Lately there have been “big” news articles about the downside of taking supplements. I previously wrote about one study regarding older women.
The latest news is that taking calcium supplements may lead to a higher incidence of heart attacks. So it is now suggested that one get calcium through food sources.
My issue with all these studies is that they do not tell you what “supplements” the people were taking. This is important because there are “supplements” and there are supplements!
And the problem with the “food” solution is that food is not food anymore – it’s pink slime, fillers and genetically modified yuk! [yup – my bias is showing]
What can we do to get better nutrition?
Try these tips
Tip 1
For starters, bake your current supplements in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Do the results look like baked food or do your supplements now look black and oozy?
Black and oozy suggests they are made from rocks, petroleum and coal tar. And yes – that is allowed – and is what 95% of supplements in North America are made from!
Tip 2
Read the supplement labels and try pronouncing the words out loud. Do they sound like food words or chemical words?
Tip 3
If the results of Tips 1 and 2 scare you – then try Tip 3
Buy vitamins that are food based! Bodies are made to process foods, not chemicals like the product to your right.
And you always contact me about this product via my Mannatech business site….
And the disclaimer – if you buy any products I mention on my sites or in my blog posts, I am an affiliate, and if you buy from my link – I do make some money.
And so can you!!
Wow, great tip to bake supplements to see what they are made of. I’d never have thought of that. I’ve pretty much stopped taking supplements because of concern about quality. Still have some in my cupboard, though, I’ll have fun baking them! Thanks 🙂
Thank you Mia for the comment. If your supplements turn to yuk, look here for ones that are real food:https://www.facebook.com/ILoveGoodNutrition … I’m starting a new FB page about nutrition
Lynn
I used to not care much about what I ate or drank. Now that I am older, I always read food labels and try to avoid processed foods and foods containing high-fructose corn syrup. Most of my diet consists of fruits and vegetables, and the little meat that I do eat is mostly organically grown chicken or fish. Trying to get out and do some physical activities is also very beneficial.
Eating well is always a good thing for our bodies – as is exercise. Glad that is what you are doing – and thanks for the comment.
Lynn
Tar in our vitamins? Why on earth would they do that?
Hi and thanks for the comment. Why? It costs less than using real food to make the vitamins!
Money is the bottom line – not our health 🙁
Lynn
As part of switching my family over to a whole foods diet and cutting out the processed crap, I’ve been looking carefully at the supplements I am getting for my family. I have kids with special needs and they need the real vitamins and minerals, not rocks, and certainly not harder to digest ones!
I’ll happily pass along your information to a group I’m in where they were looking for more information about food-based supplements. 😉 Found you through the UBC and so glad I did!
Hi Katrina and thanks for the comment. I’ve advocated for real nutrition since the 1960’s and it is a shame that big pharma and big agra had more clout then we psychologists 🙁
Glad you are cutting out the crap – the more of us that so that – the more the big boys will listen [I hope]
Lynn
I take raw calcium. I started to take it because I had a kidney stone and was told never take that chalk stuff….Not a problem. But I was told I need to increase my calcium intake. The raw calcium was the answer.
Hi Rachel – thanks for the comment.
A researcher I once met said it would be cheaper for people to pick up and then eat the rocks than to buy the calcium stuff at the local stores 🙂
Glad you were told about this chalk and got your calcium in a different form.
Lynn