March is National Nutrition Month

The Benefits of Supplementation Up to 90% of Americans are lacking key nutrients in our diets. With busy lives and food choices that are less than ideal, it is hard to get the essential nutrients we need for good health. Based on Daily Values (DV) for just 16 nutrients, 11 of the 16 were deemed to be “gap nutrients”.i And DVs reflect expert consensus about generally adequate amounts to meet basic requirements in most healthy people – not what may be required to achieve optimal health. Why Supplement? Ensuring we are getting the nourishment needed to support our bodies’ optimal functions can be a challenge, but nutritional supplementation can help fill in those gaps. Countless research studies and health experts agree that supplementing with key nutrients, including a multivitamin & multimineral complex, phytonutrients, probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids, provide a good nutritional foundation. The Landmark Study To understand the relationship between supplementation and long-term health, the first-of-its-kind Landmark Studyiiwas conducted in collaboration with researchers from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. Researchers gathered a group of long-term (20+ years) multiple-supplementiii users and compared their health to non-supplement users. The Findings Researchers discovered that the overall health of long-term multiple-supplement users was dramatically different from that of nonsupplement users. The multiple-supplement users had improved levels of important heart-healthy biomarkers. As expected, the multiple-supplement users also had substantially higher levels of nutrients in the blood. Lower Risk of Disease As a group, the multiple-supplement users had a lower risk of high blood pressure (39%) and diabetes (73%), and multiple measures of cardiovascular risk trended in favor of supplementation. Quality supplements can help fill nutritional gaps left by less-than-optimal food choices, our overworked bodies, and our toxic environment. i What is America Missing? ii Block G, Jensen CD, Norkus EP, Dalvi TB, Wong LG, McManus JF, Hudes ML. Usage patterns, health, and nutritional status of long-term multiple dietary supplement users: a cross-sectional study. Nutr J. 2007 Oct 24;6:30. PMID: 17958896. iii Supplements were provided by Shaklee Corporation