In the mountains of Tibert, eastern Pakistan, Russian Georgia, certain regions of Turkey and in the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Andes are five well-known human cultures whose peoples routinely live to their maximum genetic potential of 120 or older.
These cultures have some interesting similarities. Their populations live at remote elevations ranging from 8,500 to 14,000 feet, far removed from the pollution of heavily industrialized cities. Their water source for drinking and irrigation comes from glaciers and runs down over pulverized rock. This water is so highly mineralized that it's opaque and whitish as milk. It is also true that these indigenous cultures use only natural fertilizer for growing their crops.
If we all could maintain a low-stress, pollution-free, nutrient-rich lifestyle like those remote mountainous peoples, we probably wouldn't need nutritional supplements. Unfortunately, for most twenty-first century folks, life is not so simple. In our hurried lifestyle, we fail to eat properly. We live in environments in which our food and air are often polluted. And the stresses of modern life undercut our body's ability to fight disease.
Some of us try to compensate by turning to organically grown foods. But what we don't realize is that our earth is becoming anemic.
"Those who now advocate eating natural foods as the only source of vitamins and minerals live in a dream world of yesterday, " says Joel D. Wallach, M.D., and Ma Lan, M.D., authors of the book Rare Earths: Forbidden Cures. "It really doesn't matter how well you balance your meals, you still run the risk of malnutrition if you try to get all your vitamins and minerals exclusively from the foods that you eat."
Why is that?
Mineral-rich soil has millions of micro-organisms living in it. Their primary function is to decompose anything that falls on the land, and to break down mineral deposits into plant food. If we grew plants in this kind of topsoil, we could be a lot healthier! But, in many parts of the industrialized world, especially in our own United States, the topsoil that formerly contained a rich supply of micro-organisms and trace minerals - nutrients which found their way into our diet - has long been exhausted. To remedy this, the topsoil has been loaded up with artificial chemical fertilizers. As a result, our foods no longer contain the dozens of micro-nutrients that are so essential to a healthy body. So, unless you're living in one of those five high altitude, pristine, mountainous environments, you're still going to need to take vitamins and mineral supplements.
To be properly assimilated, the macro-nutrients that we consume - carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water and fiber - need to be combined with micro-nutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals. In fact, there's not a single organic function in the human body that does not require the aid of a trace mineral or vitamin to facilitate it's process.
If your food does not give you all the vitamins and minerals you need, can you correct this situation by simply dropping by the local retail shop and loading up on vitamin and mineral supplements? It's not that easy!
Not All Supplements Are the Same!
How much of a the supplemental vitamin or mineral you assimilate is determined by several factors. First, there's the delivery system.
"Those who now advocate eating natural foods as the only source of vitamins and minerals live in a dream world of yesterday, " says Joel D. Wallach, M.D., and Ma Lan, M.D., authors of the book Rare Earths: Forbidden Cures. "It really doesn't matter how well you balance your meals, you still run the risk of malnutrition if you try to get all your vitamins and minerals exclusively from the foods that you eat."
Why is that?
Mineral-rich soil has millions of micro-organisms living in it. Their primary function is to decompose anything that falls on the land, and to break down mineral deposits into plant food. If we grew plants in this kind of topsoil, we could be a lot healthier! But, in many parts of the industrialized world, especially in our own United States, the topsoil that formerly contained a rich supply of micro-organisms and trace minerals - nutrients which found their way into our diet - has long been exhausted. To remedy this, the topsoil has been loaded up with artificial chemical fertilizers. As a result, our foods no longer contain the dozens of micro-nutrients that are so essential to a healthy body. So, unless you're living in one of those five high altitude, pristine, mountainous environments, you're still going to need to take vitamins and mineral supplements.
To be properly assimilated, the macro-nutrients that we consume - carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water and fiber - need to be combined with micro-nutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals. In fact, there's not a single organic function in the human body that does not require the aid of a trace mineral or vitamin to facilitate it's process.
If your food does not give you all the vitamins and minerals you need, can you correct this situation by simply dropping by the local retail shop and loading up on vitamin and mineral supplements? It's not that easy!
Not All Supplements Are the Same!
How much of a the supplemental vitamin or mineral you assimilate is determined by several factors. First, there's the delivery system.
- Until the 1950's, the only supplements we had were composed of inorganic minerals like calcium carbonate and zinc carbonate. The problem is that the body is capable of absorbing about only 10% of a mineral in its inorganic form.
- Then, chelated minerals were introduced in which the minerals were biologically attached to an organic substance. Because our bodies accept a chelate more effectively than they do an inorganic form of the mineral, the mineral can be absorbed in ranges up to 50%.
- Finally, in the 90's, colloidal minerals were introduced. That is where the micro-nutrient particles have been made so small that up to 90% can be absorbed by the cells.
Thus, the form of supplement that you take is critical in determining how effectively your body is benefiting from it.
You also have to consider whether you are taking a micro-nutrient in its natural state. Why? Vitamins and minerals in their natural state are absorbed into the body far more effectively than anything distilled in a laboratory. For example, your body will more readily absorb vitamin C when it is combined with other naturally occurring compounds such as bioflavonoids. This form of vitamin C is described on the bottle as "C Complex". However, most people take vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid and as such are only getting the anti-oxidant protective part of the natural, living, vitamin C complex. Ascorbic acid is 2% of the whole, natural vitamin C complex by weight!
What are the other factors that enable the vitamin to go into biochemical operation? They are enzymes, co-enzymes, trace elements, activators, and other unknown factors that enable the vitamin to go into biochemical operation. Some of these vitamin C factors are called bioflavonoids, "P", "K", and "J" factors. Vitamins are living complexes. So people who are taking only ascorbic acid (which is the FDA name for vitamin C) are not absorbing anywhere near as much of the vitamin C as they think that they are.
The quality of supplements can also vary tremendously between one retail source and the next. Most of the supplements you see in the usual retail store utlets are created chemically in test tubes, and some companies do a better job of doing that than others.
What Supplements Do We Need?
For certain, we all need to take a healthy supply of anti-oxidants -vitamin C, A, E, selenium, grape seed extract, and so on - to neutralize the pollution from the environment that slows down or stops enzyme activity in the body which leads us to disease or dysfunction. We also need a good selection of natural extracted vitamins and minerals.
Your micro-nutrient deficiencies can be evaluated in various ways, such as with hair analysis and certain blood tests. However, a more cost effective approach is to have me detect these deficiencies by using advanced applied kinesiological techniques. I can also use the same process to test the supplements that you are now using to see if they are having a beneficial effect. You might be surprised at what you discover.
Dr. Larry Gertler, M.Ed. D.C., is a nationally known holistic chiropractor and teacher. He is available for in-office visits and telephone consultations (for California residents only). For more information, please call (510) 652-2302 or visit his website at www.drgertler.org.
What are the other factors that enable the vitamin to go into biochemical operation? They are enzymes, co-enzymes, trace elements, activators, and other unknown factors that enable the vitamin to go into biochemical operation. Some of these vitamin C factors are called bioflavonoids, "P", "K", and "J" factors. Vitamins are living complexes. So people who are taking only ascorbic acid (which is the FDA name for vitamin C) are not absorbing anywhere near as much of the vitamin C as they think that they are.
The quality of supplements can also vary tremendously between one retail source and the next. Most of the supplements you see in the usual retail store utlets are created chemically in test tubes, and some companies do a better job of doing that than others.
What Supplements Do We Need?
For certain, we all need to take a healthy supply of anti-oxidants -vitamin C, A, E, selenium, grape seed extract, and so on - to neutralize the pollution from the environment that slows down or stops enzyme activity in the body which leads us to disease or dysfunction. We also need a good selection of natural extracted vitamins and minerals.
Your micro-nutrient deficiencies can be evaluated in various ways, such as with hair analysis and certain blood tests. However, a more cost effective approach is to have me detect these deficiencies by using advanced applied kinesiological techniques. I can also use the same process to test the supplements that you are now using to see if they are having a beneficial effect. You might be surprised at what you discover.
Dr. Larry Gertler, M.Ed. D.C., is a nationally known holistic chiropractor and teacher. He is available for in-office visits and telephone consultations (for California residents only). For more information, please call (510) 652-2302 or visit his website at www.drgertler.org.
