Many people believe that if they eat a “well-balanced” diet, they will get all the vitamins and minerals required for good health. But while our modern diet tends to be high in saturated fat and sugar, it is extremely deficient in essential nutrients. Sometimes even a diet full of fresh food – vegetables, legumes and whole grains – does not provide our body with all the nutrients necessary for good health.

Because getting the right amount of nutrients from food alone can be hard for some, research has shown that eating healthy, fresh food and supplementing your diet with vitamins and minerals is a smart lifestyle choice that can help ward off illnesses such as osteoporosis, depression, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. The approach of overcoming nutritional deficiencies using diet and supplements that are natural to the body is called orthomolecular medicine.

“Research has proven that the body’s repair and maintenance depends on all the essential nutrients,” says Dr. Aileen Burford-Mason, Immunologist and expert advisor to Orthomolecular Health, an organization dedicated to awareness and education. “Some of the key vitamins frequently low or missing in modern diets include Vitamin D, Vitamin C, niacin (B3), and Vitamin E. As an orthomolecular practitioner I will often prescribe these and other vitamins and minerals to boost a patient’s own natural defense mechanisms.”

As a general rule you should aim to do the following daily:

• eat three or more servings of dark green, leafy and root vegetables
• eat at least three servings of fresh fruit
• eat four or more servings of legumes or whole grains such as millet, quinoa, corn, or rye
• avoid sugar, foods with added sugar and refined foods
• supplement your diet with a multivitamin and mineral supplement

Orthomolecular practitioners use nutritional plans customized to the needs of individuals to ensure a diet has the appropriate amount of vitamins and nutrients needed to prevent the onset of illness or to treat existing illnesses.