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Food for Thought: A new way to look at Your Health and
Nutrition
Nutritional advice has generally been based on the premise that the particular
nutrient we are deficient in is the one that needs to be supplemented. That
means the core problem was seen to be a nutritional deficiency.
There is another viewpoint which has taken hold some time ago and is fast
gaining support: Oxidative stress as the cause for nutritional deficiency.
Oxidative stress is caused by free radicals in our bodies, which damage our
cells resulting in degenerative disease. Things such as cigarette smoke, stress,
pollution, overmedication and an inadequate diet produce free radicals.
Both oxidative stress and degenerative disease are the result of our cells being
damaged by free radicals, causing a weakened immune system. This might result in
something as minor as a cold but can also lead to more serious long-term
illnesses so many of us have to live with these days.
It has long been known that lack of appropriate nutrition will lead to
deficiency diseases, such as rickets or scurvy but what is now becoming clear is
that there also is a clear link between nutrition and degenerative diseases such
as diabetes, high blood pressure and many others.
What does this mean for our daily nutritional needs?
This approach tells us is that if we can provide the body with the right amounts
of nutrients; the cells will remain whole and undamaged, thereby reducing the
risks to our long-term health.
If you are of the belief that a good diet is sufficient to provide our bodies
with everything we need to remain healthy, then you are not alone. It is one of
the most commonly held viewpoints, which is based on our historical evaluation
of a body’s needs and the food that is available. However, in recent years our
life spans have increased greatly, therefore we need greater nutritional
provisions than ever before.
In contradiction to our need for more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants,
modern farming methods and pollution have caused the depletion of nutrition in
the soil leading to a widening gap between our increased need and reduced
provision of nutrients in our foods.
A good diet would protect us from deficiency diseases, but it is unable to
protect us from degenerative diseases. And to top it all of, the vast majority
of us don’t get enough for either anyway. Latest statistics indicate that on
average, only 14% of the UK population eats a healthy diet based on the
government guidelines of 5 a day. In the US, it is only about 3%. And it is said
to be getting worse, not better.
So, we need more, food provides less and we eat too little of those right foods
– what options do we then have? The answer lies in the use of nutritional
supplements – vitamin and mineral tablets in addition to our food intake.
And the public knows it: nutritional supplement sales have been on the increase
for some time and currently about 75% of the UK and the US adult population buys
and take nutritional supplements.
Great, I hear you think: next time I’m in my local supermarket, I’ll pick up a
bottle or two and I’m sorted. Unfortunately, it is not that simple.
We need to ensure we have the healthiest possible diet – rich in nutrients
especially from fruit and vegetables, low in sugar and fats and carefully
balanced. Added to that, we need to get exercise – it is crucial to ensure that
we take regular, appropriate exercise.
Finally, we do all need supplements, but there are huge variations in the
quality of the supplements on our shelves. Some are highly effective, some don’t
do much at all but some are downright harmful, and we need to find ways to help
us make sure we spend our money wisely on the most effective supplements.
How to identify an effective supplement:
There are three key points we can use to help us choose supplements that are
actually going to help us.
· Bio availability:
Each tablet should dissolve readily in our bodies. Over 54% of all vitamin
tablets tested have revealed that they do not dissolve well.
· Formulation quality:
The quality of ingredients varies greatly and it is important to choose a
manufacturer who focuses on the highest quality ingredients
The purity of the ingredients: natural is not always best. Some ingredients can
be contaminated by metals and other impurities absorbed in the ground and it is
not always possible to filter them out completely so there are two issues to
look out for: the effort taken by manufacturers to source the purest possible
ingredients and the care taken by manufacturers to find the best source for the
ingredients.
The quantity of ingredients: as mentioned earlier when talking about oxidative
stress, it is not enough to provide the body with just those nutrients that we
are deficient in, as we need to encourage the cells to absorb each lacking
nutrient and this can only be done by providing products that are appropriately
balanced with all the vitamins and minerals the cells need to absorb everything
it needs.
· Manufacturing standards:
And last but by no means least is the issue how supplements are manufactured.
There are two basic options: pharmaceutical grade and food grade. Food grade
means that each ingredient used must be listed on the package, but the
quantities listed refer to an average content rather than the actual per tablet
quantity.
This can lead to huge variations from one tablet to the next. Pharmaceutical
grade, as the name indicates, means that supplements are produced to the same
high standards as any pharmaceutical drug, so in extremely sterile and carefully
controlled environments with each individual tablet rigorously checked and each
tablet containing the exact stated quantity.
Any company producing products to a certified pharmaceutical grade standard can
subscribe to the ‘GMP’ – good manufacturing practice and will therefore display
that logo on their products. If you want to make sure, go to the manufacturer’s
websites to find out more. Furthermore, bottles that are food grade production
will state that the ingredients listed are average amounts.
If you want an independent source, buy Nutrisearch ‘the Comparative guide to
Nutritional Supplements’ by Lyle MacWilliam. MacWilliam is a biochemist and
author who was tasked by the Canadian government to set their guidelines for
supplements, amongst the strictest in the world.
He has used some strictly objective and scientific guidelines together with a
range of experts to evaluate over 1,600 vitamin and supplements products –
unfortunately this is a US and Canadian based production. While Lyle MacWilliam
also produced a separate comparative guide for Australia, he has not yet looked
at Europe. However, if you look at the US and the Australian ones, you will find
the vast majority of UK products represented in there to give you some idea.
My research over the last 8 years has led me to recommend USANA Health Sciences.
Their product range is concise, clear and easy to work out and their products
meet all the highest standards. They are available to the consumer directly via
distributors and online and meet pharmaceutical grade production. So each one of
their ingredients has been tested extensively to ensure that it is of the
highest purity and quality and each tablet is checked to ensure it contains the
exact amount of each ingredient.
They repeatedly have won accolades for their products – lately they have been
made ‘Editor’s Choice’ in the 2009 edition of the ‘the Comparative guide to
Nutritional Supplements’ and there are countless stories and testimonials from
users about the impact these products have had. I have been using them for 10
years myself and am highly satisfied with the health support they have provided
during a period of extreme change including being pregnant twice.
Sandra Clarke is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and an
independent USANA associate. Tel: +44 1451 832 206 Email: sandra@smadar.co.uk
www.smadarhealth.usana.com
The information in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice.
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