Americans are using more supplements and paying more careful attention to their health in this difficult economic climate, according to the April 20 issue of Time magazine.
Time surmises that the economic climate and fear of illness is driving sales of vitamins and other supplements that have risen 8 percent in the past year. The Vitamin Shoppe chain reports a 20% increase in sales.
All of us need to take supplements all of the time since our soils are so nutrient depleted that it is virtually impossible to get all the nutrients we need for optimum health. For several years now, the staid American Medical Association has recommended a multi-vitamin for every man, woman and child.
Supplementation should be a part of everyone’s wellness strategy.
Two facts explain the sorry state of our collective health:
* Most of us haven’t paid that close attention to our nutrient intakes;
* Three-quarters of us do not eat the minimum five servings of fruits and vegetables a day
If the loss of health insurance and the fear of illness in a declining economy are prompting more of us to take supplements to prevent illness, it is one positive sign during hard times that I can only hope will have lasting positive effects.
