Learn how to use vitamins and minerals to maintain good health and alleviate the symptoms of common ailments. Nutritionist Amanda Ursell takes a commonsense look at the vast array of supplements and recommends how to use them safely to construct a healthy diet for your whole life. Why supplements work. Many people consider vitamins, minerals, and other popular food supplements such as fish oils to be a kind of wellness insurance. In this book, Amanda Ursell explains why supplements work and how to get their complete benefits. The role of supplements today. Both population studies and laboratory research conclusively prove that stress, atmospheric pollution, and modern farming methods impoverish the best of diets. Although even advanced formulations of vitamins and minerals can never compare with the outstanding benefits of a diet rich in fresh produce, taking supplements as part of a personalized nutrition program makes good sense to counteract the less positive aspects of twenty-first century living.