicing physical activities and they forget the importance of having a good nutrition. The lack of time to prepare the food itself leads to the consumption of food in restaurants or fast foods, where it is not possible to control the menu. Another problem is the difficulty to feed properly and in the right time (every 3 hours). The body expresses the nutritional deficiencies by physical exhaustion, lack of memory, hair loss, liquid retention, lack of energy, low immunity and other health problems. Food supplements are necessary to avoid or solve these problems caused by nutritional deficiencies. They also help athletes who require a strengthening of carbohydrates and proteins to avoid muscle fatigue and improve performance.

Video interview here:

 The issue between supplements and food

Because of the lack of time, it is easier for people to prepare a "shake" or eat a protein bar instead of having a good full meal or even a healthy snack. It is important for people to realize that food is better than supplements. The use of supplements is becoming more common and not always the supplements are balanced properly and sometimes they can even present side effects. There are examples of multivitamin supplements on the market that offer larger quantities of vitamins than the actual need and even the tolerable limit by people. Also, some studies have shown that a bad supplementation may increase the risk of a heart disease and the excess of proteins can overload the function of the kidneys. Furthermore, when we consume a food, we are eating much more than only a nutrient, we are ingesting a combination of all of the components we need. It is important to make clear that in some cases the supplementation is really necessary and can provide benefits to health. However, the evaluation and monitoring of use must be performed by a qualified professional, as a nutritionist.

How to keep a balanced nutrition?

In order to keep a healthy body, it is necessary to have a good nutrition and also, it is important to maintain a good diet preventing the necessity of the consumption of supplements. Fruits and vegetables, preferably organic, have fibers, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are fundamental for the good functioning of the organism and it act in the prevention of the occurrence of diseases and it help with the retardation of early aging of the skin. Use natural seasoning in your meal. They improve the taste of the dish and they have beneficial effects. The garlic traditionally used for seasoning may help to control the blood pressure; ginger has thermogenic effect, helping to accelerate the metabolism; the turmeric has anti-inflammatory action and antioxidant.

Video Games can have negative impact on people's lives by trapping them in a "fantasy world"

Video Games are nowadays one of the most common ways of entertainment for children and young adults in general. In the past, children used to interact to each other more and play outside of the house, they would usually play sports or kids play such as hide-n-seek or jumping the rope. Now, with the advancement of technology and highly-sophisticated games, most of the children and adolescents are now choosing to stay home and play video games.

For most of the people, my self included, this is a negative outcome brought by these super technological games. A lot of people blame some Video Games for being to violent, therefore influencing children and teenagers to act more violently in real life. However, besides the violence issue, there is another aspect that concerns me. For example, games like "The Sims", the one on the image, portrays people living their lives as if it was real.

The way I see it, there are several problems within this game, and some of this problems are shown in this image. First, this is a game where you create a "character" and then you basically make him live and do whatever you tell him to do. But to me this is a bit ironic. Instead of people going outside and live their own lives, their prefer to stay behind the computer and live their character's life. This attitude may be linked to some stereotypes and prejudice in real life. For example, if a person is not popular in real life and it is not considered "good-looking" according to the society patterns this person is living in, they are very likely to play these games in order to escape from the hardships of the real world. This could be very damaging, because they get caught up in the video game life, which is not real and then they forget to fight the injustices of the real world. Another problem related to this image, is that contents of this game is very inappropriate for kids at a younger age. Yet, majority of players that are interested in these kind of game are those who are not prepared for the content of the game, which includes having sex and doing illicit drugs.

WhatsApp, an instant messaging app, is the most popular app in Brazil because it facilitates communication among Smartphone users

WhatsApp Welcome Screen

What if you were asked to delete all the apps you have in your phone and keep just one, which one would it be? Researches have appointed that more than half of Brazilian population who owns Smartphones would stick to WhatsApp.

This cross-platform mobile messaging app, which allows users to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS is the number one app for numbers of downloads and active users in Brazil.

This enormous WhatsApp popularity in Brazil might be considered a little bit unusual for U.S. Smartphone users, since the app does not even appear on the ranking of top 25 mobile apps in America.

According to Marcelo Teixeira, a researcher for TechinBrazil, there is a reasonable
explanation why instant messaging apps are so popular in the country: "This is due, in most part, to the business model of Brazilian carriers, who charges highly for the number of SMS messages sent, a fact that makes the intensive use of messaging an unattractive option for Brazil cellphone users."

For those who have never heard about this app, WhatsApp does what most of the instant messaging apps do. With WhatsApp, Smartphone users are able to message others at anytime in any part of the world, as long as they have internet connection. As the years went by and society started to demand more features from their technology, WhatsApp developers improved the app allowing users to send and receive images, send each other audio and video media messages, create groups, and even make phone calls using the app.

Other than its conventional usage, some Business owners perceived the wide range of potential consumers that are using WhatsApp in Brazilian territory, and so they started developing marketing and sales strategies that are attached to the app. Since WhatsApp is a paid app that does not sell any advertisements and refutes any kind of merchandising, companies were forced to develop creative alternatives to incorporate their business into it.

Brazil x United States mobile trending

When comparing the U.S. with the Brazilian top 25 mobile apps ranking, it is possible to notice some disparities, but the main difference is that WhatsApp is not even listed on the American ranking.

The only instant messaging app that appears on the American ranking is Facebook Messenger, which also appears on the Brazilian ranking at the fourth position. Facebook is the undisputed leader for mobile apps on the U.S., and in Brazil it appears on the second position.

Snapchat is another ranked app that could be considered an instant messaging app, but Snapchat has some distinguished features, which makes it very dissimilar from WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

These comparisons show that the United States present an exception to the trend of message apps usage. While Brazilians follows a worldwide tendency of adopting messaging apps as their number one app, Americans tend to valorize social media more, and this is explicitly demonstrated by Facebook's and other social media apps gigantic popularity, such as YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.

Other Brazilian tendencies and its strength on the mobile market


Besides Brazilians close "relationship" to WhatsApp, another interesting choice among Smartphone owners in Brazil is Internet Banking. The App for Banco Do Brasil, one of the biggest banks in Brazil, is ranked eight on the list of most frequently used mobile apps. On the other hand, there are no  banking mobile apps that is ranked on the top 25 list in the United States.

WhatsApp is not the only exciting area of mobile technology in Brazil. Actually, there are plenty of interesting facts that show Brazil is an increasing potency in mobile technology.

Among some reasons to believe so are the fact that Brazil's App Market is worth U$1.5 Billion dollars; 70% percent of Brazilians claim that they make purchases with a smartphone or tablet; Brazil is the second country with more profiles on Facebook, losing only to the U.S.

Although Brazil has been showing significant improvement on the mobile world, there is not enough apps created inside the country that are relevant worldwide.

 Yet, Brazilian developers were successful in creating apps that are extremely relevant for those who are currently living in Brazil. These apps help the Brazilian people, immigrants, and even tourists providing several information and services in areas such as transportation, city guide, food, shopping, news, etc.

We are living in a digitalized era where internet, alongside with Smartphones and mobile apps are changing the way we communicate to each other not only nationally, but globally. For the Brazilians, the most accepted way of communication happened to be via WhatsApp, but that does not mean that it is going to last forever, because the speed society changes nowadays is almost as fast as the way we communicate. Yesterday, we used to make phone calls. Today, we text each other more often. What form of communication will be the most popular in the future?

Brazil upsets Costa Rica in a friendly match, but Neymar was not happy

The reasons why I would share this post with my family and friends are because I am from Brazil and also because I play soccer. These two things are extremely important to me and they are part of my identity.

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