When food will be replaced by pills, can you replace food with dietary supplements

It would be great to have a tablet at hand, which would contain both breakfast, lunch and dinner at once: swallow it and you are full. Scientists dreamed of such a miracle capsule 100 years ago. Now it is 2021, and we still eat ordinary food. The question arises: when will the future that science fiction writers predicted for us come?

head of R&D laboratory UltraNovation, ideologist, product developer of NL International company.

Nutrition is not only the consumption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but also a functional component, which also determines our rhythm of life, mood, energy and opportunities.

The results were surprisingly impressive: the condition and appearance of the innovator improved many times over. But still the development was far from a pill that could accommodate everything and at once: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why? According to Svetlana Korol, head of UltraNovation’s R&D lab, food goes beyond a set of nutrients. Nutrition is not only the consumption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, but also a functional component that determines the rhythm of life, mood, energy and opportunities.

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Why are pills unlikely to replace food?

It is theoretically possible to contain all nutrients in one capsule. The problem is different: a person needs about 2000 kcal per day, the energy value of which cannot be scientifically “packed” in a compact way. See for yourself: 1 g of proteins and carbohydrates – 4 kcal, 1 g of fat – 9 kcal. In order to be satiated, you would have to swallow 450 such pills a day.

Back in 1936, scientists said that pills will never replace real food. After all, in addition to the basic nutrients, there are other chemical compounds, the role of which for health is not fully understood. It is known that they are beneficial, but how their deficiency will affect the body, science does not yet know. For example, lycopene, the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color, reduces the risk of prostate cancer. And flavonoid compounds in blueberries reduce the risk of diabetes. To miss out on these valuable substances would be unwise.

Nutritionist, Freedom International Group’s Project V brand expert.

Even dietary supplements, which have recently become very popular, cannot replace a balanced diet. The body still needs proteins, fats and carbohydrates – this is the basic building material, “bricks” for cells. And dietary supplements, natural vitamin and mineral complexes, are only an addition to food.

Will such a capsule appear in the future?

What will be in 50-100 years, it is difficult to predict. According to Tamara Pshennikova, a nutritionist, in the future we will see products with organic certification. Already now organic products are in special demand: fruits and vegetables grown without the use of chemicals; meat from animals without antibiotics and hormones, raised entirely on natural feed.

Tamara: I am convinced that these are the products of the future. But ethical and environmental issues are pushing scientists to create alternative products. Of course, the health food industry will stimulate their production, trying to increase the amount of beneficial micro- and macronutrients.

Svetlana Korol, head of R&D laboratory UltraNovation, also believes that the trend towards the development of new products is obvious. All the more so because the world after COVID-19 has become different. Today everyone is interested in food to replenish resources as quickly as possible, expand adaptive capabilities, and train the immune system.

Svetlana: Our diet has changed a lot over the last decades. If earlier the daily calorie was 4000-6000 kcal with sufficient vitamins and minerals, now it is 1500-2000 kcal. We are severely lacking biologically active substances, and it is almost impossible to compensate for them through foods. Therefore, the most obvious way is to supplement your diet with phytocorrectors, functional food products, saturated with vitamins and minerals, which are lacking in modern products obtained from the supermarket.