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Nutrition
irginia Woolf once wrote: ‘One cannot think well,
love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.’ While
the sentiment remains true, what doesn’t quite deliver
is today’s diet. Despite our best efforts, modern
menus tend to fall short of the vitamins and minerals
we need to stay at optimum health. Fresh supermarket food can
contain up to 37 per cent fewer minerals than in the 1970s due to
overfarming, and 21st-century lifestyles don’t help either: a quarter
of respondents to a recent survey admitted to working so hard that
they no longer had the energy to cook. Potentially then, we can all
benefit from the right supplements, ‘but the magic only happens
when we understand what we need to take’, says the nutritionist
Eve Kalinik. ‘Taking a tablet that you don’t need is at best ineffective
and expensive, and at worst going to be a real upset to the body’s
balance.’ The message from the experts is that if you are lacking
something, think about food sources first. Secondary supplem-
entation shou ld on ly fol low on t he adv ice of a qua li fied prac titioner
(such as those we have consulted for this guide).
From the minerals that might aid stress relief and slumber to
those ingredients that could boost our skin and energy, here’s what
the leading experts recommend. KATY YOUNGFor sleep and stress
Sleeplessness is a difficult area to address, since under-
lying causes vary so widely, but magnesium is an
especially valuable supplement for those finding them-
selves waking in the night. ‘The mineral is known as
“nature’s tranquiliser” and has a calming effect on the
body,’ says the nutritionist and women’s-health specialist
Dr Marilyn Glenville. ‘It is particularly helpful if your
sleep is disturbed by cramps, as it is a muscle relaxant.’
Magnesium also plays a key role in the neurotransmitter
gamma-aminobutyric acid, which has a mild sedative
effect. Look for magnesium citrate on the label: ‘Avoid
minerals in the inorganic form of oxides, sulphates and carbonates,
as they are more difficult for the body to absorb,’ says Dr Glenville.
Try Form Nutrition’s ZZZZs Advanced Nootropic Complex,
which also contains L-Theanine, an amino acid known for its
relaxing effect. SIÂN RANSCOMBEV
Our guide to the supplements to take for
better sleep, skin and cognitive function
Photograph by BETINA DU TOIT