The human body needs more than 100 nutrients each day if it is to function as it is supposed to. Our health is ultimately determined by the state of the simplest living biological unit in the body, the cell. These cells combine to make up every organ and tissue in the human body.

We are made up of around 100 trillion cells that are constantly being replaced by new cells. Around 24 billion are being renewed every day. For example the surface of the small intestine is completely replaced in 5 days. We have new skin every 27 days and the bones are renewed every two years. If we provide each cell with the right amounts of water, air and dietary nutrition, it goes a very long way in keeping this 'new body' healthy and disease free.

It has been established that the two most common causes of disease are: 1. Lack of fuel to the cell - in other words lack of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. 2. A reprogramming of the cell's control system e.g. in viruses and diseases such as cancer. (Dr Bannock. Human Nutrition)

If the body's nutritional needs are constantly met then each cell will be replaced by a healthy new cell and in turn the immune system will be strong, resulting in the proper function of our organs.

"The primary, and by far the most frequent, cause of malfunction of cells is a chronic deficiency of essential nutrients, in particular of vitamins, amino acids, minerals and trace elements. These essential nutrients are needed for a multitude of biochemical reactions and other cellular functions in every single cell of our body. Chronic deficiencies of one or more of these essential nutrients, therefore, must lead to cellular malfunction and to disease." Matthius Rath. MD

The question is; do we provide our bodies with enough nutrition to be sure that each new cell is as healthy or more so than the one it has replaced?

To find the answer and read this article in full go to THE CASE FOR SUPPLEMENTATION

Or to get the highest quality and safest nutritionals on the market go to BodyHelp

When comparing the quality of foods, both organic and conventionally grown, most data available greatly favors organic. The nutrient content appears to be of better quality and contamination less. Some of the arguments for organic foods are similar to that for the use of nutritional supplementation. These are: the reduced nutrient quality of conventionally grown foods in recent years, and contamination by such things as pesticide residues and nitrates from fertilizers.

The Vitamin and Mineral Drain

Several studies, done over long periods of time, and comparisons of contemporary data with that from the past show a worrying reduction in vital nutrients in common foods. When you add the fact that foods on the supermarket shelves may well have lost much of their original nutrient content while in cold storage and transit, the picture becomes even more alarming.
For example, a study in Florida showed that freshly picked oranges averaged 180mg of Vitamin C per orange. Oranges from the same crop, randomly selected in the supermarket later showed Vitamin C levels from 0mg ~ 70mg. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 1982)

When American nutritionist Alex Jack, compared an old 1975 USDA handbook list of nutrient values with a more recent list published by the USDA he discovered that the nutrient value of many foods had dropped dramatically. Calcium in broccoli had decreased by 50%, Iron in watercress down 88% and Vitamin C in cauliflower down 40%.
The people at 'Organic magazine' went further and compared nutrient values of foods as listed by the USDA in 2000 with those listed by the USDA in 1963. Vitamin A in some vegetables such as carrots seemed to have actually increased, along with some minerals. But in nearly all other fruits and vegetables there showed large decreases in many nutrients. Vitamin C in sweet peppers had dropped from 128mg to 89mg. Vitamin A in apples had dropped from 90mg to 53mg.

In a study taking data from over 50 years in the UK, it was shown that compared to 50 years ago on average:
1)27 varieties of vegetables contain 46% less calcium
2)17 varieties of fruit contain 16% less calcium
3)Milk contains 4% less calcium
4)Cheddar Cheese contains 11% less calcium

(Thomas D. 1940~1991. The Nutrition Practitioner 2001)

So what are the reasons for this dramatic fall in nutrient content in the foods we buy at the supermarket? Nutrient depleted soils and modern farming techniques.

Centuries of deforestation and over farming has caused soil erosion on such a vast scale that scientists at a Seattle conference in February 2004 claimed it is a problem on the same scale as global warming (The Guardian Feb 14th 2004). Without natural protection the mineral rich topsoil is washed and blown away by the wind and rain. In many areas it cannot be naturally regenerated quickly enough. UN figures show an area big enough to feed the whole of Europe has been so severely degraded it cannot produce food. According to scientists at the conference, soil erosion is already a serious problem in Australia, China and the USA.
As the world population continues to grow, more and more food is being produced on already exhausted land and a fraction of the topsoil that was there say 50 to 100 years ago.

An analysis comparing British nutrient data from 1930 and 1980 showed reductions of essential minerals in both fruit and vegetables. According to this report average calcium content had declined 19%, iron 22% and potassium 14%, in the 20 vegetables compared. The Author Anne-Marie Mayer said, " Agriculture which relies on NPK fertilizers and pesticides, that adds little organic matter to soil and that alternates between soil compaction and ploughing, could produce food depleted in minerals.

Intensive farming and forced food production

The ever-growing population of the world is putting a huge strain on already depleted soils. As far back as the 1930's scientists in the US were calling for re-mineralisation of soils. Full re-mineralisation was considered too expensive by the food industry so the use of NPK started. Basically fertilizers with only the three major minerals, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium were and are still being used. This at first produced an increased yield but such limited re-fertilization caused an imbalance in the soil and eventually resulted in unhealthy crops. Pests would destroy more crops than could be produced. As a result stronger pesticides and other chemicals were used. Today's crops cannot survive in such de-mineralized soil without these chemicals, but the cost is great. Residues are left in the food and the chemicals sink into the ground reaching the water table, adversely affecting all plant and animal life. Livestock that live off such nutrient deficient crops have to be supplemented with mineral salt licks to keep them healthy. (Dr Bannock. The need for supplementing the diet)

All of the deficiencies and problems that are present in crops and livestock are magnified at the top of the food chain, in humans.
Scientists in the 1930's warned that restricted fertilization would result in a rise of chronic, degenerative diseases. Now conditions such as heart disease, cancer and adult onset diabetes are appearing more and more in the developed world.
The area in China with the lowest micronutrient intake has the highest rate of cancer. (International chemoprevention trials. Blot WJ. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 216:291-6, 1997)
Men with the lowest amount of vitamin C have a 62% increased risk of cancer and 57% increased risk of dying from any condition. (Loria CM, et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2000)
People with low levels of retinal, beta-carotene, vitamin E and selenium are more likely to get cancer. (Comstock GW, et al. Am J Epidemiol .1992)

The Case for Organic Farming

Wander down the aisles of your supermarket and you will most likely find rows of bright, shiny fruit and vegetables. In Japan, farm produce usually has to meet certain criteria for size and shape before it even makes it onto the shelves. Buy a carton of strawberries there and you will find each strawberry almost exactly the same shape, size and bright shiny red colour.
Check out an organic food shop and the produce may well look less appealing. The apples and peppers have probably not been polished up, the oranges may look smaller and the carrots and other root vegetables strange shapes.
The question is; are the more esthetically pleasing fruits and vegetables found in the supermarket higher in nutrient content and subsequently any healthier?

The answer, according to most studies and reports is no. On the contrary, organic foods would seem to have much higher nutrient quality and moreover, less likely to contain contaminants from synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, nitrates, herbicides, fungicides, veterinary drugs and so on.

A review of available research on the nutritional value of organically grown and conventionally grown produce was done at John Hopkins University. It was concluded that organic produce was superior. The composition of vegetables grown simultaneously under different farming conditions was compared. This included 41 studies with 1,240 comparisons of 35 vitamins and minerals. In this study, organic produce had higher amounts of all minerals tested and most vitamins. Among all the vegetables tested, they were 29% higher in magnesium, 27% higher in vitamin C and 21% higher in iron. These were the greatest differences. In addition to this, organic crops had 15% fewer potentially harmful nitrates. (Virginia Worthington MS, ScD, CNS, John Hopkins University, Alternative Therapies, Volume 4 1998)

In an agricultural field experiment in Sweden that lasted 32 years (1958~1990), crops of wheat, clover/grass mix, potatoes and beets were grown using eight different fertilizer treatments. The focus was primarily on crop quality. The experiments compared conventional farming with biodynamic farming. They found that in the case of organic potatoes and wheat, crude protein content was lower, but protein quality was higher (i.e. relatively pure protein and essential amino acids, lower amounts of free amino acids). In the wheat, starch quality seemed higher. Potatoes resisted decomposition longer after being treated organically. Organic treatments resulted in higher soil fertility capacity, higher protein quality, higher starch content, and greater ability to tolerate stressful conditions and long-term storage. In the case of long term organic treatments, it was found they had developed better more organized structures evident in both the soil and crop formation compared to conventional NPK-fertilizer. (Proceedings of an International Conference, Tufts University, Agricultural Production and Nutrition March 1997)

A study by UC Davis researchers found that fruits and vegetables grown organically show significantly higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally grown foods. The research found that pesticides and herbicides actually thwart the production of phenolics - chemicals that act as a plant's natural defense. Organic corn was 58% higher in antioxidants, marion berries about 50% higher and strawberries about 16% higher. (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2004)

To read about the organic solutions and the article in full go to THE CASE FOR ORGANIC FARMING

It has been established that the two most common causes of disease are: 1. Lack of fuel to the cell - in other words lack of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. 2. A reprogramming of the cell's control system e.g. in viruses and diseases such as cancer. (Dr Bannock. Human Nutrition)

If the body's nutritional needs are constantly met then each cell will be replaced by a healthy new cell and in turn the immune system will be strong, resulting in the proper function of our organs.

"The primary, and by far the most frequent, cause of malfunction of cells is a chronic deficiency of essential nutrients, in particular of vitamins, amino acids, minerals and trace elements. These essential nutrients are needed for a multitude of biochemical reactions and other cellular functions in every single cell of our body. Chronic deficiencies of one or more of these essential nutrients, therefore, must lead to cellular malfunction and to disease." Matthius Rath. MD

The question is; do we provide our bodies with enough nutrition to be sure that each new cell is as healthy or more so than the one it has replaced?

THE PROBLEM

Even if we give ourselves a good balanced diet, this is no longer considered good enough. Most of us are chronically nutritionally deficient and we do not even realize (Dr Bannock Human Nutrition). This deficiency goes un-noticed for years and results in sickness and disease such as cancer and heart disease later in life. The problem is that deficiencies in vitamins and other essential nutrients usually show no obvious signs until the onset of degenerative disease.

The reason a good balanced diet is no longer sufficient is that the food most of us eat today is itself drastically deficient in essential nutrients.

THE SOLUTION

We are clearly no longer getting a sufficient intake of nutrients with just a 'good balanced diet'. The view that we are is an outdated one. Modern science tells us we are in need of vitamin and mineral supplementation.
Good quality supplements that provide optimum nutritional intake are now seen as essential.
Even the traditionally conservative American Medical Association has reversed its long-standing opposition to vitamin supplements. Following research by Dr Robert Fletcher and Dr Kathleen Fairfield of Harvard University, the association's journal (JAMA) advised in 2002 that all adults should take at least one multi vitamin pill per day.
Fletcher said, "Even people who eat five daily servings of fruits and vegetables may not get enough of certain vitamins for optimum health. Most People, for instance, cannot get the healthiest levels of folate and vitamins D and E from recommended diets".
The report concluded by stating: Inadequate intake of several vitamins has been linked to chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. (JAMA 2002)

Higher quantities of nutrients achieved through supplementation have been shown to have very positive effects on human biochemistry.
A high amount of Vitamin C raises serum HDL and lowers serum triglyceride therefore lowering cholesterol (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1996). The antioxidant Vitamin E is shown to prevent heart disease (The Lancet 1996). When antioxidant vitamins are combined they are even more effective. B-complex vitamins are shown to play a very positive role in the brain and nervous system and can enhance cognition (American Journalof Clinical Nutrition). Multi vitamins and zinc cut incidents of acute lower respiratory infection in young children in India by 45% (The Lancet. V. 352)

In the old days people would be perhaps advised to take individual vitamin supplements for certain problems, for example Vitamin C for colds. Today the need for 'optimum nutrition' is understood, where the body is constantly supplied with the maximum amount of nutrients needed in the correct ratios to each other. This way the cells in the body can use the nutrients needed and excrete the rest. The body is given the materials to take care of itself.

Vitamins and other nutrients work together in synergy. Moreover supplements and a good diet are not mutually exclusive. Supplements should be taken with a diet of high quality balanced food. The nutrients from both sources will work together. And when all the correct nutrients are present the body can function smoothly. If there is too much of one nutrient or not enough of another, gross chemical imbalances can occur.
We should therefore be careful not to just pick any pack of supplements off the shelf, but should be sure the product supplies the full spectrum of nutrients each and every cell in our bodies need.

To read this article in full please read THE CASE FOR HEALTHY EATING

Or to get the highest quality and safest nutritionals on the market go to BodyHelp