Dietary Supplements Fill The Gaps
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For some reason the medical community (that is western medicine) has been slow to admit the benefits of dietary supplements. There is a vast body of research supporting the necessity of good nutrition through good diet. This research shows that...
Proper nutrition supports the body in its daily functions.When nutrition is inadequate the body cannot properly defend itself against disease. Some deficiencies can lead to serious physical problems. Further it is well attested that relatively few people eat enough of the types of food that they should. The decision to take quality dietary supplements would seem like a no-brainer.
We were made to live on...
- fruits
- vegetables
- grains
- fish
- meats
Our Environemnt Has Changed
From the earth we were taken and from the earth we
receive our nutrition. But our society has changed. Food processing has stripped much of
the nutrients our bodies need.
Hurried lives, fast food restaurants and frozen dinners are working together to deplete our systems of the good things they need.
As if that were not enough our fish are storing up mercury for us to consume and our fruits and vegetables are soaking up pesticides and herbicides. This does not sound like a good recipe for heart health or any other kind of health.
I am not going to argue that you should take dietary supplements. For me it is a foregone conclusion.But for those who would like to supplement their diet I think it well to consider what kind of supplements we should take. With the plethora of dietary supplement companies out there one has to wonder...
Are they all the same? They are not.In the same way that food sources differ so do dietary supplements. I certainly would not want to argue that a freshly caught salmon makes a meal that is no better than a handful of fried fish sticks. Nor is a slice of freshly baked whole grain bread on an even par with packaged white bread.
Fruit Loops are not the same as a bowl of fresh fruit and juice from organically grown fruits and vegetables is not the same as a soft drink. Dietary supplements should be put to the same test.
Eat Food. Not Chemicals.
Our first course of action is to change our behavior so as to promote good heart health. This means watching what we eat and getting sufficient exercise. When we choose to supplement we should be doing just that, supplementing. That means we are adding to what we eat more of the same. We are taking in more quality food through dietary supplement form. In a sense we are eating more.
We do not want to consume chemical equivalents of what naturally occurs in plants and animals.These are foreign to the body and are not assimilated well. If they do not assimilate they are of no use. A vitamin suuplement may cost less because of the way it is manufactured but it is useless if the body cannot use it. Further, chemical equivalents cannot contain the phytonutrients that are in whole food sources.
Click here to read more about the protective powers phytonutrients.
An initial test you can make on the vitamins you take now is to place a tablet into a glass with a weak vinegar solution. If the tablet is intact thirty minutes later it is not going to digest in your stomach.
Before we discuss particulars it is important to look at the process for manufacturing quality dietary supplements. The best supplements are based on whole foods for one simple reason...
The body's nutritional requirements are based on whole foods.Before humanity decided to change the way it ate people were ingesting whole plant sources. This means they were receiving a complex array of organic substances. These would include...
- vitamins
- enzymes
- antioxidants
- phytonutrients
In addition our ancestors would take in many essential inorganic substances like iron, zinc and magnesium. The
body would receive the essential compounds it needed for the optimal support,
protection, healing and rebuilding of the body. And because the body's support processes
are ongoing it was (and is today) necessary to ingest sufficient levels of these quality
compounds on a daily basis.
Today many of us do not consume anywhere near the
necessary amounts of these healthy compounds. Further we do consume many harmful
compounds of our own making.
Click here to learn how the very best dietary supplements are made.
Now For Some Particulars
Throughout this site we have talked of different nutrients and
vitamins as was appropriate to the topic at hand. For the most part we tried to focus on
heart health. This section is a little different. Every vitamin, mineral or compound discussed in the links below has applications for heart health. Where there is more detail
available elsewhere in this site we provide links to those sections.
However, we will not limit our discussion of each vitamin to heart health in this section. For example, you can
read a discussion on vitamin C by clicking one of the following links. Vitamin C has
enormous implications for heart health. But it has even larger implications for cancer.
We do not hesitate to discuss the topic of cancer here. This will help to show that a good
dietary supplement program has far reaching effects in all areas of health. Taking vitamin C for
heart health can support the immune system to ward off other chronic diseases as well. So
without further ado, happy reading.
The long list of B vitamins
The wonderfully diverse vitamin C
Vitamin E: A powerful antioxidant
Fish oils and Omega-3 for a plethora of conditions.
Energy releasing CoQ10
Dietary supplementing really should be a part of all our lives. It can fill in the gaps left by an inadequate diet. When you
choose a supplement make sure you are getting the highest quality supplements
available.
If they are not derived from organically grown whole plants under the most stringent conditions you are probably getting much less than you think.
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