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There is good news Given
proper nutrition, the human body has an amazing ability to heal itself.
If properly fed and given the right nutrients, the human body is
designed to repair itself. To do so, we need to eat a healthier diet,
exercise, and take high-quality supplements made from whole foods.
Whole food supplements supply our bodies with nutrients we are not
getting from our diet, all the vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and
phytonutrients that foods possess in a way that nature intended, in a
whole food form.
Only whole food supplements complete the nutritional gap Whole
food supplements are made by concentrating foods for use in
supplements. When processed correctly, they supply a multitude of the
plant's components. Foods provide nutrients that work synergistically.
They work together to provide you with optimal nutrition for good
health.
A word of advice: Not all whole food supplements are the same
Many
whole food supplements available in today's marketplace range in
quality. Companies are riding the wave of supplement popularity rather
than focusing on commitment and quality.
| Understanding Supplement Labels |
Two Basic Types of Nutritional Supplements Brand A (whole food supplement)Whey
(milk) protein powder, flax meal powder, brown rice protein powder,
calcium citrate, magnesium citrate, buckwheat juice powder, Brussels
sprouts (whole plant), kale, choline bitartrate, inositol, barley
grass, alfalfa juice powder, soybean lecithin powder, grape (seed)
extract (includes Masquelier's® OPC-85; 98% total phenolic compounds;
65% proanthocyanidins), carrot powder, and red wine extract (95% total
phenols). Brand B (isolate-based supplement)Calcium
Carbonate, Magnesium Oxide, Potassium Chloride, Cellulose, Ascorbic
Acid, dl-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Acacia, Croscarmellose Sodium, Zinc
Oxide, Dicalcium Phosphate, Stearic Acid, Dextrin, Titanium Dioxide,
Niacinamide, Silicon Dioxide, Hypromellose, Gelatin, Soy Extract,
Magnesium Stearate, Calcium Silicate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese
Sulfate, Polyethylene Glycol, Corn Starch, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride,
Mannitol, Cupric Oxide, Resin, Lecithin, Riboflavin, Thiamine
Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Chromium Chloride, Folic Acid,
Dextrose, Beta Carotene, FD&C Red #40 Lake, FD&C Blue #2 Lake,
Sodium Selenate, Biotin, Phytonadione, Cyanocobalamin, Ergocalciferol. In
Brand A, vitamins and nutrients are derived mainly from recognizable
food sources. In Brand B, the vitamins and nutrients are man-made
chemical isolates not recognized as food sources.
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There
are many different kinds of supplements on the market, and it can be
very confusing to determine the true value of a supplement.
Understanding the label will help you know if you are taking a quality
supplement.
Where do the nutrients come from? Look
at the ingredients on the food label. Do you recognize any of them?
Just like any other food label, the nutrients are listed in a
particular order and some manufacturers put the source next to the
nutrient. In a quality, wholesome product, you will recognize and be
able to pronounce most of the ingredients on the label.
What is the importance of whole food ingredients? Only
whole food ingredients can provide you with all the nutrients contained
within the food, rather than just isolated components. For example, in
brand B (left) the sixth ingredient is dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate.
This is not a food ingredient. It is an isolated component of the
vitamin E complex. If you were to take a supplement with just dl-alpha
tocopheryl, you would be missing at least five other important
nutrients as well as hundreds of other nutrients that occur within the
whole vitamin E complex. These nutrients are only available by
consuming natural, whole food forms of vitamin E, such as wheat germ
oil, pea vine, green leafy vegetables, nuts, sunflower seeds.
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To be effective, don't I need to get at least 100% of the daily value? We
often think that more is better. However, when choosing supplements,
quality is far more important than quantity. A small amount of a
vitamin in whole food form is far more effective in the human body than
a large dose of an isolated vitamin. This is because the isolated form
is just a fraction of the whole and is missing important nutrients that
the body needs. Taking more of the isolated form will not make up for
its deficiencies.
The only supplements that contain the entire whole food complex are
whole food supplements. |
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| Quality of Ingredients |
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| Beet leaf, grown on the organic SP Farm |
Just
like any recipe, the quality of the ingredients you use affects the
quality of the final product. Therefore, it's important to answer all
these questions when evaluating a supplement and its effectiveness.
Where do the ingredients come from? Manufacturers
who grow many of their ingredients have the unique ability to control
the quality of the ingredient from seed to supplement. Some
manufacturers own certified organic farms to further enhance the
quality of their ingredients.
When are ingredients processed? When
you buy a tomato, you inspect it for quality. You wouldn't knowingly
buy one that was mushy and bruised. This same principle holds true for
when ingredients are prime for harvest. Different foods reach their
peak nutrient value during different times within the growing season.
Pea vine, for example, is at its peak during the flowering stage.
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harvested, food begins to lose its value. It is perishable like the
tomato. If there is a delay of hours, days, or months from when an
ingredient is harvested to when it's processed, many of its very
delicate phytonutrients are lost.
Are the ingredient's vital factors retained?
Each
ingredient has its own set of rules in relation to how to best extract
and package its vital life. The manufacturing process needs to retain
the vital nutrients within the ingredients. Too much heat will destroy
enzymes and phytonutrients. The manufacturer should use a
low-temperature, high-vacuum process to make sure that the ingredient's
nutrients are preserved.
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