Why Take Supplements?

WHY TAKE NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS?

Many people ask why one needs to take vitamins or minerals in dosages exceeding the recommended daily allowances for a while? Among the reasons are depleted soil, low-nutrient crops, food processing, use of pesticides and herbicides, stress, special circumstances like pregnancy, and that we use nutrients for therapy, not just to avoid deficiency diseases.

Government scientists meet periodically to decide the levels of the recommended daily allowances (RDA) of nutrients.The main criterion is the amount needed to prevent deficiency diseases.Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness, and B1 deficiency causes pellagra.

While this approach is fine as far as it goes, these recommendations have little to with optimum health.One of every two Americans will contract cancer and 50% of the population by age 40 have a chronic illness.In theory, most of these people meet or exceed the RDAs for nutrients.

The theory of the RDAs ignores more subtle aspects of nutrition such as the effect of vitamin C or zinc on tumor inhibition.This is much harder to measure, so it is ignored.The government requires that companies print the percentage of the RDA on each supplement bottle.This can cause alarm until one understands why the RDAs are inappropriate and often irrelevant.

BIOCHEMICAL INDIVIDUALITY

For optimum health, one needs different concepts of nutrition.One of these is biochemical individuality.The term was coined by Dr. Roger Williams to describe his research finding that nutritional needs vary tremendously from person to person.

From this perspective, averages and standards mean very little.I use hair mineral analysis to assess each person's oxidation rate, stage of stress, trace element levels, toxic metal levels, digestive adequacy, state of the immune system and other factors that can be identified on the test.

I also take into account each person's age, sex, weight and health conditions including pregnancy and acute or chronic illnesses.All these affect one's nutritional requirements.

ORTHOMOLECULAR NUTRITION

Orthomolecular nutrition is related to biochemical individuality.The term was coined by the late Dr. Linus Pauling.It means to give the amount needed of a nutrient, not some average or standard amount.

My recommendations differ from those of many orthomolecular physicians in that we use foods and nutrients not just to correct symptoms, but to balance body chemistry.For example, a person in an alarm stage requires more calcium, copper, magnesium, choline and inositol.However, excessive vitamin B-complex or C may be harmful for that person.

A person in the exhaustion stage of stress requires more B-complex and C and less copper.By properly combining nutrients and taking into account mineral levels, ratios and patterns, our programs are more precise and correction deeper and more permanent.

OTHER REASONS FOR HIGH NUTRIENT DOSAGES

1) Most people today are born depleted and toxic.Even if you were to find the greatest food, and your health is perfect, most of us are born today with nutritional deficiencies thanks to deficiencies in parents.Both nutrient deficiencies and toxic metals that require extra nutrients for their removal are passed on through the placenta.

2) Today's soil is depleted.Many soils are low in zinc, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, calcium and magnesium.This means that although one eats an excellent diet of organic foods, one will not obtain all the nutrients one needs.

3) H-yield crops are deficient in certain nutrients.Ten times the amount of wheat is grown on the same land as was grown 100 years ago.Today's wheat contains about 6% protein whereas 100 years ago it contained 12-14%.Trace mineral levels are similarly much lower due to high-yield farming methods.

4) Modern fertilizers do not supply enough trace elements.One hundred years ago, manures were used extensively for fertilizer.Today, superphosphate fertilizers have largely replaced manures.These contain mainly nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus and are deficient in the trace elements contained in manures.Superphosphates often act more as growth stimulants.This has contributed greatly to depletion of the soil and crop minerals.This includes organically grown food, although it is much better..

5) Pesticides and herbicides kill soil microorganisms and affect the nutrition of the plant.Soil microorganisms are needed to make minerals and other nutrients available to plants.The result is lower nutrient content.Also, our bodies require extra nutrients to process pesticide residues that remain inside the foods.

Many pesticides are deadly chemicals that severely tax the human system.Some contain lead, arsenic and other toxic metals that slowly accumulate in the body unless and until one follows a health program designed to remove them.

Our laws currently allow sewage and factory sludge to be sold as fertilizer that contains significant quantities of toxic metals.These add greatly to our toxic metal burden and require extra nutrients to help remove them from the body.

6) Long-distance transportation of many foods diminishes their nutrition. Many foods are grown thousands of miles from population centers.They may spend a week on trucks or trains to reach you.As soon as a food is harvested, the levels of certain nutrients begins to diminish.This is another factor that reduces our nutrient intake and increases the need for supplements.

7) Food processing often drastically reduces nutrient content.Refining of wheat to make white flour removes 80% of its magnesium, 70-80% of its zinc, 87% of its chromium, 88% of its manganese and 50% of its cobalt.

Refining sugar cane to make white sugar removes 99% of its magnesium and 93% of its chromium.Polishing rice removes 75% of its zinc and chromium.Canned food may be quite old.Frozen foods are nutritionally better.

8) Food additives often deplete nutrients.Thousands of artificial flavors, colors, dough conditioners, stabilizers and preservatives are added to many foods.While some are harmless and may increase the value of food, many are toxic and can deplete the body of nutrients.

As a result of eating refined, low-quality food loaded with additives, most people's digestion is impaired.This further impairs nutrient absorption and increases nutritional needs.This is why I recommend a digestive aid for everyone who is suffering from any health condition.

9) Pollution and Stress deplete many nutrients including calcium, magnesium and zinc.Stress also causes excessive sympathetic nervous system activity, which reduces digestive ability.These are other important reasons why supplementation in high doses is sometimes needed.

CONCLUSION
For a while, most everyone needs extra nutrients to make up for deficiencies due to all the sources above.So severe are nutrient deficiencies today, that in addition to your recommended diet and supplement program, I recommend everyone use unrefined sea salt and kelp tablets or granules as extra mineral sources.

When ones health is rebuilt, one no longer needs many extra nutrients, but this will take a number of years in most cases.

References

1. Anderson, M. and Jensen, B., Empty Harvest: Understanding the Link Between Our Food, Our Immunity and Our Planet, Avery Penguin Putnam, 1993.

2. Hall, R.H, Food For Naught, The Decline in Nutrition, Vintage Books, NY 1974.

3. Hoffer, A. and Walker, M., Orthomolecular Nutrition, Keats Publishing, 1978.

4. Pfeiffer, Mental and Elemental Nutrients, Keats Publishing, 1975.

5. Schroeder, H. The Trace Elements and Man, The Devin-Adair Company, CT, 1975.