Vitamins and minerals are necessary
for proper food metabolism. When we do not get the right amount of vitamins and
minerals into our body, we are unable to efficiently turn the proteins and
carbohydrates that we eat into energy. This is why even though we eat so much,
we still feel weak and get tired quickly.
Vitamins and minerals are also needed
to strengthen our immune system. When we have a shortage of important vitamins
and minerals in our body, our immune system is less than optimal and we become
vulnerable to illness.
This unhealthy diet creates a vicious
cycle: when we feel sick or weak or tired, we lose our drive to engage in
healthy physical activities such as sports or exercise. Even simple things such
as walking or climbing stairs become tiresome. This leads to a sedentary
lifestyle, where we feel that changing our diet and physical routine is too great
an effort; so it’s not surprising that our health and our quality of life
suffer.
Lack of
nutrients
For example, the FNRI’s Recommended
Nutrient Intake (RENI ) on a daily basis for Vitamin A is 550 micrograms for
male adults (ages 19 years to 65 years and above) while 500 micrograms are
recommended for female adults (ages 19 years to 65 years and above). However, the 2008 survey shows that actual
average Vitamin A intake among Filipino adults is just 499.6 micrograms, while
the elderly only take in 379.9 micrograms daily.
In the case of Vitamin C, the RENI
for male adults (19 years to 65+ years old) is 75 milligrams while the RENI for
female adults (19 years to 65+ years old) is 70 milligrams. The 2008 survey
however shows that on the average, Filipino adults only consume 44.7 milligrams
of Vitamin C daily, while the elderly consume 44.5 milligrams daily.
As for calcium, the RENI for male adults are 750 milligrams for those aged 19 to 64 years
old and 800 milligrams for those
aged 65 years old and above. The RENI for female adults are 750 grams for those
aged 19 years to 49 years old and 800 grams for those aged 50 years old and
above.
According to the 2008 FNRI survey,
the actual average daily calcium consumption among adults is only 370
milligrams, while the elderly only consume 330 milligrams of calcium every day.
Iron consumption among Filipino
adults is also below the RENI. The RENI for iron among male adults aged 19 years to 65 years old and
above is 12 milligrams. The RENI for iron among non-pregnant female adults for those aged 19
years to 64 years old is 27 milligrams, while the RENI for those aged 65 years
and above is 10 milligrams of iron.
Actual average iron consumption
among Filipino adults however, was found to be only at 9.4 milligrams daily,
while the average consumption among the elderly was even lower at 7.5
milligrams a day.
The 2008 FNRI survey also found that
65 percent of Filipinos across population groups are not taking enough calories
to meet their daily energy requirement.
The RENI pegs the energy
requirements for Filipino male adults as follows: 19 to 29 years old, 2490
kilocalories (kcal); 30 to 49 years old, 2420 kcal; 50 to 64 years old, 2170
kcal; and 65 years old and above at 1890 kcal.
For female adults the energy
requirements are: 19 to 29 years old, 1860 kcal; 30 to 49 years old, 1810 kcal;
50 to 64 years old, 1820 kcal; and 65 years old and above at 1410 kcal.
On the average however, Filipino
adults only consume 1915 kcal daily while the elderly consume even less, with
only 1436 kcal daily. According to
FNRI’s computation, these figures mean that 65 percent of Filipinos are not
getting enough energy for their everyday activities.
Supplement
for peak performance
So how do we change to a healthy
lifestyle and be at our best? Obviously, we need to commit ourselves first to a
healthy diet. The FNRI website (www.fnri.dost.gov.ph) provides an illustrated, dietary guide called
the Filipino Food Pyramid to help us make the right food choices for optimum
health and nutrition.
Besides switching to a healthy diet,
Filipinos also need to take health supplements to fill in the nutrition gaps on
days when, for one reason or another, one’s food choices are less than ideal.
The top two reasons these people gave
for taking supplements were (1) health and (2) extra energy. Other reasons were
“doctor-recommended,” “perform better in school/work,” and “not getting enough
vitamins from the diet.”
To get the maximum benefits from a
vitamins and minerals supplement, make sure to choose one that has complete
nutritional content. Centrum is complete
and specially balanced with 30 vitamins and minerals our body needs, from
vitamins A to Zinc. Taking Centrum can help complete your nutritional needs
everyday. For adults 50 years
old and up, on the other hand, Centrum Silver’s age-adjusted formula is perfect
for the changing needs in one’s golden years.
