Journal of the American Medical Association’s recommendation on how to prevent chronic disease is something we, as natural health advocates, have been waiting for! But what took so long?
In a milestone article published June 19, 2008, The Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA), directly related to the American Medical Association (AMA), gave their recommendation on how to prevent chronic disease. The AMA finally announced a recommendation that all adults should take mineral and vitamin supplements to help prevent chronic diseases.
“Suboptimal folic acid levels, along with suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12, are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and colon and breast cancer; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteopenia and fractures; and low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E, and C) may increase risk for several chronic diseases. Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone … it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements,” states the article by Robert H. Fletcher, MD, MSc and Kathleen M. Fairfield, MD, DrPH, both affiliated with Harvard Medical School.
The main reason for these statements, although they will never admit it, is that our foods no longer contain the nutrients they used to. Even our grown food sources have declined by 85% in nutrients and processed foods (i.e. TV dinners, any canned or boxed food) are absolutely worthless as far as providing our bodies with the nutrition it needs.
With all the so called “supplements” on the market, how does one know which one is best and if it truly contains the nutrients it claims to have?
The Dietary Supplement Information Bureau (DSIB), a non-profit information resource created specifically to provide consumers with scientifically accurate, up-to-date information, offers some practical advice. According to Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, a member of the DSIB Scientific Advisory Board and a nutrition scientist who is an authority on disease prevention through mineral/vitamin supplementation, here are some guidelines for choosing vitamins:
-The JAMA study recommends multivitamins for all adults. Choose one that contains MINERALS as well as vitamins. Vitamins cannot work effectively without their mineral counterparts. Too much emphasis is put on vitamin supplementation, but that is only a third of the equation.
-Find a WHOLE FOOD supplement that contains “super foods” (i.e. Aloe Vera, Sea Vegetables, and Ocean Botanicals). Whole foods are the best supplements since the nutrients are already in a natural balance.
-Use a LIQUID supplement. Liquid products are more “Bio-Available” or easily absorbed by the body than pills and capsules are. Liquid is absorbed at 98% whereas pills are only 10-20%, therefore wasting 80-90%.
-Find out the amount of each nutrient available in the supplement. You want to come as close as possible to the RDA, which is the minimum daily requirement of each vitamin and mineral your body needs. The problem is that the RDA takes a vitamin a face value, meaning, they provide an amount for a nutrient as if it was acting alone. In reality, if we are getting all our baseline nutrition at once, the minerals and vitamins have a synergistic effect together. Therefore, we don’t need as much as is suggested since the power of the nutrients are amplified when working together with other nutrients.
-Remember to take your vitamins every day. Taking them only occasionally, or seasonally, will not be as effective. Remember, you want your body balanced and in order to achieve that, it must have a continual flow of nutrients into it.
-You also may need other supplements to achieve the minimum daily requirement of certain vitamins and minerals (calcium and vitamin D, for example) beyond the amount contained in any multivitamin. Read directions carefully.
-Check the expiration date on the bottle. Reliable companies all list them.
-Consider formulations made specifically for your age group and life stage. There are multivitamins designed for children, for adults, for seniors, and for pregnant women. Whole food supplements usually cover all age groups.
-Select a brand name you trust, has a good reputation, longevity, and accreditations.
Supplements Are Needed!
The bottom line is this; we need to supplement our diets. If the AMA is coming out and recommending them to prevent chronic disease, then, chances are, we need them.
For example, and many people do not realize this, but it does not make fiscal sense for entities like the American Medical Association to say something like this, because a large part of their funding comes from pharmaceutical companies. Promoting supplementation which could provide an alternative NATURAL remedy for a lot of “diseases” is not that practical when the AMA relies on funding from these big companies. Because the “Big Pharma” companies want people to think that the symptoms of their diseases are only treated by prescription medication.
In conclusion, do your research and find the best natural whole food supplement you can. That would be a product that is liquid, provides a good balance of trace minerals and vitamins, is cost effective, and is NOT some new found “super berry” out of the forest of Gambi!
It is our responsibility to take care of ourselves in health. Many of us strive for more money, relationships, power, etc, but if we don’t have our health, none of those ever come to fruition. So, take care of yourself by supplementing your diet with the nutrients your body needs and the exercise required to keep a strong body.
The choice is yours!
Health Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The statements and products are not intended to diagnose, cure, prevent or treat any diseases.
American Medical Association’s recommendation on how to prevent chronic disease.
