All Supplements Are Created Equal - Not!

Abraham and Sarah never took vitamins and they were able to have a child when they were both well past child-bearing age - Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90! In fact, Sarah had been barren as a young woman and unable to conceive. You can read about it in Genesis chapters 15-21.

Caleb was one of the twelve spies sent to scope out the Promised Land. He did not receive his reward for trusting God, which was conquering a well-guarded land, until he was 85. However, in Joshua 14:10-12, he clearly stated he was just as strong at 85 as he was at 40. Again, I see no mention of megavitamins he took.

In Genesis 6 Noah, at age 600(!), built one heck of a huge boat (look at the dimensions!), all by himself. While God's power is most definitely at work in these instances, these were still all human beings, just as we are. Yet many lived well past 100 years, in fact hundreds of years past. Yet, there's no mention of taking supplements per se.

So why are vitamins and other supplements such big business today? Why do even the major health agencies, including the AMA, American Heart Association, American Dietetic Association and the American Lung Association, all recommend taking a daily multivitamin? Back in Biblical times and even back several generations ago, the foods grown in the fields contained all the natural, essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients God originally created them to have. As we have advanced technologically, we have gotten away from Biblical principles.

Crops are no longer rotated regularly and fields are not allowed to lie fallow for a time in order for the soil to be replenished. In fact our soils are loaded with pesticides and herbicides intended to eliminate pests and increase the number of crops harvested. However, this also kills the naturally occurring micro-organisms healthy, fertile soil contains. Therefore, the soil our crops are grown in is depleted and the food that is grown in it is as well. Even organically grown produce, although a better option, isn't perfect either.

Therefore, supplementing our diet with vitamins, minerals and other nutritional supplements has become critical to maintaining health. So, should you just grab a bottle of vitamins from the local supermarket and call it a day? Not so fast. The foundation of good health is eating the highest quality diet you possibly can. Supplements and pills cannot make up for an inferior diet, no exercise, inadequate sleep and constant stress.

There is just no "magic pill." We must still make the best food choices we can from fresh, natural, organic whenever possible, whole foods, exercise, get refreshing sleep each night, use high quality, whole food nutritional supplements and find effective ways to manage the stress of life in the twenty-first century.

But are all vitamins the same? You may notice that the price of vitamins varies widely. In order to produce affordable supplements, many companies use scientists and biochemists who attempt to create synthetic versions of natural compounds. When God created the nutrients in foods, He created them as nutritional compounds, not isolated substances. A great example is the carotenes found in carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe and other yellow-orange foods. Beta carotene is the best known of these. Many people supplement with beta carotene. However, when you eat a carrot, you don't just get beta carotene, you get a whole complement of carotenes, antioxidants and phytonutrients - many of which have yet to be discovered.

Your body is smart enough to recognize whole food nutrients and is able to use them much more efficiently than synthetic vitamins. This is why you need far less of a whole food, natural supplement than you would of a synthetic one. For example, you could take 5,000 milligrams of synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid) a day, which is equal to eating about 75 oranges. However, would you ever be able to eat 75 oranges in a day? Would you even want to? Your body and digestive system are not made to do that.

A study, headlined in many major newspapers, speculated that antioxidants like vitamins E and C have no beneficial, protective effects against cancer. However, what they failed to report was that the vitamins used in that flawed study were synthetic and not whole food, natural nutritional supplements.

So, back to the original question: Are all supplements alike? I believe the answer is a resounding "no!"

Take a Step:

My recommendation is that you look for the highest quality, whole food grown, nutritional products you can afford and use them as part of a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle.

Not sure where to find them? Feel free to contact me and I would be happy to give you some excellent, reputable sources you can check out on your own.

Until next time I wish you vibrant health!

Ann