Why Do You Need Nutritional Supplements?

That wasn’t always the case. Years ago most of the food in this country was grown on small local farms and supplied to nearby communities. Crops were at the mercy of the elements and pesticides were virtually unknown. The vitamins and minerals that were absorbed from the soil into the food was digested during eating and subsequently used by the body.

Unfortunately, the small family farm is increasingly becoming a thing of the past as huge conglomerates are taking over food production. The goal is maximum crop yields in the shortest amount of time.

To that end, many farming operations turn to herbicides and pesticides to ensure peak production with little spoilage when the food arrives at your local grocery store. In fact, the use of chemical fertilizers and more pesticides has changed the soil environment and the way we grow food resulting in produce that contains less micronutrients than before.

In addition, food is often being harvested before it is fully ripe, robbing it of a crucial phase of nutritional development when vitamin and mineral absorption occurs.

Today’s water is “cleansed” of contaminants and filled with fluoride and chloride. While this is recognized as a necessary step in today’s modern world, it can have an adverse effect on the foods we eat by reducing the level of vitamins and minerals that would normally be absorbed into the soil.

Take a look at the types of nutritional supplements available today:

Macronutrients

• amino acids
• proteins
• essential fatty acids

• vitamins
• minerals

• digestive enzymes
• antioxidant enzymes

• beneficial bacteria in the gut

• Noni
• Acai Berry
• Maca
• Cats Claw
• Grape Seed Extract
• Pine Bark Extract
• Bilberry

Several nutritional supplements have shown remarkable benefits related to the prevention or control many diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep problems, and weight control to name a few. These supplements are a combination of plants, roots, vines and herbs that are generally not part of our normal diet.

These ingredients are often found in different part of the world (India, China and the Amazon, for example) and are not available at your local supermarket. They have been used by local cultures for centuries to help with a wide range of issues relating to optimal health and disease prevention.

Many of these ingredients are only recently being introduced to the modern world.

• Discuss the supplement with your physician.
• Determine if the claims about the supplement are realistic.
• Find out if there are any side effects.
• Determine if any studies have been made regarding the product’s safety.
• Find out if the supplement will interact with any prescription or non-prescription medications you are taking.
• Find out how long it will be before you begin to see results.
• Be sure the brand is reputable.
• Do not take herbal supplements if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Purchase supplements that have an expiration date; a lot or batch number is also beneficial.
• The list of ingredients should state which part of the plant was used – root, leaf or blossom, for example.
• Supplements created by cold pressed extraction or supercritical extraction are much safer than chemical extraction.
• Raw herbs are not as effective as herbal concentrate and extract.

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