|
Is Vitamin
& Mineral Supplementation Necessary?
-By
Mark Woodgate
There's
been
plenty happening in the news lately regarding the
question of
nutritional supplementation. The Health Sciences Authority(
HSA ) has to
date recalled a total of 243 products manufactured by the company Pan
Pharmaceuticals. (These were marketed under 25 brands in Singapore.)
The
danger of taking too much isolated vitamins and minerals is now
being exposed...
Many
clients have
asked for my opinion regarding this
controversial topic. So the
question remains. Is it necessary to take vitamin and mineral
supplements?
FOOD
FOR
THOUGHT
Did
you know that there are
more than 10,000 phytochemicals in a single piece of fruit or vegetable
alone?
Based on this fact, does it make sense to extract only 1 of
these
phytochemicals (such as Vitamin C for example) with the assumption that
this
isolated vitamin will have therapeutic value?
There
is now
overwhelming evidence that in order
for these vitamins
and minerals to produce the desired effect (eg:
strengthening the
immune system, protecting against against cancer and various diseases),
they
must work TOGETHER with
their
counterparts – in other words, the remaining 9, 999
*phytochemicals from
that single piece of fruit or vegetable need to be present!
(NB:
Scientists are yet to determine the role
of thousands of these phytochemicals, having
only officially
labelled the main vitamins eg: Vit A,B,C,D, K etc)
nb: "Phyto" = Plant.
Therefore
what happens if
we take a single vitamin or mineral over a long period of
time?
Invariably, it can produce toxicity in the body and this can
manifest itself in a number of ways.
"BUT
I THOUGHT
VITAMINS AND MINERALS WERE SAFE?"
A
vitamin or mineral is not
a whole food. Similarly in modern
medicine, many widely used drugs
are derived from a single plant chemical. Here again, drugs are toxic
to the
body and cause side effects as they do not simulate that which is found
in
nature.
WHAT
ABOUT
MULTI VITAMINS & MINERALS? DO THEY HAVE MERIT?"
Recently
I was amused to
watch an advertisement for a nutritional supplement that
claimed to
have all the necessary vitamins & minerals necessary for good
health. (from
"A-Z" in fact) Surely this amazing nutritional supplement
would
contain thousands of phytochemicals? Not
so. In fact,
only 20 to be precise!
When
producing multi
vitamins and minerals scientists do not have the luxury of
knowing the precise
ratio of vitamins & minerals required for optimum health.
However, we can
find exactly the right ratio of these phytochemicals working
synergistically
with their counterparts in NATURE.
Therefore
in my view, the
best way to obtain a healthy balance of essential
vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants and their counterparts is to consume plenty of FRESH
FRUITS &
VEGETABLES.
ARE
YOU
EATING THE RECOMMENDED 5-9 SERVINGS OF FRESH FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES EVERY DAY?
This
is the recommendation
from the cancer society if we wish to achieve good health.
Researchers
continue to find elements in fruits and vegetables- vitamins and other
antioxidants, phytochemicals, minerals, enzymes and fibre that
contribute to
health and longevity in many ways.
Unfortunately,
despite the
growing medical evidence, only a small percentage of adults (and an
even
smaller percentage of children) eat at least 5 servings per day.
THE
BOTTOM
LINE:
Whole
foods in the
form of
fruits and vegetables - NOT isolated vitamins and minerals-
promote health
and vitality. These are our weapons against disease as they keep our
immune
systems strong. Make sure to get your share!
|
Mark Woodgate
is a leading New Zealand
personal trainer. He has successfully transformed thousands of people
thanks to his revolutionary ‘quality versus quantity’ training
principles.
To receive Mark’s
FREE fortnightly fit tips, click here
(Includes a FREE Bonus for a limited time: "Body Transformation Secrets Revealed!"
|
More articles by Mark Woodgate:
How Cheating on Your Diet Can SPEED UP Fat Loss! The Future of Fitness - Virtual Workouts! 5
Ways to Spice Up Your Workouts!
5
Ways to Stay Cancer Free
The
Top 12 Anti-Aging Tips!
The
REAL Secret to Permanent Fat Loss!
Simplify Your Life
TODAY!
Top 10 Reasons You're
not Losing Weight!
The Top 7 Ways to
Avoid Being an Exercise Dropout!
Are You Applying the
'5 and 5' Rule?
Why
BMI Should Be Outlawed!
The
Top 10 Health Myths Finally Exposed!
The
Shocking Truth About Cardio!
Recession
Proof Your Health!
The
'No More Excuses' 30 Minute Workout!
The
Top 6 Strategies for Keeping New Year's Resolutions Year Round!
The
Body Blueprint 12 Week Challenge - Why it Works!
How
Exercise Can Save You THOUSANDS of Dollars!
The
Myth
of the Fat Burning Zone!
Are
you Starving Yourself to Fatness?
A
Word
of
Caution BEFORE you Venture into the Sun this Summer!
Body
Blueprint
Personal Training
"Dedicated to
Providing Quality Individualised Personal Training"
|
