This is a question that is asked pretty frequently. In fact, many doctors that practice drug medicine will tell their patients that they don’t need to take vitamins or supplements and that the human body did not evolve to need supplements. The theory is that as long as you eat a balanced diet, you get all the nutrients that you need.
Well, in theory this may be correct thinking in as much as that people living a thousand years ago did not have multivitamins, but they also did not have thousands of tons of toxic chemicals being pumped into their air, water and food on a routine basis. Realistically, they were not exposed to a constant barrage of man-made electro-pollution in the form of satellite microwaves, power lines and cell phones. Additionally, they did not eat highly processed foods with a large amount of artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and the ever-present sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
An additional factor to consider is that people back then were in general not as sedentary as we are today. Our ancestors had to work hard to eat as there was not a supermarket or convenience store on every corner. While there has always been stress in the lives of everyone that has ever lived, the stresses of modern life far outweigh those a millennium ago. Stress takes a tremendous toll on our health and in particular depletes our bodies of important essential nutrients including vitamins and minerals.
The final issue is that we know there are over 200 essential micronutrients and minerals that are necessary for proper nutritional value of food. These 200 essential nutrients such be present in the soil where our food is grown so that the fruits, vegetables and grains can absorb these nutrients and eventually convert them to an organic form to be eaten and utilized by our bodies for nourishment.
However, since the 1920’s the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the topsoil in the United States was largely depleted of the vitally essential trace minerals and other nutrients. The problem with modern farming practices using fertilizers is that these important nutrients such as copper, zinc, chromium and many others are not being put back into the soil. Rather, only 3 or 4 macro-nutrients are used as fertilizer such as phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. Overtime these trace minerals become more and more depleted from the soil, are not replaced and our food supply becomes more depleted as well.
We as living organisms can not break the laws of nature. We must always consider the needs of the human body down to the level of the cell where all health (or disease) begins. Depriving our bodies of the important nutrients does have consequences. Every cell, tissue, and organ of the body requires all the known and as yet unknown elements of nutrition. If the body can’t get them from a typical diet, then it must be given in supplemental form.
This is where supplements come in. Supplements are just that, a supplement to a healthy diet. The bottom line is that in order to get enough trace minerals and other nutrients just about everyone needs to supplement their diet with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients just to get the minimum that is lacking in our food supply. Of course, the necessary nutrients can and will vary from person to person depending on their diet, lifestyle, stresses and health challenges. This is where a concept of biochemical individuality comes into play, but that is a discussion for another time.
Call us at 352-801-0021 if you are concerned about your nutritional health. We can get you started on the right path to better nutritional health.