WHOLE FOODS VERSUS SUPPLEMENTS.

[SGM123]

Why do many folks strongly favor whole foods such as fruits, veggies, legumes, grains, spices, and nuts over supplements as sources for antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients?

(1) Whole fruits, veggies, nuts, legumes, and grains provide a pretty substantial amount of micro-nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals for our health and well-being. Often times they contain many nutrients and enzymes
not found in pills or capsules. Instead of providing one or a few nutrients, whole foods provide a pile of often synergistic vitamins, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. Many of these natural substances may recycle the antioxidants found in the whole food while many supplements don't have the capacity to perform this valuable service due to their singular focus. Example: oranges contain Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, bioflavanoids, quercetin, fiber and so forth. Most supplements fail to match up with this naturally occurring micro-nutrient mix. Look at what spinach or kale carries in the form of vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. There's a lot of nutrition coming out of fruits and veggies alone.

(2) Whole foods carry lots of fiber and most supplements don't (Unless they are fiber capsules). Fiber is very important for your health--think what fiber does for our GI and cardiovascular system. Fiber also fights off certain kinds of cancer. Constipation is assured without fiber.

(3) Hey would you rather eat a complete and nutritious Thanksgiving meal (Turkey, pumpkin, cranberries, red wine,
sweet potatoes, and green veggies or would you rather have a handful of capsules? Think about taste and nutrition.

(4) How can you be sure you are getting what you paid for in your supplements? Many being hustled are not tested for purity, dissolvability, and the actual amounts listed on their bottles and containers. ConsumerLab.com
found that some supplements, from well known companies, did not pass dissolvability tests and could not be properly digested, contained less than their label's stated amounts, and a few contained dangerous amounts of toxic lead. (Some moderately priced supplements passed with flying colors--think Walgreens and Wal-marts brands suprisingly while some expensive and highly balyhood brands didn't make the grade. So much for the higher price myth) Many supplement companies do put out good supplements that passed the ConsumerLab.com tests. However some supplements carry nutrition that has never been shown to be bioavailable for humans or of any value.

(5) The cost of many supplements is much more than whole foods enjoyment. Many older adults on fixed incomes simply can not afford many supplements.

(6) Many people get a bang out of cooking and cooking some foods makes nutrients more available (and some, like enzymes, less). There's no cookbooks for the "capsule set".

(7) Want to keep your teeth and gums in good working order? You need whole food to munch on if you want to keep your teeth. No supplement company has come out with gristle and dogbone supplements for humans yet. Is there anyone eating Shark Cartledge capsules to keep their canines in working order and their gums healthy?

(8) How about the problem of toxic supplements? Mercury and lead have been found in some. http://health.msn.com/medications/artic ... =100259610

We don't want to entirely close the gate on some food supplements. Vitamin D3 and several other supplements carry larger than usual amounts of nutrition that might not otherwise be obtainable from whole foods unless you went on an eating rampage. Buy such supplemets from supplement makers who have a good track record with Consumerslab.com or have USP, CL, or Good House Keeping seals of approval. There are many reasonably priced supplements that meet these qualifications.

How does one get around that some farming is done on deficient soil? Good question. There are many modern farms who use valuable fertilizers and rotation methods to upgrade their soil. Very poor soil will not produce crops worthy of market and will put the farmer out of business. (These folks often have lenders breathing down their backs.) Today's farmer has to be agriculturally savvy and very knowledgeable about soil. The government has major programs in the USA to keep farmers on top of plant rotation and fertilizers. Most major supermarket chains simply will not buy deficient fruit and veggies. You the consumer can become savvy about inspecting fruits and veggies for signs of deficiency. Those Red Delicous Apples need to be dark red so you will know they are antioxidant and micro-nutrient packed. Those cantaloupes need to be orange and bright inside. Know too that organic farmers have to toe the mark with their crops. Plants make nutrients from several minerals found in the soil. If mineral deficiency exists for crop growth, the soil will not produce worthy amounts of veggies, fruits, grains, legumes, or nuts. Depleted and barren soil will not produce profits. Today's farmers employ fertilizers containing required nutrients to grow crops or their farms will go under. An agricultural fact of life.


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