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Earth Nutrition

A recent article published in the Wall Street Journal (March 20, 2006) voiced a concern that I have suspected for years. Vitamin supplements may be doing more harm than good. It is estimated that 70% of American households spent $7 billion on vitamins last year. Over the past several years, studies designed to show the benefit of vitamin use have instead shown the opposite. Beta-carotene has been viewed as a cancer fighter, but it appears to promote lung cancer in a study of former smokers (1994 Finland Study). Vitamin A taken to boost the immune system can increase a women's risk of hip fractures (Harvard study of more than 72,000 nurses). A study of whether vitamin E improved heart health showed higher rates of congestive heart failure among vitamin users (2005 John Hopkins University study of 135,000 people). There are also growing concerns that antioxidant supplements, long viewed as cancer fighters, may actually promote some cancers (2005 cancer journal CA). A 2005 study in the British Medical Journal didn't show any reduction in fracture risk among women who took daily calcium and vitamin D. This study also showed that calcium users had a 17% higher risk for kidney stones.    

In each of these studies, patients were taking normal or recommended doses of the particular vitamin studied. Often however, people will take double or triple the normal dose feeling that if a little is good, then taking a lot must be better. People often approach vitamin usage with the attitude that at best it will help and at worst it will do no harm. The other thing that should be pointed out is that the vitamins, minerals or supplements taken were pharmaceutically produced or the isolated chemical of the vitamin. Let me explain. When vitamin C was first discovered 50+ years ago, it was named ascorbic acid, because that is what they saw. They were able to figure out the chemical configuration of ascorbic acid and reproduce or manufacture it in a laboratory. Vitamin C became synonymous with ascorbic acid then as well as today. Look on the label of your vitamin C and you will find some form of ascorbic acid, (Calcium ascorbate, etc). What many do not realize is that ascorbic acid is only the outer shell of the vitamin C complex. I picture the vitamin complex like a ball. The outer material of the ball is the ascorbic acid. Scientists have discovered that once they could crack that ball open, they discovered many other things that are part of the vitamin C complex, bioflavonoids, substance P, etc.   In other words, vitamin C is not ascorbic acid, but a symphony of active ingredients, synergists, co-factors, buffers and many more things that have yet to be discovered. Science (namely drug companies) discover what they presume to be the active ingredient, then they isolate it, concentrate it, patent it and market it. This is why you can take a little tiny pill that contains more vitamin content that a bucket of food that would contain high levels of that particular vitamin.

Our bodies were designed to eat whole foods, not isolated concentrates. We know that vitamins are healthful to the body based on observational studies of diets rich in fruits and vegetables high in a particular vitamin benefiting particular conditions. Namely, the person who eats lots of carrots and blueberries has good eyesight. And so the truth of the matter is vitamins and minerals are indeed good for you, but only when they come from whole food sources. This is not to say that people cannot benefit from these synthetically made vitamins, but research is beginning to demonstrate that vitamin therapy can be a two-edged sword. It may help one aspect of a condition, while create problems elsewhere. Many people take vitamins as a quick fix to compensate for poor eating habits. The truth is bearing out that no supplement can make up for a poor diet. We are designed to eat nutritious foods and it is unlikely you will escape the consequences of a poor diet by taking any kind of pill.

Years ago when Randy (my partner in Western Botanicals) and I began manufacturing herbal products, we made a decision that we would not add isolated vitamins, minerals or any of the other synthetic nutraceuticals. We believed that sticking to a philosophy of using only whole natural herbs was right. It felt right then as it does now. With this philosophy in mind, we have designed a couple of products that are 100% natural and wholesome. We view herbs as concentrated foods. Just as carrots are high in vitamin A, each herb has its unique balance of micronutrients. By taking a supplement that contains foods that are high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, etc. your body will enjoy the benefits that were observed to improve your health by providing your body with the nutritional building blocks in the complete form nature developed to generate health naturally.  

Increased energy and health can best be enjoyed by nourishing your body rather than stimulating your nervous system. Consuming stimulants such as those containing high amounts of caffeine and sugar may give you an artificial boost of energy, but at a cost to your nervous system, immune system and adrenal glands. Short-term energy is exchanged for long-term fatigue.

Western Botanicals is proud to offer two products that will serve your needs for vitamins and minerals in a daily supplement. Our Bountiful Blend and Earth's Nutrition each contain whole foods and herbs such as spinach, alfalfa, spirulina and chlorella, Bountiful Blend also contains a rich array of fruits, berries and vegetables. Because of the high content of natural fruit and berry juices, Bountiful Blend is rich in antioxidants. Earth Nutrition is higher in whole food sources of the B-vitamins, which support the nervous system. Both of these products, which make a tasty nutritional drink, can be taken daily to provide you with the nutritional building-blocks to restore your health and energize your body.

While we agree that vitamins and minerals are essential to our health, we also agree and support the latest research findings that suggest that man-made or synthetic vitamins can cause more problems. Once again, nature has is right. Whole foods, which are balanced and unadulterated, are the best. Sciences' effort for a quick and rapid fix seems to benefit the bank accounts of the drug companies who manufacture the vitamins.

So we can now say with even more confidence: WHOLE FOOD SOURCES REALLY ARE THE BEST SOURCE FOR VITAMINS! So think again about taking vitamins and minerals that are identified on the bottle by a chemical sounding name. If you want vitamin C you should be taking rose hips or acerola cherry not some form of ascorbate! When you read a label stating that your bread, cereal, milk or whatever is fortified or enriched with vitamins or minerals, you can be sure there is nothing natural or even healthy being added. I've always thought it ironic that they take out 100+ vitamins, minerals, etc from whole grain then add 12 vitamins and minerals and call it enriched! So when it comes to supplements go for what is real, whole, and natural. Science and technology have not improved upon nature when it comes to nutrition.  

~ Dr. Kyle D. Christensen D.C. ~