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Do you feel overwhelmed by TOO MANY choices in nutritional supplements today? We can help! Welcome to our free seven-part Online Seminar on Health & Nutrition. Learn how to discern fact from fiction in a world of hype and misinformation. Scroll down to read this part below. |
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Have you ever wondered where to even begin in getting a handle on preventative health and nutrition? So much of the information that is fed to us through advertising and the media does not give the complete picture, nor does it start with a proper foundation that can be built upon precept by precept. You read an informative article in the latest health magazine or circular, and find out about yet another herb, antioxidant, or supplement that sounds absolutely imperative for good health. But how many of these can you even take, or afford, before you wonder if you are just playing a "hit-or-miss" game with supplementation? Are you even getting the basics of nutrition that are essential to fundamental processes in your body?
The answer is to start with digestion.
The answer is to start with understanding the digestive process. Why? Because digestion is always given #1 priority in the body ahead of all other functions! Metabolic enzymes are the key to proper functioning of ALL systems and organs in your body. Digestive enzymes more specifically help to break down and digest our food. But the body wasn't designed to have to furnish 100% of the digestive enzymes for every meal consumed. Raw foods contain plant enzymes which are already available inherently to digest food. These plant enzymes can also aid in digesting cooked or processed foods eaten immediately after raw fruits or vegetables are consumed. And by supplying your body with enzymes from an external food source, fewer enzymes produced by the body are needed for digestion, thus freeing more of your enzymes to go to work on running and repairing your body. All of us have an enzyme 'bank' which we can make deposits or withdrawals from. If the enzyme bank is depleted, not only is the digestive process thrown out of balance, but the enzymes that would otherwise be working to speed proper functioning of your body and healing are in short supply and called to assist with digestion instead.
The next thing you need to understand about the critical process of digestion is the assimilation of nutrients. Nutrients do your body no good unless they reach the cells. This is why probiotics, or flora, are so important to your system. Probiotics serve to assimilate the nutrients once the food is broken down by the enzymes (and chewing/perystalsis). Everyone should have about 3 pounds of probiotics or "good" bacteria in their intestinal system at all times. The problem is that these probiotics (flora) are destroyed through a variety of adverse factors: a bad diet, processed food, antibiotics, carbonated beverages, and even stress. So supplying enzymes externally to your system is not enough - the nutrients in foods and supplements must then be assimilated to 'feed' your cells. Even if you have never taken many antibiotic prescription medications, most Americans are intaking antibiotics through the meats they eat. Over 50% of all antibiotics produced in the U.S. are used in animals. Besides being a key to nutrient assimilation, probiotics are play a vital role as the body's "second" immune system. If these flora colonies are absent or diminished in the intestines, pathogenic bacteria have the opportunity to remain since the spots which should otherwise be filled with good bacteria are vacant. These pathogenic bacteria can obviously have a negative impact on one's health, leading to a variety of health problems. There are several primary strains of probiotics needed by the body, not just one or two.
The third critical element in the digestive process is enzyme activation. Research has shown that digestion can be enhanced by as much as 59% if certain key minerals are present to activate the digestive enzymes. These minerals greatly increase enzyme activity, thereby increasing nutrient absorption and utilization of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you consume in foods and supplements. The activation of enzymes by these specific minerals can also significantly increase the breakdown of fats for energy rather than storage by activating the lipase enzymes.
Now that You Understand How Nutrients Are Delivered to The Body, What Specific Nutrients Do You Need? Congratulations! You now understand more about the fundamentals of nutrition and digestion than 90% of the population! You are probably starting to see that most people are literally throwing their money to the wind by taking supplements without a foundational understanding of nutrition and what you really need. All the supplements in the world will do you no good if they aren't properly assimilated and utilized by the body at the cellular level. Most people today have a digestive system that is severely out of balance due to the Standard American Diet (SAD), carbonated beverages, pharmaceuticals, and stress. Virtually all of the major diseases common in our society today - diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and others - can be traced back to improper nutrition and digestive system imbalances.
So what specific nutrients do you need? The first answer (beyond of course the macronutrients such as protein and carbohydrates we get from food) is vitamins and minerals. But not just any kind! The overwhelming majority of vitamins on the market are synthetic. Unfortunately, most consumers are not aware of the fact that these vitamins are only fractions of the complete package, and are therefore poorly used at the cellular level if at all. The only type of vitamins which give the complete package with all necessary co-factors are those from whole foods. You will learn more about whole food nutrition and supplementation as you continue on through this online seminar. Most Americans are taking in far less than the U.S.R.D.A. (Recommended Daily Allowance) of essential vitamins. And what can start out as just a minor vitamin deficiency can become a serious health problem down the road. The role of vitamins is significant, as vitamins supply the keys necessary to balance and nourish the body, supporting it in hundreds of critical processes while at the same time promoting healing and regeneration. Vitamins work synergistically with enzymes and minerals, assisting these other nutrients in performing their roles. Even those who understand the need for vitamin supplementation fail to comprehend the subtle - but significant - difference between whole food vitamins and synthetics. Vitamins have been described as "missing keys", and like a key, "they fit into tiny chemical locks that free the body's...regulatory networks, each vitamin being a complex organic molecule that fills in specific missing links throughout the body's chemistry."1 In order for the vitamin (the key) to be of any use to the body, it must be absorbed into the cells. The fitting of the missing keys into their tiny slots within your body's biochemistry takes place within the trillions of cells making up the body. Unfortunately, if you were to take any one of the many commercially produced vitamins on the market you could still be malnourished, simply because the vitamins in these supplements are only incomplete fractions of the complete key, and therefore are not useable on the cellular level.2 A good example of an incomplete yet widely manufactured vitamin is a Vitamin C supplement containing ascorbic acid as the primary active ingredient. Ascorbic acid is actually made by mixing hydrochloric acid with corn syrup. (Does this sound like something that will make you healthier?) However, the complete Vitamin C complex actually consists of four parts: ascorbic acid, rutin, bioflavonoids, and J and K factor. The problem is that by taking only ascorbic acid, the body is then forced to use its own reserves of the other three missing parts of the vitamin C complex: the bioflavonoids, rutin, and J and K factor. The result means depleting the body's own supply of these co-factors. Therefore, taking synthetic vitamins may not replenish nutrients, but could very easily cause a deficiency.3 In addition to improper function and inability to perform a role in the body, fractionated vitamins stimulate nerve activity and increase blood sugar activity (a drug-like reaction). These synthetic vitamin forms are rushed through the body for elimination which may cause a temporary euphoric feeling, however this does not encourage repair or regeneration.4, 5
Certain minerals are just as basic and fundamental to health as vitamins. Now that you understand that all supplements are not created equal, you may already be wondering if the same holds true for minerals and their assimilation as nutrients in the body. The answer is yes! First, let us understand how important minerals are to the body nutritionally. Experts in the field of minerals in nutrition tell us, "Lacking vitamins, the system can make some use of the minerals, but lacking minerals, the vitamins are often useless. While our bodies manufacture some of the vitamins we need, they must rely completely upon outside sources for an adequate supply of minerals."6,5 As you learned earlier, enzymes play a critical role as the life force behind every bodily process. In order for these enzymes to perform these important duties, minerals are necessary in order to activate these enzymes. And beyond functioning in this manner, minerals are also absolutely essential to bone and blood formation, nerve function, and proper composition of the body's fluids. So why do we need mineral supplementation if we get minerals in the food we eat? One reason is that much of our nation's agricultural soil has been depleted of these essential minerals. Another is that minerals are stripped from many foods through the refining and processing of them. Poor diet and stress also can decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals. There are many mineral supplements on the market today that seem to tout "more is better" in regard to the number of minerals in a given formula. However, there are numerous minerals (such as gold or lead) which are not nutrients, but rather poison to the human body. Essential minerals are essential in that they directly or indirectly function in supplying energy, aid in growth and maintenance of the body's tissue, and assist in the regulation of processes. According to the National Research Council, "there are only 17 minerals or elements of substantiated nutritional value."7 It is harmful to take those minerals which have not been found to be essential, but rather act as toxins in the body. The safest and best absorbed mineral supplements are those closest to the form found in nature. When minerals from the soil are taken in by a plant, the mineral is bound or chelated to an amino acid. This converts the mineral from an inorganic substance to an organic substance. Your body does not know what to do with inorganic minerals, or how to properly and effectively assimilate them as nutrients! This is why amino acid chelated minerals are considered the superior form of mineral supplementation. It is also important to make sure you are getting minerals that undergo a patented chelation process, as there are many supplement manufacturers who do not truly chelate their minerals despite their claims. Patented amino acid chelated minerals such as those from Albion Laboratories are absorbed up to 400 times better, more of the mineral is retained in the tissues, and they are safer than any other form on the market.8
Other Essential Nutrients In addition to vitamins and minerals, antioxidants are a relatively new nutrient to be studied and focused on. We live in a time when we are bombarded by toxins, chemicals, pollution, unhealthy foods, and stress. All of these factors have significantly increased free radical damage in our bodies. Free radicals are unstable molecules which attack the stable, healthy cells of the body, looking for an electron they are missing. The healthy cells are subjected to over 10,000 hits from free radicals daily, according to some experts.9 As the cells are bombarded, the cell lining becomes weak through oxidation, allowing disease to set in and leading to premature degeneration. Free radical damage has been linked to many diseases including Alzheimer's, cancer, strokes, atherosclerosis, cataracts. It has also been linked to joint pain, shortness of breath, eye strain, and age spots.10 Antioxidants are those nutrients which attack the free radicals, and help to repair the damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants are a special group of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that protect the body from harmful oxidizing effects. Some of the primary antioxidants include Vitamins A, C, and E, along with selenium. In addition it is important to provide your body with the building blocks of specific minerals it needs to create SOD, or Super Oxide Dismutase, which is your body's natural defense against free radicals. Although you cannot give the body additional SOD contrary to what some companies claim, you can provide the ingredients necessary for the body to make its own. To get the maximum benefit from antioxidant supplements, these should also be made available to the body in a whole food form just as with vitamins.5
Additional links to understand more about nutrition and getting healthy:
Part 2 of this online seminar will next address some simple changes you can make to your diet which will have profound consequences on your health and well-being.
References 1 Beasley, Joseph D., M.D. adn Jeffy Swift, M.A. The Kellogg Report: The Impact of Nutrition, Environment, and Lifestyle on the Health of Americans. New York: The Institute of Health Policy and Practice, 1989, pg 70. 2. DeCava, Judith, C.N.C., "Digestive Physiology- A Review: Part 1- From Mouth to Stomach," Biochemical Research and Clinical Nutrition, Vol 4, No. 2, 1988. 3. New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 333, No. 21. 4. Robbins, Joel, M.D., D.C. Nutrition in the Practice: A Practical Guide on Incorporating Nutrition into any Health Care Practice. Oklahoma: Health Dynamics Corporation, 1997. 5. "The Highway to Health," Doug Grant, Optimal Health Systems. 6. Ashmead, H. DeWayne, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Conversations on Chelation and Mineral Nutrition. Connecticut: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1989, pg.11. 7. "Minerals...Trace Minerals...Ultra Trace Minerals: Is Supplementation Safe?" Albion Research Notes: A Compilation of Vital Research Updates on Human Nutrition. May 1996, 5:2. 8. H. DeWayne Ashmead, PhD, FACN "The Metabolism of Amino Acid Chelates," Utah: Albion Laboratories, Inc. 9. Gorner, Peter and Ronald Kotulak. "Scientists try to tame molecular 'sharks'." Chicago Tribune, 12/11/91, front page. 10. Newmark, Gretchen Rose, M.A., R.D. and James M. Gerber, M.S., D.C. "Antioxidants: Key to a Healthier Life," Let's Live, Nov. 1992.
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PART
1 - Learn
Everything You
Need to Know About Nutrition That Your Mother, Your Doctor and the Government Never
Taught You
Why Enzymes are So
Critical to Good Health
Enzymes Break Food
Down, But the Probiotics Assimilate the Nutrients
