Youthfulness is desired by everyone, but as we age, how can we maintain good health without deteriorating with age? Moreover, how can we appear younger than our actual age? The answer is Anti-Aging, which is about taking care of health from the inside, including diet, exercise, and lifestyle, to keep the body strong and disease-free, slowing down aging, or what is referred to as “preventive medicine” focusing on delaying the body’s degeneration by maintaining body balance.
In particular, “food” is important. There are 2 main types of essential nutrients:
- Macronutrients provide energy and promote growth, such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
- Micronutrients consist of vitamins and minerals that affect metabolic enzymes and the immune system.
How are vitamins important and how can they solve health problems?
The importance of vitamins can be seen from the etymology of the word vitamin, which comes from Vita meaning life, and Amine meaning organic substance. Together, Vitamin means an organic substance essential for life.
Vitamins are nutrients needed in small amounts but cannot be lacking because their deficiency can cause various systems in the body to malfunction and lead to diseases.
“The body does not need a large amount of vitamins, but needs them every day. It is necessary to receive an adequate amount daily. Vitamins assist in the functioning of the nervous system and brain, the digestive system, growth, and importantly the immune system. Vitamins are thus essential for our daily life in almost every system.”
Does everyone need to take dietary supplements?
Not necessary if you consume a complete diet from all 5 food groups: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and the minerals necessary for the body.
Who needs to take dietary supplements?
Those who should take dietary supplements include people with poor absorption, intestinal problems, those who eat less, individuals trying to lose weight, people with a hurried lifestyle, pregnant women, nursing mothers, the ill, and the elderly. These groups may not get enough nutrients and vitamins and should consider taking supplements.
In times when our lifestyle was more reliant on nature and not so hurried, the food we got from nature did not require fertilizers, milling, or pesticides. Back then, there was hardly any need for us to consume vitamins.
However, what we call “food” today has vastly changed. People have created many processed and less natural foods. Processing and refining reduce nutrient and vitamin content over time, along with phytonutrients, which are organic compounds from plants. Combined with a hurried lifestyle, not being able to fully choose food from all 5 groups, can easily lead to vitamin deficiency.
According to “preventive medicine,” a key goal is to prevent disease by maintaining body balance in an optimal range. If vitamin levels in the body decrease to what is known as Sub – Optimum, it’s difficult for people to tell what vitamins they are lacking, as the body continues to function without showing symptoms severe enough for hospitalization. However, this imbalance can manifest as irritability, easy fatigue, weight gain, skin rashes, constipation, allergies, or even decreased sexual performance.
Dr. Piyamas Sitthipreedanant commented on the behavior of consuming vitamins, saying “Nowadays, most people pay more attention to their health, buying and consuming dietary supplements widely. Most of the time, these purchases are not prescribed by doctors, and people consume what they hear is good. If asked whether it is beneficial, it is better than not taking any. However, self-medicating without knowing the correct dosage can be a burden on the liver and kidney, waste resources, and even harm the body.”
Today, the evolution of vitamin consumption has changed with advanced and modern technology for detailed body diagnosis. It’s possible to measure levels of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals in the body, as well as hormone levels, for targeted care and treatment. Knowing what the body lacks allows doctors to customize vitamins for their patients accordingly.
Personalization Vitamin, customized vitamins for individuals
The consumption of vitamins in this century means “Personalization Vitamin” or vitamins tailored to individuals. Experts in preventive medicine recommend that there is no best brand of vitamins, but the best vitamin is the one that suits the individual.
The advantage of custom-made vitamins is that you will receive vitamins that suit your body’s needs, both in type and the correct amount to consume, as recommended by specialists, not based on personal whims, friends, or trends. A particular vitamin is not suitable for everyone in the world.
To ensure “value” in investing in health, it’s advisable to consult with a specialist on what vitamins or minerals you should take and in what form that is right for you, rather than spending money and harming your liver and kidneys.
