Nutrient supply

Nutrient supply is not a fixed value that is universally applicable. It is a dynamic reference standard formulated based on the physiological characteristics, life scenes, and dietary patterns of different groups of people. Its core function is to cover the nutritional needs of 97% to 98% of healthy people, which not only avoids nutritional deficiencies, but also reduces the risk of chronic diseases caused by long-term excessive intake.

The first time many people come into contact with this concept is from the table of "Reference Dietary Nutrient Intakes for Chinese Residents". The rows of numbers are clearly listed, and it is easy to regard them as "KPIs that must be measured accurately." I met a young man who just joined the fitness circle a while ago. He used a table to calculate that he should eat 60g of protein every day. He was worried that he would not be able to metabolize 1g more. As a result, after a month of training, he could get stars when squatting. Later, I adjusted him to 1.6g per kilogram of body weight - that is, he had to eat 112g of 70kg, and then he slowly regained his training status.

In fact, the industry has always had different opinions on the supply adaptation scenario, and there is no absolute right or wrong. The supply standards in the traditional public health field are basically based on the underlying logic of "preventing deficiency diseases." For example, the recommended supply of vitamin C for adults is 100 mg/day. This amount is enough to prevent you from scurvy and maintain basic collagen synthesis. It is a safe bottom line for the entire population. However, practitioners of functional medicine often recommend a daily intake of 200 to 500 mg, especially for people who often stay up late and stay in highly polluted environments for a long time. The additional dose can help with antioxidants and reduce inflammatory reactions. It is an optimized plan for a specific state, and it is completely valid in the corresponding scenario.

When I was doing nutritional screening in the community, I met a family of three who used the same supply chart to prepare meals, and there were a lot of problems: my father was a long-distance trucker, bumpy on the road every day, and his energy consumption was twice as high as that of someone who works in an office. He also ate according to the 2,000 kcal supply for an average adult, and he didn’t get a single meal. I feel hungry in the afternoon; my mother has Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and her iodine supply is originally lower than that of ordinary people. She still eats iodized salt at the standard of 120 μg/day, but her thyroid indicators keep fluctuating; my son, who is in junior high school, is growing taller and his calcium supply is 200 mg more than an adult. The amount given at home is the same as that of an adult, and he always gets cramps in the middle of the night. You see, if you really use uniform values, problems will arise.

In fact, the nutrient supply is very similar to the "recommended charging interval" given by mobile phone manufacturers: it does not mean that if you fall below this amount, you will shut down immediately. In the short term, the body will have its own reserves to cover up. It also does not mean that the higher the better. Ordinary people eating high protein and high carbohydrates according to the supply of professional athletes will put a burden on the kidneys and pancreas, and going too far is not enough.

Nowadays, many "nutritional supplement recommendations" on the Internet always talk about supply, saying that your daily diet can only reach 30% of the supply and you must take supplements. In fact, it is a completely different concept. For example, if you eat 1 pound of green leafy vegetables and 2 medium-sized oranges every day, the amount of vitamin C will already exceed the 100mg supply standard, and there is no need to supplement at all. You must know that the premise for formulating the supply is "taking daily meals as the main source." Talking about the supply outside of the normal dietary structure is a bit of a rogue.

In fact, there is really no need to look at the supply meter and weigh the grams of food every day. As long as the variety of ingredients is rich enough and the average intake does not fluctuate by more than 30% in a week, ordinary people can basically meet their needs. If you really have special circumstances - such as preparing for pregnancy, having chronic underlying diseases, or participating in high-intensity exercise, you can just find a professional nutritionist to adjust the corresponding supply standards. Eating is a happy thing, so don't be tied up by a series of numbers.