We need a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to improve and maintain our health. These vitamins and minerals can even prevent serious diseases from ever occurring. It is easy to buy vitamin supplements at the store or online, but this may not be your best source. The most nutritious vitamins and minerals come from eating whole food.
The biggest problem with most vitamin supplements is that they contain isolated and synthetic vitamins. Within whole, plant-based foods, vitamins in their whole form work together as a perfect blend to provide you with the maximum nutrition. A writer from Native Sun Nutrition makes a useful comparison between vitamins and a car: A car will only work in its whole form. If you take away the parts, the car will not function, nor will the parts work on their own. When vitamins are extracted from their whole form, the body will not absorb them as well.
Nutritionist Judith DeCava says, “Separating the group of compounds (in a vitamin complex) converts it from a physiological, biochemical, active micronutrient into a disabled, debilitated chemical of little or no value to living cells. The synergy is gone.” It is more important to focus on where the vitamins came from as opposed to “how much” of the vitamin is listed on a label.
Did you know that taking synthetic vitamins can actually be harmful? For example, studies show that high levels of synthetic vitamin C–also referred to as ascorbic acid–can produce adverse effects. Synthetic vitamin C can weaken the mitochondria of the cell, which impairs energy systems and endurance capacity. It can also create problems within the antioxidant system.
There are certain synthetic vitamins that are considered fat-soluble vitamins. These cannot be flushed out with water, so they are often stored in the body. Over time, this can build up the toxins in your body. Vitamin K is useful for the blood clotting process, but too much vitamin K can decrease the effectiveness of blood thinners and cause problems for those who need blood thinners.
Vitamin B6 is definitely a synthetic vitamin that you do not want to overdose on. Heavy amounts of vitamin B6 can lead to neurological symptoms, including tingling in the feet and numbness. Another critical focus when it comes to synthetic vitamin consumption is on the kidneys. The kidneys help to filter out waste. Too many supplemental vitamins can overload the kidneys so that they are not able to filter as well.
When you eat a balanced, whole food diet, you cannot get too many vitamins and minerals! In this whole form, “specific vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals work together and interact with each other, increasing their effectiveness.” Not only are whole vitamins and minerals more effective, but you don’t have to worry about the safety of them.
Some of the greatest benefits of a whole food diet are that it can prevent cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. A whole food diet helps to regulate your blood sugar, improves digestion, provides more energy, and it acts as an anti-inflammatory. When you take vitamin supplements, you are not receiving whole nutrition. To get the best vitamins and minerals, try incorporating more whole food into your diet instead of reaching for the pills on the counter!
If you need something to help ensure that you are getting enough whole food, you can try whole food supplements. There are several options but it looks like Balance of Nature is the best whole food supplement.
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