Our body is like a chemical factory that needs optimal intake of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and trace elements for healthy functioning. Some people still believe that if they are on a balanced and varied diet, they have an adequate intake of all important nutrients and do not need to take dietary supplements. But the truth is that dietary supplements are almost a necessity today and they are becoming part of a healthy lifestyle.
In this article you will find out which are the most deficient nutrients in the modern Czech diet that we should not forget to include in our consumption.
Article at a glanc:
- The nutritional status of the soil reflects the nutritional value of the food
- A properly formulated supplement can cover the major deficiencies in our diet
- Lack of quality fish in our diet
- It is important to maintain a balanced ratio between omega 3 and omega 6
- Which supplements are essential and suitable for almost everyone?
It would be ideal to evaluate each person's diet and lifestyle individually and then propose personalized supplementation. But if we want to make general recommendations, we have to take into account the most common nutritional deficiencies in our local conditions.
A rich and varied diet is a cliché today. Unfortunately, such a diet is not sufficient to cover our nutritional deficiencies. These days most people suffer from a modern form of hypercaloric malnutrition. In other words, we live in an abundance of food that gives us an excess of calories, but we lack essential micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, trace elements) that are key to the proper functioning of the body and maintaining good health.
The nutritional status of the soil reflects the nutritional value of the food
The nutritional value of basic foodstuffs was negatively affected by intensive farming and subsequently by the food processing industry. The share of fertile land and its quality is still decreasing, while the number of people dependent on the resources it generates is growing. Therefore higher demands are claimed on the soil. The overuse of agrochemicals and the associated intensification methods only deepen this imbalance. It is therefore not surprising that the nutritional value of crops has a decreasing trend. The concentration of some minerals in the soil increases (such as potassium), while other minerals (such as selenium or manganese) are deficient. The availability of nutrients (like nitrogen and selenium) is also problematic due to disrupted pH of the soil. Among other things, too acidic soil causes a reduction in the number of bacteria that are crucial for healthy soil. The decrease of the soil biodiversity leads to a reduced availability of nutrients for us as well. The final destruction is caused by the post-harvest treatment of crops and by the food industry. This leads to even further decrease in the nutritional value of food.
A properly formulated supplement can cover the major deficiencies in our diet
That is why the F20 multivitamin was created. Its aim is to cover the most common deficient nutrients in our society that almost each person is missing in optimal doses. F20 multivitamin is intended for everyone, who is unable to evaluate possible deficient nutrients in his diet, cannot or do not want to set personalized supplementation with a qualified specialist, but wants to improve his nutritional status.
F20 is suitable for long-term (yearlong) usage. It contains 4 basic vitamins soluble in fats: A, D, E and K2, active forms of the B-complex guaranteeing higher bioavailability compared to inactivated forms, vitamin C and our most deficient elements zinc, selenium, iodine, copper, manganese and chromium. Unique are not only the ingredients, but also the proportions of the individual substances. They are designed not to compete with each other, but on the contrary support their nutritional potential.
For most people with good eating habits, it will be appropriate to take 2 F20 capsules per day, distributed evenly throughout the day. Ideally, take 1 capsule in the morning and 1 capsule in the evening with food containing at least a small amount of fat.
Lack of quality fish in our diet
The other most deficient nutrients in our company include omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These semi-essential nutrients are key to our health and everyone needs them - from birth to senior age. Their intake plays an important role in the prevention of many diseases. They support cognitive functions, help in maintaining good vision, regulate inflammatory processes in the body and contribute to the healthy cardiovascular system.
Our body can synthesize these fatty acids from the essential ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), that can be found in walnuts, flaxseed oil or hemp seeds. Unfortunately this conversion is not sufficient due to the modern's lifestyle.
It is therefore important to include foods high in EPA and DHA in the diet. These foods contain mainly fish living in cold waters, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel or sardines.
Unfortunately, fish consumption in the Czech Republic has been low for a long time. The average annual consumption in Czechia is only about 5.5 kg per person, which corresponds to approximately 0.6 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per day. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends taking 250 mg of EPA and DHA as a daily dose to support cardiovascular health and reduce cardiovascular disease.
It is important to maintain a balanced ratio between omega 3 and omega 6
In addition, most people's diet is based mainly on omega-6 fatty acids. They can be found in vegetable oils, margarines, nuts and basically in all high processed foods. The excess of omega-6 fatty acids contributes to inflammatory processes in the body that can lead to various chronic diseases. In order to prevent this situation, we should ensure an optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, which is ideally 1: 1 to a maximum of 4: 1. Unfortunately, the reality is different for most people and the ratio can often be 20: 1.
To increase the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, it is generally recommended to eat 2-3 servings of fish per week. If we do not eat cold fish regularly several times a week, or if we have an excess of omega-6 fatty acids in our diet, it will be more than appropriate to take EPA and DHA quality supplements.
Which supplements are essential and suitable for almost everyone?
From the above-described situation related to deficient nutrients, preventive use of F20 multivitamin and Omega 3 can be recommended for almost everyone.
During winter, it will be beneficial for most people to supplement vitamin D together with vitamin K2.
In the summer, most of us enjoy sunbathing, which increases our vitamin D levels. On the other hand, sunbathing and UV radiation can cause higher oxidative stress contributing to skin aging, wrinkles, loss of skin elasticity and dark pigment spots. To prevent these side effects of sunbathing, we can increase consumption of foods rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C. We can also use the ProLife supplement that is high in antioxidant vitamin E and contains a valuable carotenoid Astaxanthin.
Magnesium is excessively depleted in the case of increased physical or mental stress, as well as by a diet high in carbohydrates and highly processed foods.Therefore anyone who is going through a difficult period, sports regularly or is exposed to stress for a long time should consider the use of magnesium supplements.