The earliest societies were agrarian and grew their own food, reared domesticated animals both as a source for labour and food. Societies grew larger as technological improvements took place allowing man to produce more food and provide services which could sustain large populations in towns and cities.
This increase in productivity can only be sustained if the nutrition that is available is adequate. This has two components:
Amount
Total food production has increased tremendously. Studies show that we produce more food per person than at any time in history. Inevitably distribution has not kept pace with production. This results in the poor quality of the food reaching the consumer.
Quality
Quality of food has always been a concern historically. Even in primitive societies, wholesale migration patterns of large populations have been described because of the drop in the quality of the soil and hence the crops grown. This in turn led to consumption of special food preparations at regular intervals to SUPPLEMENT the staple diet.
We are familiar with about half a dozen ancient civilizations but historians say that there have been about 25 different civilizations known in historical writings. All of them lived in varying locations, wore different clothes, practiced customs that differed and ate food that varied somewhat. However they all took supplements. They were not exactly pill poppers but they boiled, steamed or ground to paste vegetation or animal parts for consumption or applications on their bodies. These SUPPLEMENTS were used to improve the health of their family members and even their animals. Since there was no medication available, these SUPPLEMENTS served to help alleviate their illnesses too. Modern technology has enabled us to ‘pack’ these SUPPLEMENTS into capsules, compact them into tablets, minimize the volume by reducing them to powders, help in swallowing by incorporating them into effervescent technology etc. However the aim remains the same and that is to SUPPLEMENT our diet.
Do we need supplements today?
This is a paramount question in most people’s mind. There are literally thousands of products in the market. Which ones are necessary? How do we choose them? Do they work? Have there been any studies to prove that? These and many other questions that hinge on the above need to be answered before anyone takes supplements or decides to recommend them to others.
The need for SUPPLEMENTATION today is so great that it is a wonder how so many carry on without it. There are three main reasons why we all have to SUPPLEMENT our diets:
- Firstly our requirement for nutrition has gone up. Thanks to the discovery of electricity the night has been transformed to day. This has led to greater work output. People do not work just eight hours a day. More is expected of them and the pressures of modern life keep us busy into the late hours of the day. Then there is the entertainment that we need to catch up with. All this output requires the appropriate input which is basically nutritious food.
- Secondly the quality of food has deteriorated. We do not get 100% fresh food anymore. Our vegetables are harvested at least a few days earlier. The time taken for transport and distribution can vary from two days to a full week. Even meat and fish do not get the full and efficient refrigeration to keep them really fresh. The cultivation of crops on a commercial scale results in depleted soil minerals resulting in poorer quality vegetables which in turn become susceptible to pests. To prevent that, pesticides are used. Potent chemicals of this nature only add to our woes of less nutrition.
- Thirdly our digestive systems do not efficiently process what we eat. This is due to the endless variety of food, cooking oil, spices, cold and hot drinks and the frequent infections and infestations we acquire from eating out of the home.
For all the above reasons SUPPLEMENTATION we believe is MANDATORY.
How do we choose food supplements appropriate for us?
Looking at the wide range of supplements available today in the market one gets more confused. Choice becomes very difficult even for the informed. For the layperson the task may seem overwhelming.
We at Nutrishine feel that almost all the products broadly fall into three categories. They can be called Basic, Specific and Intermittent depending on the usefulness and usage.
The basic would cover vitamins, minerals, protein, essential fatty acids and fibre.
The specific supplements would be ones that deal with a specific problem area. Examples would be glucosamine for joints, silymarin for liver, gingko biloba for circulation etc.
The third category would be special foods or preparations taken for short periods to enhance health. These would be the ginsengs, mangosteens, acais, etc.
Nutrishine will be giving importance to the products that meet the confluence of the three requirements. They are products that come with proven benefits, can be produced with established technology and made available at an affordable price.
Wellness and Wholeness in Simplicity.
