Scientific evidence suggests that supplements are an indispensable complement to our diets and now even the conventional medical field confirms the importance of supplementation:
The American Medical Association (AMA) recently reversed its longstanding stance against multivitamins due to an overwhelming amount of research indicating that there is a large percentage of the population deficient in micronutrients. “The Journal of the American Medical Association today is advising all adults to take at least one multivitamin pill each day.”
- The Harvard School of Public Health recommends everyone “take a multivitamin daily as an inexpensive nutrition insurance policy.”
- Mehmet Oz reports that “A study of 3 million people revealed that less than 1% of the participants got enough essential vitamins from diet alone. That’s why you must take a multivitamin; it also helps prevent heart disease, breast cancer, and colon cancer.”
- According to seven-time New York Times bestselling author Dr. Mark Hyman, “a whopping 92 percent of us are deficient in one or more nutrients at the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) level…The RDA standards do not necessarily outline the amount needed for optimal health.”
DID YOU KNOW: Taking a multivitamin for at least 3 years was linked to a 35% lower risk of dying from heart disease! (1)
Numerous scientific studies have shown the value of supplementation. Many conditions and degenerative diseases appear to be ameliorated with the addition of much needed quality supplementation.
For instance, folate is crucial for DNA synthesis and repair, and its deficiency can lead to anemia, premature birth, and cancer.
According to a 2002 study, researchers found evidence showing associations between high folate intake and reduced colorectal cancer risk. Their study followed over 5,500 women enrolled in a cancer screening study, from those 295 were cancer cases and 5,334 non-cases. They found that high folate intake is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.
By loading up on organic produce in conjunction with proper supplementation, your worries about suffering from a degenerative disease will dissipate!
Elevated homocysteine levels are considered to be a risk factor for vascular disease and fetal malformations. Research shows that plasma homocysteine can be lowered by folate when supplemented with 1-2 times the RDAs.
Authors of this 1998 study observed 150 female volunteers for 4 weeks, with some receiving 400 mg of folic acid, others 400 mg of folic acid + 6 mg of vitamin B-12, another group 400 mg of folic acid + 400 mg of vitamin B-12, and others received just a placebo. They found that there were significant reductions in homocysteine levels in all groups receiving vitamin treatment. The group that showed the greatest changes was the one supplemented with the combination of 400 mg of folic acid + 400 mg of vitamin B-12. These results show that the addition of vitamin B-12 to folic acid supplements reduces homocysteine levels, and thus decreases the risks of vascular disease and fetal malformations.
Keep in mind, this study achieved significant results using the inferior synthetic folic acid, as opposed to the natural WHOLE FOOD form folate which is recommended.
The following are some interesting facts based on research related to specific nutrients compiled by Life Extension Magazine:
- “90% of women and 71% of men get less than the RDA for vitamin B6.”
- “Men with the lowest amount of vitamin C have a 62% increased risk of cancer and a 57% increased risk of dying from any cause.”
- “Lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the incidence of cataract by 22%.”
- “People with low levels of retinol, beta-carotene, vitamin E and selenium are more likely to get cancer.”
- “Supplemental vitamin D reduces the risk of colon cancer by half compared to dietary vitamin D which reduces it 12%.”
- “The area of China with the lowest micronutrient intake has the highest rate of cancer. Supplementation with vitamin E, selenium and beta-carotene lower that rate.”
- “American children have inadequate levels of vitamin E.”
- “Flavonoids protect against stroke.”
A significant study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002 made this statement:
In the absence of specific predisposing conditions, a usual North American diet is sufficient to prevent overt vitamin deficiency diseases such as scurvy, pellagra, and beriberi. However, insufficient vitamin intake is apparently a cause of chronic diseases. Recent evidence has shown that suboptimal levels of vitamins, even well above those causing deficiency syndromes, are risk factors for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. A large proportion of the general population is apparently at increased risk for this reason!
It becomes evident that supplements are vitally important in today’s world. As you have learned from previous data, the average Western diet lacks the required nutrition needed to remain disease-free. Due to impractical and toxic modern-day agricultural practices and food manufacturing, there has been a steady decline in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, as well as other powerful cancer-fighting phytonutrients in today’s food supply.
DID YOU KNOW: In fact, an individual must eat EIGHT oranges today in order to obtain the same amount of vitamin A that your grandparents got from just one!
Supplements are needed to compensate for those nutritional deficiencies and to fill in the nutritional gaps from the lack of variety and balance in modern diets. Anyone who believes they can satisfy the body’s needs without supplementation, especially on a therapeutic level, is not being realistic.
Proper supplementation is an insurance policy for your body! You insure your house, your car, your boat, your life, what about your health? Health is your number one asset! If you had to jump out of a two-story window would you rather land on the ground or a stack of mattresses? Assuming the mattresses are your answer, supplementation is absolutely essential!
1- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25733474
Terry, P., Jain, M., Miller, A. B., Howe, G. R., & Rohan, T. E. (2002). Dietary intake of folic acid and colorectal cancer risk in a cohort of women. International journal of cancer, 97(6), 864-867.
Brönstrup, A., Hages, M., Prinz-Langenohl, R., & Pietrzik, K. (1998). Effects of folic acid and combinations of folic acid and vitamin B-12 on plasma homocysteine concentrations in healthy, young women. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 68(5), 1104-1110.
http://www.biohealthquest.com/weight-management/
Kathryn Scharf; The Kushi Institute of Becket, Massachusetts; http://csf.colorado.edu/archive/1999/food_security/msg00531.html
Davis, D. R. (2009). Declining fruit and vegetable nutrient composition: What is the evidence?. HortScience, 44(1), 15-19.
US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service http://www.ba.ars.usda.gov/cnrg/services/state02.html
Worthington, V. (2001). Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables, and grains. The Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 7(2), 161-173.
Davis, D. R., Epp, M. D., & Riordan, H. D. (2004). Changes in USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to 1999. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 23(6), 669-682.
http://www.yourhealthbase.com/foodandmedicine.htm
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, www.jacn.org; Kushi Institute, www.kushiinstitute.org; Organic Consumers Association, www.organicconsumers.org. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=195039
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20537171 -3 popular diet plans- U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.