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WHY TAKE NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS?
Many people ask why one needs to take vitamins or minerals in dosages
exceeding the recommended daily allowances for a while? Among the reasons
are depleted soil, low-nutrient crops, food processing, use of pesticides and
herbicides, stress, special circumstances like pregnancy, and that we use
nutrients for therapy, not just to avoid deficiency diseases.
Government scientists meet periodically to decide the levels of the
recommended daily allowances (RDA) of nutrients. The main criterion is the
amount needed to prevent deficiency diseases. Vitamin C deficiency causes
scurvy, vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness, and B1 deficiency causes
pellagra.
While this approach is fine as far as it goes, these recommendations have little
to with optimum health. One of every two Americans will contract cancer and
50% of the population by age 40 have a chronic illness. In theory, most of these
people meet or exceed the RDAs for nutrients.
The theory of the RDAs ignores more subtle aspects of nutrition such as the
effect of vitamin C or zinc on tumor inhibition. This is much harder to measure,
so it is ignored. The government requires that companies print the percentage
of the RDA on each supplement bottle. This can cause alarm until one
understands why the RDAs are inappropriate and often irrelevent.
BIOCHEMICAL INDIVIDUALITY
For optimum health, one needs different concepts of nutrition. One of these is
biochemical individuality. The term was coined by Dr. Roger Williams to
describe his research finding that nutritional needs vary tremendously from
person to person.
From this perspective, averages and standards mean very little. I use hair
mineral analysis to assess each person's oxidation rate, stage of stress, trace
element levels, toxic metal levels, digestive adequacy, state of the immune
system and other factors that can be identified on the test.
I also take into account each person's age, sex, weight and health conditions
including pregnancy and acute or chronic illnesses. All these affect one's
nutritional requirements.
ORTHOMOLECULAR NUTRITION
Orthomolecular nutrition is related to biochemical individuality. The term was
coined by the late Dr. Linus Pauling. It means to give the amount needed of a
nutrient, not some average or standard amount.
My recommendations differ from those of many orthomolecular physicians in
that we use foods and nutrients not just to correct symptoms, but to balance
body chemistry. For example, a person in an alarm stage requires more
calcium, copper, magnesium, choline and inositol. However, excessive vitamin
B-complex or C may be harmful for that person.
A person in the exhaustion stage of stress requires more B-complex and C and
less copper. By properly combining nutrients and taking into account mineral
levels, ratios and patterns, our programs are more precise and correction
deeper and more permanent.
OTHER REASONS FOR HIGH NUTRIENT DOSAGES
I also recommend higher dosages of certain nutrients for other reasons.
These include:
1) Most people today are born depleted and toxic. Even if you were to find the
greatest food, and your health is perfect, most of us are born today with
nutritional deficiencies thanks to deficiencies in parents. Both nutrient
deficiencies and toxic metals that require extra nutrients for their removal are
passed on through the placenta.
2) Today's soil is depleted. Many soils are low in zinc, manganese, chromium,
molybdenum, calcium and magnesium. This means that although one eats an
excellent diet of organic foods, one will not obtain all the nutrients one needs.
3) H-yield crops are deficient in certain nutrients. Ten times the amount of
wheat is grown on the same land as was grown 100 years ago. Today's wheat
contains about 6% protein whereas 100 years ago it contained 12-14%. Trace
mineral levels are similarly much lower due to high-yield farminng methods.
4) Modern fertilizers do not supply enough trace elements. One hundred years
ago, manures were used extensively for fertilizer. Today, superphosphate
fertilizers have largely replaced manures. These contain mainly nitrogen,
potassium and phosphorus and are deficient in the trace elements contained
in manures. Superphosphates often act more as growth stimulants. This has
contributed greatly to depletion of the soil and crop minerals. This includes
organically grown food, although it is much better..
5) Pesticides and herbicides kill soil microorganisms and affect the nutrition of
the plant. Soil microorganisms are needed to make minerals and other
nutrients available to plants. The result is lower nutrient content. Also, our
bodies require extra nutrients to process pesticide residues that remain inside
the foods.
Many pesticides are deadly chemicals that severely tax the human system.
Some contain lead, arsenic and other toxic metals that slowly accumulate in the
body unless and until one follows a health program designed to remove them.
Our laws currently allow sewage and factory sludge to be sold as fertilizer that
contains significant quantities of toxic metals. These add greatly to our toxic
metal burden and require extra nutrients to help remove them from the body.
6) Long-distance transportation of many foods diminishes their nutrition. Many
foods are grown thousands of miles from population centers. They may spend
a week on trucks or trains to reach you. As soon as a food is harvested, the
levels of certain nutrients begins to diminish. This is another factor that
reduces our nutrient intake and increases the need for supplements.
7) Food processing often drastically reduces nutrient content. Refining of
wheat to make white flour removes 80% of its magnesium, 70-80% of its zinc,
87% of its chromium, 88% of its manganese and 50% of its cobalt.
Refining sugar cane to make white sugar removes 99% of its magnesium and
93% of its chromium. Polishing rice removes 75% of its zinc and chromium.
Canned food may be quite old. Frozen foods are nutritionally better.
8) Food additives often deplete nutrients. Thousands of artificial flavors,
colors, dough conditioners, stabilizers and preservatives are added to many
foods. While some are harmless and may increase the value of food, many are
toxic and can deplete the body of nutrients.
As a result of eating refined, low-quality food loaded with additives, most
people's digestion is impaired. This further impairs nutrient absorption and
increases nutritional needs. This is why I recommend a digestive aid for
everyone who is suffering from any health condition.
9) Pollution and Stress deplete many nutrients including calcium, magnesium
and zinc. Stress also causes excessive sympathetic nervous system activity,
which reduces digestive ability. These are other important reasons why
supplementation in high doses is sometimes needed.
CONCLUSION
For a while, most everyone needs extra nutrients to make up for deficiencies
due to all the sources above. So severe are nutrient deficiencies today, that in
addition to your recommended diet and supplement program, I recommend
everyone use unrefined sea salt and kelp tablets or granules as extra mineral
sources.
When oneπs health is rebuilt, one no longer needs many extra nutrients, but
this will take a number of years in most cases.
References
1. Anderson, M. and Jensen, B., Empty Harvest: Understanding the Link
Between Our Food, Our Immunity and Our Planet, Avery Penguin Putnam, 1993.
2. Hall, R.H, Food For Naught, The Decline in Nutrition, Vintage Books, NY 1974.
3. Hoffer, A. and Walker, M., Orthomolecular Nutrition, Keats Publishing, 1978.
4. Pfeiffer, Mental and Elemental Nutrients, Keats Publishing, 1975.
5. Schroeder, H. The Trace Elements and Man, The Devin-Adair Company, CT,
1975.
Many people ask why one needs to take vitamins or minerals in dosages
exceeding the recommended daily allowances for a while? Among the reasons
are depleted soil, low-nutrient crops, food processing, use of pesticides and
herbicides, stress, special circumstances like pregnancy, and that we use
nutrients for therapy, not just to avoid deficiency diseases.
Government scientists meet periodically to decide the levels of the
recommended daily allowances (RDA) of nutrients. The main criterion is the
amount needed to prevent deficiency diseases. Vitamin C deficiency causes
scurvy, vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness, and B1 deficiency causes
pellagra.
While this approach is fine as far as it goes, these recommendations have little
to with optimum health. One of every two Americans will contract cancer and
50% of the population by age 40 have a chronic illness. In theory, most of these
people meet or exceed the RDAs for nutrients.
The theory of the RDAs ignores more subtle aspects of nutrition such as the
effect of vitamin C or zinc on tumor inhibition. This is much harder to measure,
so it is ignored. The government requires that companies print the percentage
of the RDA on each supplement bottle. This can cause alarm until one
understands why the RDAs are inappropriate and often irrelevent.
BIOCHEMICAL INDIVIDUALITY
For optimum health, one needs different concepts of nutrition. One of these is
biochemical individuality. The term was coined by Dr. Roger Williams to
describe his research finding that nutritional needs vary tremendously from
person to person.
From this perspective, averages and standards mean very little. I use hair
mineral analysis to assess each person's oxidation rate, stage of stress, trace
element levels, toxic metal levels, digestive adequacy, state of the immune
system and other factors that can be identified on the test.
I also take into account each person's age, sex, weight and health conditions
including pregnancy and acute or chronic illnesses. All these affect one's
nutritional requirements.
ORTHOMOLECULAR NUTRITION
Orthomolecular nutrition is related to biochemical individuality. The term was
coined by the late Dr. Linus Pauling. It means to give the amount needed of a
nutrient, not some average or standard amount.
My recommendations differ from those of many orthomolecular physicians in
that we use foods and nutrients not just to correct symptoms, but to balance
body chemistry. For example, a person in an alarm stage requires more
calcium, copper, magnesium, choline and inositol. However, excessive vitamin
B-complex or C may be harmful for that person.
A person in the exhaustion stage of stress requires more B-complex and C and
less copper. By properly combining nutrients and taking into account mineral
levels, ratios and patterns, our programs are more precise and correction
deeper and more permanent.
OTHER REASONS FOR HIGH NUTRIENT DOSAGES
I also recommend higher dosages of certain nutrients for other reasons.
These include:
1) Most people today are born depleted and toxic. Even if you were to find the
greatest food, and your health is perfect, most of us are born today with
nutritional deficiencies thanks to deficiencies in parents. Both nutrient
deficiencies and toxic metals that require extra nutrients for their removal are
passed on through the placenta.
2) Today's soil is depleted. Many soils are low in zinc, manganese, chromium,
molybdenum, calcium and magnesium. This means that although one eats an
excellent diet of organic foods, one will not obtain all the nutrients one needs.
3) H-yield crops are deficient in certain nutrients. Ten times the amount of
wheat is grown on the same land as was grown 100 years ago. Today's wheat
contains about 6% protein whereas 100 years ago it contained 12-14%. Trace
mineral levels are similarly much lower due to high-yield farminng methods.
4) Modern fertilizers do not supply enough trace elements. One hundred years
ago, manures were used extensively for fertilizer. Today, superphosphate
fertilizers have largely replaced manures. These contain mainly nitrogen,
potassium and phosphorus and are deficient in the trace elements contained
in manures. Superphosphates often act more as growth stimulants. This has
contributed greatly to depletion of the soil and crop minerals. This includes
organically grown food, although it is much better..
5) Pesticides and herbicides kill soil microorganisms and affect the nutrition of
the plant. Soil microorganisms are needed to make minerals and other
nutrients available to plants. The result is lower nutrient content. Also, our
bodies require extra nutrients to process pesticide residues that remain inside
the foods.
Many pesticides are deadly chemicals that severely tax the human system.
Some contain lead, arsenic and other toxic metals that slowly accumulate in the
body unless and until one follows a health program designed to remove them.
Our laws currently allow sewage and factory sludge to be sold as fertilizer that
contains significant quantities of toxic metals. These add greatly to our toxic
metal burden and require extra nutrients to help remove them from the body.
6) Long-distance transportation of many foods diminishes their nutrition. Many
foods are grown thousands of miles from population centers. They may spend
a week on trucks or trains to reach you. As soon as a food is harvested, the
levels of certain nutrients begins to diminish. This is another factor that
reduces our nutrient intake and increases the need for supplements.
7) Food processing often drastically reduces nutrient content. Refining of
wheat to make white flour removes 80% of its magnesium, 70-80% of its zinc,
87% of its chromium, 88% of its manganese and 50% of its cobalt.
Refining sugar cane to make white sugar removes 99% of its magnesium and
93% of its chromium. Polishing rice removes 75% of its zinc and chromium.
Canned food may be quite old. Frozen foods are nutritionally better.
8) Food additives often deplete nutrients. Thousands of artificial flavors,
colors, dough conditioners, stabilizers and preservatives are added to many
foods. While some are harmless and may increase the value of food, many are
toxic and can deplete the body of nutrients.
As a result of eating refined, low-quality food loaded with additives, most
people's digestion is impaired. This further impairs nutrient absorption and
increases nutritional needs. This is why I recommend a digestive aid for
everyone who is suffering from any health condition.
9) Pollution and Stress deplete many nutrients including calcium, magnesium
and zinc. Stress also causes excessive sympathetic nervous system activity,
which reduces digestive ability. These are other important reasons why
supplementation in high doses is sometimes needed.
CONCLUSION
For a while, most everyone needs extra nutrients to make up for deficiencies
due to all the sources above. So severe are nutrient deficiencies today, that in
addition to your recommended diet and supplement program, I recommend
everyone use unrefined sea salt and kelp tablets or granules as extra mineral
sources.
When oneπs health is rebuilt, one no longer needs many extra nutrients, but
this will take a number of years in most cases.
References
1. Anderson, M. and Jensen, B., Empty Harvest: Understanding the Link
Between Our Food, Our Immunity and Our Planet, Avery Penguin Putnam, 1993.
2. Hall, R.H, Food For Naught, The Decline in Nutrition, Vintage Books, NY 1974.
3. Hoffer, A. and Walker, M., Orthomolecular Nutrition, Keats Publishing, 1978.
4. Pfeiffer, Mental and Elemental Nutrients, Keats Publishing, 1975.
5. Schroeder, H. The Trace Elements and Man, The Devin-Adair Company, CT,
1975.