Reposted from December 18, 2014
I am asked this question all of the time. Hundreds of years ago, our ancestors never took vitamins and they seemed healthier without the hundreds of diseases that seem to plague today’s society. This is true. They got most of their nutrition from their food. These days, however, we can’t say the same.
First, what we call food today, isn’t what our ancestors would have regarded as food. There are so many products with a long list of chemicals and additives that we can’t even pronounce. Even one-ingredient food such as milk isn’t what it used to be with cows pumped up with antibiotics and fed genetically modified corn (don’t cows normally eat grass?). Neither are our meats, poultry or fish in which the majority is also filled with antibiotics and also fed genetically modified feeds they wouldn’t normally eat in nature. Then we come to our fruits and vegetables which are sprayed with toxic pesticides grown in mineral-depleted soil.
What does this mean? The bad news is that we do not get nearly as much nutritional benefit. Much of it is killed off by the modification of the original structure of fruits and vegetables along with the antibiotics of fish and animal sources and pasteurization of dairy. To make matters worse, processed foods such as sugar are anti-nutrients. They actually steal vitamins from your body. Yup, that Big Mac and Shake are a triple whammy of nutrient deficiency to your body.
While I always encourage eating lots of one-ingredient food (preferably organic!), it is getting more and more apparent that our food is more deficient in so many vitamins and nutrients leading to staggering deficiencies. Here are a few common examples:
Deficiency of Omega 3s-Common in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ADD, Autism
Deficiency of Vitamin B12: Common in mental illness
Deficiency of Vitamin B Complex: Common in depression, addictions, lack of stomach acid (crucial to break down and digest food), stress (stress depletes Vit B)
Deficiency of Vitamin D: Common in cancer, mental illness, low immune system
Deficiency of Magnesium: Common in lack of ability to absorb protein, low blood pressure, heart attack (spasm), irritability
Deficiency of Probiotics: Common with Irritable bowel, Crohn’s, Colitis, Candida, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Autism
The next natural question is are supplements safe as they are not necessarily regulated by the FDA? Let’s look at a few simple statistics.
(OMNS Jan 5, 2011) There was not even one death caused by dietary supplement in 2009, according to the most recent information collected by the U.S. National Poison Data System.
(U.S. General Accounting Office: Malpractice Insurance) Doctors pay $20,000 to $200,000 per year for their insurance. Nutritional Consultants pay approximately only $250 per year for their insurance.
Now that we know we need vitamins, which are the most important? Below are my top 5 in order of importance:
Omega 3
B-Complex
Vitamin D3
Magnesium
Probiotics
Be sure to treat yourself and your loved ones with
High Quality Vitamins (yes, quality does matter!) and
Food Supplements (to help bridge the gap for more vegetables and fruit) for the holidays. The gift of good health and wellness is the gift that keeps giving!
All material in this newsletter is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this publication;instead readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information provided has not been approved the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease.
