• First of all, you would have to eat huge amounts of organic produce to get the vitamins and minerals present in a few vitamin supplements. Ex: eight glasses of fresh-squeezed orange juice every day in order to get just 1,000 mg of vitamin C.
• Second, the soil our food is grown in is badly depleted of many minerals, (not to mention pesticides) and by the time we get these products on our table, weeks after it has been picked, it has lost many of its important vitamins and minerals.
• Third, our bodies are so assaulted these days by environmental pollutants, at work, at home or even outside, that we need extra vitamins and minerals to boost our immune systems.

The holistic principle is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That applies to foods as well as supplements. If you have to take it apart first in order to build it again, some parts will be lost along the way. Whole foods are better than processed foods. The safest and most effective supplements are those that work together synergistically. Broad-spectrum supplements of this nature support all of the links in the nutritional chain, giving the body a chance to pick and choose the nutrients it needs at any given time. These supplements may contain up to 30 different nutrients in a single capsule. Your body may only need seven of these nutrients, but it may take nine other nutrients to absorb and utilize these effectively. All is in the same formula, eliminating the guesswork and all those bottles of different vitamins. Choose natural or organic food supplements over synthetic. You will be choosing nature’s chemistry over man-made chemicals.

As for dosage, we are all unique individuals. Some will require higher levels of certain nutrients depending upon factors such as pollution, stress or personal and family history. The best way to take most food supplements is in divided amounts with meals. The nutrients in the supplement work together with your food intake to enhance each other’s utilization.

For more information on nutritional planning or complete nutritional assessments contact Charlotte at charlottel@nb.aibn.com or www.wellness-healthworks.com

Disclaimer: The advice detailed in this article assumes that you are a normally healthy adult. The author, publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage suffered by individuals as a result of following advice in this article.