Peachy the Magazine Summer 2017 | Page 108

The Case for M Supplements Multivitamins and supplements have the potential to fill in nutritional gaps and prevent deficiencies in a safe and effective way; however most practi- tioners question the value of their use. Patients are often told that if they eat a decent diet they will be provided with all of the nutrients they need, yet the research tells us otherwise. In a perfect world, we would all eat a nutrient-dense diet consisting of lean proteins, whole grains and abundant 106 PEACHYTHEMAGAZINE.COM WRITTEN BY Nancy Palermo Lietz, MD fruits and vegetables. In this Utopia we would be surrounded by clean air and an environment free of toxins and carcinogens, and we would rarely encounter stress in our day-to-day life. Unfortunately, we do not live in this perfect world. Even when we make attempts at optimizing our diets, many of us fall short. The standard American diet is very nutrient poor, and most Americans fail to get in even two veg- etables a day, falling far short of the recommended six to eight. Processed foods are an unfortunate staple in the