No matter which foods we choose and in what ratios we eat them, whole foods are better for you than refined foods or synthetic supplements. Everyone agrees raw honey is better for you than white sugar or that brown rice is better for you than white rice. Why should it be any different for synthetic vitamins and minerals? All refined foods much like synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements have been robbed of all the extra nutrients they naturally come with. So how can we expect them to be healthy for you? Since synthetic supplements are not in a natural form, our bodies have a hard time recognizing them.
The potency of a whole food or whole food supplement has much more to do with synergy than with actual nutrient levels. It is the combined effect of all the parts of the food, rather than the chemical effect of a single part, that is most important. This is because nature is all about balance and not potency.
If you are like me, you may also want to take live whole food based supplements to ensure you are getting an adequate array of nutrients in your diet. I strongly recommend real whole food based supplements as my first choice. Here are some things to look for in a whole food supplement:
- It is as close as possible to its natural form as possible to obtain nature’s perfect balance.
- Be sure the utmost care has been taken in all phases of its production, from growing its ingredients, to short transportation times, to manufacturing, testing for potency and quality control. Make sure the product was not heated to exceed 115 degrees during the manufacturing process which will break down some nutrients.
- Try to select from companies that have a long track record of providing high quality live whole food nutritional products.
