How good is your multiple from the megastore? Or the glucosamine? Or the vitamin E? Or, or, or….?
Here’s the rule of thumb with nutritional supplements for you to think with when you buy products. The same rule applies to foods, by the way. Here it is, “The closer it is to its natural state, the better it is for you.”
How does this translate to supplements? The more you extract constituents from the raw food (which SHOULD be the source material, not a laboratory), the less natural it is. Here is an example you have probably heard about,… Ascorbic Acid. We’ve probably all heard of this, however, did you know that this isn’t Vitamin C? Probably not. Ascorbic Acid is a component of the Vitamin C complex. Yes, Vitamin C is a complex, not one item!
An analogy of how much Ascorbic Acid is to the Vitamin C complex is this: If you took a car and removed everything but the paint, the paint would be the Ascorbic Acid. Think about that! Amazing, isn’t it! How much of the C complex is missing? What is present in Ascorbic Acid is about as valuable as a car with nothing but the paint! Wouldn’t run too well, would it!!
Now, you may say that when I take Ascorbic Acid, my cold goes away, or I don’t get colds anymore. That can be true, but it isn’t improving your health like the C complex would, which would truly support your immune system. I have heard that Ascorbic Acid can knock out a cold because of how acidic it is and the virus can’t survive it. It is a theory that may be true.
Another one that is so easy to explain is Vitamin E. Look at the label. If you see dl-alpha tocopherol, you immediately know it is synthetic E, made in a lab, because of the “l” after the d. A natural Vitamin E is d-alpha tocopherol or alpha-d tocopherol, usually using the Greek symbol for “alpha”. One little letter gives it away.
Next is the one that drives me the craziest! Calcium Carbonate. While this is a natural product, it is NOT a food. Common sources are oyster shells and limestone….these are not food! Calcium Carbonate is cheap, so it is so prevalent……the heck with your health in sight of the all-mighty dollar, these manufacturers must feel! Calcium Carbonate is about 10% absorbable. And the rest? Maybe you’ll get kidney stones or cataracts or arthritis……how would you like to role your dice?
Now, I ask you to think for yourself with this information: How good is your megastore multiple or glucosamine or calcium, etc.?
