Over Use Of Supplements And Protein During The Pandemic
People all around the globe started the ‘trend’ of consuming a lot of vitamins and supplements on a daily basis since the onset of the pandemic, Covid-19. This was basically being done as everyone wanted to increase their immunity levels. Even protein was consumed a lot for people who regularly workout in the gym, and even those who didn’t work out regularly.
Protein intake has also increased but there are pros and cons involved. According to Ajay Yadav, Strength and Conditioning Coach (NSCA) and Founder of Leoflexpro, “1. Check your requirement - If you are a normal healthy person who is not engaged in any kind of sports or active lifestyle, then your intake should be 0.5-0.8 grams per kg of body weight. If you have an active lifestyle then your intake may range from 1-3 grams per kg of body weight. Protein plays a very important role in healthy ageing too. As per a study, increased protein intake ensures healthy ageing. Your coach /fitness trainer/ nutritionist can tell you the correct amount as per your training and goal. Don't blindly follow anybody else's protein intake. 2. Choosing the right product - Whey protein is good for the majority (90 percent) of people. However, if you feel bloated, indigestion or heaviness then changing the quantity from one scoop to half scoop (with water) should help. If you are in good shape and just want to preserve lean muscle mass then Isolate protein is your best bet. Isolate protein also works best with people with lactose intolerance or any of the other issues mentioned above. 3. Buying the right product - Now, this is the most important task. Don't just believe anything a celebrity or a marketing ad says, better to check for yourself. My suggestion is to always check the below mentioned label before buying. These are a few certified labs which do purity testing on the supplements - NSF sports, Informed choice, Informed sports. Always check the label content. Such as how much sugar and the protein you are taking in a single scoop (25-30g).”
We can say that the consumers need to be fully aware about what they are adding to their diet.
“Dietary supplements have been on a rise since a decade. Dietary supplements contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other substances with nutritional or physiological effect. Recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new reason for consuming them has emerged. Although scientific research and evidence on antivirals, antioxidants, immune boosting and anti-inflammatory compounds exist, guidelines on the use of dietary supplements for the treatment of COVID-19 are not commented upon. Media as well as social media have been advertising more and more about dietary supplements in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. With the rise of several waves of this pandemic, it has instilled a lot of fear and anxieties in people at large. Some people have developed an obsession towards these supplements resulting in hoarding of them. Researchers have found another unexpected psychological effect that taking supplements gave people an inflated sense of their own health leading to an illusionary invulnerability. Currently, there is a trend of consuming certain vitamins and minerals, from vitamin c, vitamin d3, zinc, and others without proper supervision from a doctor. Rather than finding out if one is really deficient, there is an overcompensation for it, which may have adverse effects,” says Dr. Mamta Shah, Consultant Clinical Psychologist/ Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist
On the other hand, Dr. Balram Prasad, Consultant Physician, Diabetologist and Cardiologist feels, “The Covid-19 disease has confirmed a wide range of presentations extending from asymptomatic to severe respiratory disasters to death. As at an earlier stage there was a lot of confusion in the treatment of Covid-19 infection worldwide and so many deaths occurring people became scared and due to the wrong message spread in the society that it can be cured through some unnatural methods to increase the immunity of people, people started drinking hot saline, doing hot water gargling, eating too much of zinc, vitamin D3 and vitamin C, turmeric without knowing the harmful effect of all these substances. Later on, these orthodox treatments turned out to be useless and maybe harmful. Yes, people have been advised to increase immunity by eating protein rich foods, regular exercise and control of their comorbidity diseases like diabetes, hypertension, asthma and others, but not going overboard.”
On a conclusive note we can say that experts are right about this completely and people need to be careful what they consume during these troubled times.
