No. Nutrition and whole foods are the best way to sustain and maintain life. Supplements have been extensively studied and the results indicate that you should discontinue them. Here is why:
They Are Totally Incomplete
- Science has identified more than 3,800 phytonutrients with thousands more known to exist
- Supplements contain 25+ vitamins and minerals but are literally missing thousands of nutrients
- Foods that are raw, living and complete contain the unknown which is thousands of identified and unidentified nutrients
- Therefore, getting your nutrition from food sources is very important.
They Are Not Effective
- Nutritional literature has many examples of helpful substances being effective as food sources and completely ineffective when taken in a pure form.
- Look to the Ohio State University study of lycopene as a good example. In testing, the consumption of tomatos (a good source of lycopene) produced terrific results while lycopene extract was totally ineffective.
- In the U.S. Physicians’ Health Study I, researchers tracked over 22,000 doctors with half taking beta-carotene and half taking placebo. After 13 years, the study showed no results (positive or negative) from this use.
They Can Be Detrimental
- Nutrients bind to specialized receptors in the body
- Supplements contain many synthetics that are extraordinarily similar, but not quite identical to nature source nutrients
- These synthetic forms can fill the receptors and as a result, prevent food source nutrients from binding with them. The problem is that natural source nutrients produce a benefit while many of the synthetics do not.
- In the U.S. Physicians’ Health Study II, researchers tracked 14,642 doctors, aged 50 and older. Each was given one of 16 different combinations of placebo, vitamin C (500 mg synthetic ascorbic acid), vitamin E (400 IU of synthetic alpha-tocopherol), beta-carotene (50mg Lurotin) and multi-vitamin (Centrum Silver). After 12 years, users of the supplements showed statistically significant increased mortality rates and no protective qualities from the use of these supplements.
