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Clinical Nutrition
It has been estimated that close to 70% of the population currently supplements their diets with some form of nutritional products but most of them have little idea how much benefit they are receiving. At Bountiful Life we'll help you understand what you need to know about optimal nutrition that will get you healthy and keep you healthy.
What is Clinical Nutrition?
Clinical nutrition is a field that developed in the 1940s to treat individuals with specific nutritional deficiency diseases, like scurvy and pellagra. By the 1960s, however, experts were beginning to recognize that certain doses of nutrients had the power to prevent illness. Today, researchers and scientists continue to uncover the therapeutic role of nutrients in the prevention and treatment of disease. For example, antioxidants like beta-carotene, selenium, vitamin E, and vitamin C have been shown to protect against the development of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic degenerative diseases. Nutritional supplementation has become increasingly prevalent in our society. It has been estimated that close to 70% of the population currently supplements their diets with some form of nutritional products. The interesting fact is that the vast majority of them have little idea how much benefit they are receiving. Standard medical tests are of little use in determining optimal levels of nutrients.
How do we use nutrition to help you?
As part of the Duggar Method TM Protocol, we utilize advanced biological assessments as well as a detailed medical history, family history, and personal lifestyle evaluation to determine your nutritional needs. You may be asked to bring a 7-day food diary and a list of all herbs, supplements, or medicines that you take regularly. The results of these tests will be correlated with your symptom picture and will enable us to get a more complete picture.
What are nutritional supplements?
The term "nutritional supplements" refers to vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, antioxidants and other food components that are used to support good health and treat illness. For example, plant compounds known as phytochemicals (for example, those found abundantly in fruits and vegetables) have powerful disease-battling properties. While it's possible to successfully incorporate nutrients into your diet alone, supplementation can help maintain sufficient levels and produce specific desired effects. For example, supplementation with vitamin E has been shown to provide protection against coronary atherosclerosis, and zinc supplementation has been shown to reduce the duration of the common cold and decrease the incidence of acute diarrhea in children. Vitamins and minerals play an essential role in the body's normal metabolism, growth, and development. They do this by helping the body to perform various tasks. For example, while a vitamin is not a source of energy in and of itself, it can provide the key the body needs to unlock energy stored in food. Some vitamins and minerals work together-such as the mineral zinc and vitamin A. Zinc enables the body to use vitamin A to promote good vision. Deficiencies in vitamin A may lead to night blindness, a condition in which the eyes have difficulty adjusting to darkness. Zinc supplementation, therefore, may prevent this condition by keeping vitamin A functioning normally.
Is there any difference in supplements?
Unfortunately there is. The nutritional supplement industry is not under the oversight of the FDA and there are no enforced standards for quality control or safety. This can be a great challenge for people who are looking for nutritional supplements to support their health. Thankfully there are several companies that specifically formulate nutritional formulas for physicians. They understand the need for quality control and testing. We have researched these issues and have found several companies who independently test their products to insure that they are safe and effective. We can rely on them to produce the desired response in each patient. Because of this assurance, your coach may strongly recommend one brand of supplements over another.
Supplementation alone, however, is not the answer to long-term good health. Combining a healthful diet with a regular exercise program and a positive mental attitude has been shown, time and again, to be the best bet for a healthy lifestyle.
What constitutes a healthful diet?
There may not be a more controversial subject within the health field. The fact of the matter is that no one way of eating will be ideal for every person all of the time. This fact alone is the reason that one-on-one help from our team is so important. Our food needs are influenced by many factors, including age, gender, body size, pregnancy, and specific health factors. Our team will help you determine what type of diet is best for you.
Source: Metagenics, Inc.