Foods and Supplements for Nutritional Benefits

Rather than relying on whole foods for nutritional benefits, there is a growing trend of turning to isolated nutrients in supplement form. And as nutritionists, researchers, and health experts are discovering, it’s just not the same.

Although Americans are increasing their vitamin and supplement intake, chronic diseases and health concerns persist. This raises the question of why this trend continues. Because isolated nutrients don’t do the same work that whole food and whole food supplements – like eleuthero and chlorella tablets. Whole food provides real healing power that goes far beyond isolated compounds.

Whole food supplements are created by concentrating whole foods and contain a diverse combination of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, co-factors, trace minerals unique phytonutrients, special fats, and more that you’d find in the original food. The distinction lies between the sound produced by a complete orchestra and that of a single violin. Whole food supplements can support your health in ways isolated nutrients can never do.

You probably heard it before: we are what we eat. But I like a more accurate definition: We are what we can get out of our food. Because it is the bioavailability of the nutrients we take in and more importantly: the cell’s ability to absorb those nutrients, that are the determinant factors defining a person’s health and well-being. The nutrients have to be in a form that the cells can except them, and the cells have to be in optimum condition to be able to absorb the nutrients, which are the keys to successful nutrition. These are two often overlooked facts. That’s why most supplements miss the mark.

Many supplements do not cater to the cellular needs of the body and are provided in an unsuitable form for the cells. They lack biologically active substances that are beneficial for the cells in the body and instead contain inorganic versions of those nutrients that cannot be utilized by the body. To help you understand, I like to take you back to the basics. Have you ever thought about what our body is made of? The human body is built up of 100 trillion cells, each cell with its DNA, which contains a blueprint of the entire body.

Today, life begins at conception. When the sperm of the male and the egg of the female join together, and a cell is formed. The single cell contains DNA, the blueprint of what the entire body will be like. Including the sex of the individual, right down to the color of the eyes. It’s amazing when you realize what happens after the sperm and egg unite.

The original cell divides into two cells, each with its DNA. The two cells become four, the four eight, the eight 16, the 16 become 32, and on and on these cells continue to multiply with an unbelievable speed for the next eleven months. After 11 months, two months after birth, the body has its full complement of cells. Why are cells significant? Because they are the simplest living biological unit in our body.

They convert the nutrients we ingest into the energy we need and determine the health of the body. To slow down aging, limit sickness, and prevent disease we must protect and properly feed our cells. There are 210 different types of cells. Red blood cells, white blood cells, brain cells, heart cells, etc. The body’s organs and tissues are composed of cells.

Everything from our eyes to our hair is made up of a collection of cells. One billion cells have to be replaced every hour, that is 24 billion every day. Did you know that our skin completely regenerates every 27 days? It’s also interesting to note that every two months, all of our heart cells are replaced.

So, the question is: Will our new body be stronger or weaker than the old one? This depends entirely upon the building materials we provide; that is the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe in. The human body is a truly remarkable creature.

Our body’s health is dependent on the health of our cells. The health of the cells depends on the fluid in which they exist, also known as the biological terrain. The biological terrain, the internal environment of the body that surrounds every cell, is regulated by homeostatic processes, which are dependent on the supply of a wide variety of substances, such as nutrients and the removal of waste.

Our cells can only benefit from the nutrients we take in if they can get rid of what they don’t need. The process of absorption, digestion, and transportation is crucial to the biological terrain of the cell. If the biological terrain is wrong, toxins build up and the cells are unable to absorb the nutrients. Toxification depends on the amount of water we drink, the ‘PH’ of the body, and the body fluid, especially the environment that surrounds the cells.

Good nutrition is fundamental for good health. The human body is a complex system that requires a full spectrum of nutrients for optimal health. We require the right amount of macro-nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in the right ratios. We also need the right amount of 59 different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants daily.

Having a well-balanced diet with a variety of essential nutrients is crucial not only in the short run but also in the long run, especially when we realize how vital nutrition is in keeping our bodies healthy. It’s been noted that we tend to eat too much but lack vital nutrients.

In the USA, over 27% of young people are in a state of degenerative disease and don’t even know it. 90% of the population of 65 and over are suffering from of degenerative diseases, like stroke, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and Arthritis.

Many companies that produce nutritional products lack a comprehensive understanding of nutritional science. Good nutrition is not only the study of food but of all the processes of maintenance & repair of the living body, dependent on the digestion of that food. It’s about the interaction of our food with our body and the interaction of the body with our food. Many nutritional supplements on the market today don’t contain bio nutritional substances useful to the cells & the body.

A Whole Apple Offers More Nutritional Benefits Than Its Parts

Let’s take an example of an apple to illustrate my point: Researchers tested the antioxidant power of apples with their skins, and apples without skins, and isolated Vitamin C which is found in apples. One hundred grams of the apple with skin provided the equivalent of 83 Trolox of antioxidant power. The apple without skin offered only 46 Trolox.

When tested against human colon and hepatic cancer lines, the apple with skin easily trumped the apple without skin and the Vitamin C.

There are a few reasons you’ll get more from whole food supplements than from isolated compounds:

Whole Food Supplement Nutrition Adds Up

The apple with skin may not have much more vitamin C than the C alone. But it has perhaps dozens of other antioxidants in it that add up to super antioxidant power, like sauerkraut (which contains more Vitamin C than any other food).

Whole foods may not provide rich supplies of one specific nutrient. But that may not matter because the various antioxidants housed in the fruit may add up to more fighting power.

 Get Synergistic Nutrition from Whole Food Supplements

When used separately, Lycopene and Vitamin E have a limited effect on cancer cells. However, when combined, they can greatly decrease cancer cell growth up to 73%! This perfectly exemplifies synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Synergy results in 1 + 1 equaling 4, 5, or even 6!

In other words, instead of just adding up, certain combinations of nutrients offer exponentially much larger health benefits than they would on their own. Somehow the two different compounds bring out the best in each other, “optimizing the mechanisms” of each other when combined.

Get Balanced Nutrition from Whole Food Supplements

Did you know that a navel orange has 23 grams of sugar? That’s a considerable amount of sugar, equivalent to the sugar content in 6 Oreo cookies. Were you aware of this fact? You probably thought fruit was a good alternative to eating cookies. Fruit not only has sugar; it has lots of fiber. The fiber in fruits slows down your body’s absorption of the fruit’s sugars. Fiber allows your body to benefit from the natural sweetness of fruits without causing a spike in blood sugar levels.

Apart from fiber, fruits contain phytonutrients that offer several benefits to the body. Notably, the antioxidants in fruits help eliminate free radicals that are released when the sugar in fruits is metabolized as fuel. Therefore, the combination of fiber and phytonutrients in fruits counteracts the potentially harmful effects of sugar in fruits.

Let’s talk about important supplements needed!

The Vitamin B group: This group comprises at least eleven vitamins, i.e., B1, B2, B6, B12, pantothenic acid, inositol, niacin, folic acid, biotin, para-amino-benzoic acid, choline, and possible others. A lack of these vitamins can have a damaging effect on the nerves, skin, digestion, appetite, eyes, blood cell supply, and muscle tone, and can cause anemia, headache, migraine, constipation, chronic fatigue, and other ailments. The best sources of the B group vitamins are unprocessed cereals.

Vitamin B1(thiamin) is needed for overweight conditions, palpitation, headache, irritability, excessive fatigue, and edema. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) loses its potency when exposed to light. This vitamin is beneficial for sores or cracks at the corners of the mouth, burning or dryness of the eyes, disorders of the cornea of the eye, burning sensation of the feet, and ‘twilight’ blindness. It is useful for cataracts in conjunction with vitamins C and E.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) This vitamin is used for the more serious forms of neuro-muscular and nervous disease, such as disseminated sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson’s disease, in conjunction with certain other vitamins. It also gives relief in the morning sickness of pregnancy.

Vitamin B12 was discovered in 1948 and is now being used most successfully (together with other vitamins) to combat pernicious anemia. This vitamin has several other uses. Beneficial in multiple sclerosis, and other neuro-muscular diseases; in osteoarthritis, osteoporosis (brittle or soft bones), and skin troubles.

Choline. The function of choline is to transport fats in the body. When choline is lacking, fats accumulate in the liver and can give rise to cirrhosis of the liver a rich source of Choline is egg-yolk, liver, and wheat germ. It is also found in peas, cabbage, potatoes, soya beans, and spinach.

Folic Acid stimulates the normal growth and reproduction of red blood cells in the bone marrow. The principal use of folic acid is to prevent simple anemia, and it has been used with success to cure this ailment. Folic acid should not be used for pernicious anemia, for which vitamin B12 is necessary.

Niacinamide (Niacin) has proved beneficial for vertigo, nausea, vomiting, skin lesions, head noises, insomnia, neuritis, tender gums, diarrhea, depression, and loss of appetite. A severe deficiency of niacinamide can give rise to pellagra. The symptoms of this disease are skin disorders, digestive disturbances, degeneration of the nervous tissue, and mental aberrations. Pellagra is common among those whose diet has been deficient in the liver, lean meat, milk, eggs, and other protein foods, also green vegetables.

Pantothenic Acid is required for the growth and normal functioning of living cells. The richest sources are liver, yeast, and rice polishings. Egg yolk, peanuts, wheat germ, molasses, soybeans, dried peas, and beans are also good sources of this vitamin, which is partially lost by the head of cooking and the use of sodium bicarbonate when cooking vegetables. It is also leached away in the water used for cooking vegetables.

Pantothenic acid is very effective for painful burning feet and for the pains of neuritis. It has also been beneficial for inflammation of the intestines and stomach. According to Adelle Davis in “Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit”, pantothenic acid improves defective memories and ‘appears to offer awards of positive health and perhaps can help to extend youthfulness.’

Para-Amino-Benzoic Acid (PABA) in such serious diseases as lupus and other rare forms of skin disease, together with other vitamins. It is effective in preventing and healing sunburn.

Vitamin C A lack of Vitamin C can result in influenza and colds, fragile capillaries, spongy and bleeding gums, joint pains, rheumatism and arthritis, and bone ailments. It is needed for tissue replacement, cartilage, strong teeth, and bones. The best sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin D is essential to prevent and cure rickets. It is also required to ensure healthy teeth bones, normal growth, and heart function. The effect of sunlight on the oil glands of the skin causes a provitamin called ‘ergosterol’ to be secreted on the surface of the skin. After the ergosterol is acted upon by the ultraviolet rays of the sun, it is converted into vitamin D and absorbed into the body through the skin.

Vitamin E. This vitamin is normally present in cereals, and cereals, and vegetable oils, before the various refining and attractive processes are commenced. A lack of vitamin E gives rise to serious heart ailments, hypertension, high blood pressure, rheumatic heart trouble, hardening of the arteries, varicose veins and ulcers, loss of muscular power, cataract, kidney and liver ailments, and retinal diseases. Vitamin E strengthens muscle tissue and reduces the body’s requirements for oxygen. It also improves circulation, dissolves blood clots, and prevents their formation.

Vitamin F (Lecithin) – also known as unsaturated fatty acids. The best sources of this vitamin are unprocessed cereal and vegetable oils, such as soyabean oil, wheat germ oil, peanut oil, olive oil, etc. Lecithin is needed to prevent eczema, dandruff, falling hair, brittle nails, underweight conditions, and retarded growth. It is also beneficial in emulsifying cholesterol, a hard and waxy substance that silts up veins and arteries and leads to the hardening of the arteries and thrombosis.

Vitamin K. This vitamin is concerned with the normal coagulation of blood. When it is lacking, blood takes longer to coagulate. Vitamin K concentration tends to be low in newborn babies, which explains several cases of hemorrhagic disease in the newly born. It is now usual to give expectant mothers vitamin K injections, late in pregnancy. Vitamin K is found chiefly in the leaves of green vegetables.

Vitamin P is a term that was once used for a group of plant compounds called flavonoids. However, these compounds are not vitamins. This vitamin comprises hesperidin and rutin. Hesperidin is a flavonoid extracted from oranges and appears to be more effective when taken with vitamin C, as each supplement reinforces the action of the other, called synergy. Rutin is obtained from buckwheat.

Extensive clinical research has shown that flavonoids are necessary to prevent capillary fragility. When the capillaries are healthy, the absorption of infection from mucous surfaces during the course of the common cold and influenza is greatly reduced and both ailments are more quickly and easily thrown off.