Our body needs daily intake of vitamins and minerals for proper functioning of various processes. Thus we should have assorted and balanced diet.

How does it work in a real life?

Many people lean to unilateral and drastic diets based on the abandonment of all food groups. Limited diet, in aim for a leaner body figure, leads to lack of some important food substances that are indispensable. Long term or frequently used limited diets often lead to a lack of calcium, vitamin D and protein in the body.

If we do not want or we are not able to take the necessary vitamins and minerals in our diet, we should substitute them, at the least, in a form of nutritional supplements.

Nutritional disorder caused by insufficient dietary intake in youth leads to reduced bone mass, which represents a serious risk for osteoporosis.

Anorexia and bulimia

Especially in young adolescent girls it is important to supervised proper eating habits. Particularly in this age they are more likely to develop mental disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.

How are they manifested?

Women suffering from these diseases have fixed idea of being excessively fat, and they try to achieve a weight loss in any cost. They achieve the weight loss by not eating properly, vomiting, taking laxatives, or over-exercising. It is very difficult to diagnose these disorders in its beginning. However when you notice these disorders in your loved ones, you need to act immediately and find the expert who can help. These eating disorders are, especially at a time of growth, extremely dangerous for bones because it is in this period of life when the bones are formed.
Patients who have such disorder for more than 6 years have a 7-fold increased risk of fracture.

Vegetarianism and veganism

Vegetarianism and veganism can be considered a lifestyle, which, to a great extent, affects eating habits as well.

While vegetarians have a diet without meat, vegans reject the consumption of everything that contains animals and their products – meat, milk, cheese, eggs, and in many cases honey as well.

If someone decides for this way of eating, then he or she should carefully study and understand which nutrients he or she ismissing so he or she can replace them by either another food that is allowed or by nutritional supplements.

Vegetarianism and veganism is intended primarily for those who have ability for careful planning of their diet so that the body receives all necessary nutrients. Vegetarians tend to have lower iron stores because the most absorbable form of iron is found in meats, poultry and fish however these meals are ommited from their diet. In addition in plant foods, several key nutrients are not always represented in sufficient quantities. The nutrients that might be insufficient in the plant foods are proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin B12. The situation is similar in vegans, who should pay attention to a possibility of reduced intake of calcium, iodine, vitamin B12, B6, D, and omega-3 fatty acid in their restricted diet.

Celiac disease

Celiac disease is an inherited disease that affects approximately one in 100 people and the number of affected people is increasing. The nature of this disease lies in intolerance of the proteins presented in cereals, especially those in wheat, barley and rye.

The small intestine of people with celiac disease is characterized by loss of villi and thereby there is a reduced absorbent surface of the intestine, resulting in a decreased capability of getting all needed food components in the body.

How is gluten intolerance manifested?

People with celiac disease have diarrhea, weight loss, general weakness, flatulence, anemia, muscle atrophy, dry skin, brittle nails and depression. There is a lack of menstruation and infertility in women.

As a result of reduced calcium absorption in the small intestine in the patients with celiac disease, there is a higher risk of fractures, osteoporosis or osteomalacia.

The celiac disease weakens the entire immune system, since the mucosa of the small intestine is impaired and thus harmful substances can get through it into the body. When diagnosed with celiac disease the patients need to be on, so called, gluten-free diet, it means a diet that does not contain gluten, in order to prevent further damage of the intestinal mucosa. People with celiac disease must strictly adhere to a special diet. Because the necessary vitamins and minerals are not absorbed in a sufficient quantity, they should supplement them in a form of nutritional supplements.

Intolerance and allergies

People with lactose intolerance lack the enzyme that breaks down sugar that is called lactose and it is contained in milk and dairy products.

How is lactose intolerance manifested?

Consumption of the products that contain lactose is accompanied with diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating. Furthermore, calcium absorption is insufficient and thus forced consumption of milk and dairy products has no justification. Some people may have even an allergy to cow’s milk protein and thus they have to exclude milk and dairy products from their diet completely. Typical digestive problems, in case of allergy, include diarrhea and vomiting, skin problems, respiratory problems, and in some instances, failure to thrive and anemia. Whereas milk and dairy products are the most important source of calcium, it is advisable to try lactose-free milk or fermented products like yogurt and cheese, which consumption may not be associated with difficulties because lactose has been, in such products, cleaved. Otherwise, it is important to focus on receiving the vegetable sources of calcium (poppy seeds, hazelnuts, walnuts, soybeans) or to receive a full daily dose of calcium in a form of nutritional supplement.
 

When we do not like a milk

There is a saying, „hundred people, hundred tastes“. It is understandable that there is not a person who likes everything.

But what should we do when we do not like the milk or dairy products?

Milk and milk products are undoubtedly the most important source of calcium. Many people do not like raw milk however there are so many different dairy products that it is practically impossible that somebody would not find at least one of them that he or she likes. There are really many different dairy products you can choose from, like sheep cheese, different other cheeses, yogurts, cottage cheese and many others. In the stores, it is not difficult to find cow, sheep or goat products that taste differently. However if you still cannot findany type of milk or dairy products that you like, do not worry. There are people among us who cannot consume these products for medical reasons and they are able to replace calcium by other forms.

Some plants are rich of calcium as well, such as poppy seeds, hazelnuts, walnuts and soybeans, and even some mineral waters are rich of calcium.

And if even these sources of calcium are not suitable for you, you might reach for nutritional supplement, ideally the combination of calcium, vitamin K2 and vitamin D3. Take calcium in the evening and vitamin K2 and D3 in the morning.