Vital Vitamins

Do we really need Supplements?

Can science create life? Certainly not, you will say. Only life creates life. But science can contribute, at least when it comes to creating essential nutrition to support our lives. The question in focus is supplements - are they worth what we are paying for?

Most of us know that there is no substitute for wholesome foods - think of the most delicious flavors, array of textures, rainbow of colors, even the smell and the energy you sense around these foods is absolutely irreplaceable. And these are packed with the healthiest nutrients in their most natural form... Wait a minute, what about the pesticides, synthetic hormones, artificial preservatives sprayed on these ‘all-natural’ foods to extend their shelf-life? Hum, even if you happen to go organic, all foods of plant or animal origin loose their nutrients at an astronomical rate the minute they’ve been cut. Besides, food is not what it used to be.

So, do we really need supplements? Is there a difference between synthetic and so-called natural micronutrients? And which ones should we take?

Whole Food Supplements
Whole food supplements are made from concentrated foods without isolating them. These highly complex structures combine a variety of enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, trace elements, activators and many other factors yet unknown to modern science. The benefit of whole food supplements is that everything they have to offer works together synergistically in order to enable this vitamin complex to do its job in your body.

Some of the best natural multi-vitamin multi-mineral supplements made from whole food are, what I call, the ‘green miracles of life’ - chlorella and spirulina. Made from algae, these are truly your superfoods, containing the best form of micronutrients available. You can get these either in pill or powder form from your health food store.

Natural and Synthetic Vitamins
A significant number of the vitamins you will find on the pharmacy shelves these days are made synthetically through chemical processes. It is rather difficult to make the distinction between "synthetic" and "natural" vitamins.

Natural Supplements
Some define a natural vitamin as a concentrated nutrient derived from a quality natural source. The idea is maximum retention of the natural material; no artificial colors, sweeteners, or preservatives should be used.

A natural source contains co-factors that come with the nutrient in nature. For instance, some co-factors that are usually found with Vitamin C are various bioflavonoids. It is concentrated from its natural source as carefully as possible. No extreme heat, pressure, toxic solvents, sugar, artificial chemicals, harsh binders and fillers that hinder absorption are used or present. The nutrients are prepared from high quality raw ingredients.

Synthetic Supplements
Synthetic vitamins are made in a laboratory setting from coal tar derivatives without any co-factors added for better absorbtion. Natural health authorities claim that synthetic vitamins are useless and ineffective. Orthodox doctors and even some nutritionists claim that synthetic vitamins have a molecular chemical structure identical to the natural vitamin and that they are just as effective. Who is right and who is wrong?

It is reasonable to expect the two to function similarly and be bio-available in identical amounts to your body if there is no such alteration. Furthermore, the same natural vitamin derived from different natural sources or raw materials will be the same so long as no other substances unique to that particular source are included.

Why Synthetic Supplements Are Incomplete
Vitamin E supplements available in soft gel capsules are derived from vegetable oils and come in the dl-form. This is the synthetic form and is not easily absorbed by the human body. The human body uses only the d- form. The l- form, when present, does not confer any known health benefit and is normally excreted by the body. So, in essence, when consuming the dl- form of vitamin E, you obtain an effective dose of about half the vitamin E dosage reported on the label.

However, some note that most synthetically made vitamins and many other nutrients are either identical to their natural counterparts or easily convert to the natural form in the human body.

Chemical structures are the same, why go natural?
The counter-argument would be: As with all foods and nutrients, Vitamin C is a chemical, also known as ascorbic acid. You can take a bite of an orange and obtain ascorbic acid, or you can produce ascorbic acid from corn in a laboratory. The molecules are identical and perform the exact same function in the human body. But it is only how we know it now.

We also know that every living food starts losing its nutritional goodness the moment it is cut from its original source and exposed to oxygen and light. Natural enzymes, bioflavonoids, anti-oxidants, and other natural componds have been discovered only recently, and have proven to be irreplacable for the support of health and well-being of the body. In fact, when found in the whole food, these come in precise proportions with other micronutrients and macronutrients making the most natural bio-available form perfectly created for absorbtion and utilization.

The Solution
Eat ORGANIC and take LIQUID MULTIVITAMIN or SPIRULINA.

Supplements, as the word clearly states, are meant to supplement a highly varied diet of whole, unprocessed foods. If you eat a relatively healthy well-rounded diet made of organic fresh products, live a stress-free life, get enough rest, drink fresh clean water and breathe unpolluted air, then you probably can match you nutrient requirements closer to the target. For example, you can get the bioflavonoids from citrus fruits but you may not know exactly how much vitamin C you are getting and how much citrus you will need to take per day to get enough of both whereas you will with synthetic vitamins. I suggest, the best way to get all the vitamins you need is in a high-quality liquid multivitamin.

Supplements made in laboratory have two advantages: dose consistency and purity. In nature, one orange may contain 50 mg of vitamin C and another may contain only 10 mg. It depends on where it was grown, when it was harvested and under what conditions it was transported and stored. Conversely, nutritional supplement companies must guarantee that their products deliver precisely what is on the label.

Quality in vitamins and nutrients is extremely hard to quantify. The list of ingredients and their amounts listed on the label is important, but what is found in a pill wouldn’t necessarily end up in the body. In other words, a large amount of micronutrients coming from the pill would not be absorbed, but will be excreted in urine and feces. Vitamin supplements are most effective in liquid form because liquids absorb 5 times better than do pills.

What is Spirulina?
Spirulina is 100% natural and a highly nutritious micro salt water plant. It was discovered in South America and Africa in natural alkaline lakes. This spiral shaped algae is a rich food source. For a long time (centuries) this algae has constituted a significant part of the diet of many communities. Since the 1970’s, Spirulina has been well known and widely used as a dietary supplement in some countries.

Spirulina contains rich vegetable protein (60~ 63 %, 3~4 times higher than fish or beef ), multi Vitamins (Vitamin B 12 is 3~4 times higher than animal liver), which is particularly lacking in a vegetarian diet. It contains a wide range of minerals (including Iron, Potassium, Magnesium Sodium, Phosphorus, Calcium etc.), a high volume of Beta- carotene which protects cells (5 times more than carrots, 40 times more than spinach), high volumes of gamma-Linolein acid (which can reduce cholesterol and prevent heart disease). Further, Spirulina contains Phycocyanin which can only be found in Spirulina.

In USA, NASA has chosen to use it for astronauts food in space, and even plans to grow and harvest it in space stations in the near future.