Whole Foods vs. Vitamin & Mineral Tablets
Filed Under Dr. Zoltan Rona (MD) |
The science of nutrition has not yet discovered the complete range of vital nutrients found only in natural foods. Live, whole food concentrates have the unique advantage of supplying the body with enzymes and cancer preventing phytochemicals like carotenoids, indoles, isothiocyanates, isoflavones and phytosterols which do not exist in any vitamin or mineral supplement. Additionally, they provide the body with amino acids, polypeptide hormone precursors and other nutrients that support the vital life force needed by all cells for optimal health.
Using a whole food supplement with the widest possible range of nutrients is preferable to just taking vitamin and mineral tablets. Examples of whole food sources of vitamins, minerals and other food factors not supplied by the typical multivitamin and mineral tablet are:
spirulina
chlorella
blue green algae
other green drinks or green food concentrates like barley green and green kamut
bee pollen
whole leaf aloe vera juice
nutritional yeast
garlic
desiccated liver
wild yam extract
kelp, dulse and other seaweeds in powder, tablet or capsule form
various tissue concentrates like pancreatin and raw adrenal glandular concentrate
wheat germ
lecithin granules and other soybean derivatives
milled (groud) flax seed
whole food concentrates of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc.)
all herbs
A combination of three or more of these (e.g. whole leaf aloe vera juice + bee pollen + a green drink) will provide any healthy individual with all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes they might need for optimal health. Eating a highly varied diet with plenty of green vegetables, soy products and other legumes should help supply other vital nutrients. Typical multivitamins and minerals pale in comparison to the nutritional completeness of natural foods or whole food concentrates.
Dr. Rona
