(NaturalNews) In the beginning of time man had all the nutritional value he needed for healthy living in the natural foods planted in the earth. Over the years, this nutritional value has been dramatically reduced. The need for supplementation is essential. When choosing the right supplementation, it is important to understand the difference between synthetic and whole food based nutrition.
Synthetic supplements are nutrients that have been synthetically (man-made) derived in a laboratory. These nutrients have an identical chemical structure as the whole food derived nutrition. They do not deliver the same results though.
Even though the chemistry may be identical there is a significant difference between man-made and natural nutrition. Light passing through a natural vitamin always bends to the right due to its molecular rotation. This is a (d) configuration for dexorotary. Synthetic vitamins behave differently. That same ray of light splits into two parts when passing through-- one part bending to the right (d for dexorotary), the other to the left (l for levorotary).
One of the most highly processed and publicized vitamins is Vitamin C. The synthetic form of Vitamin C is `ascorbic acid.` However, ascorbic acid is not really vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is the outer ring that serves as a protective shell for the entire complex that is known as Vitamin C. The full structure of vitamin C as it is found in natural foods contains the following:
RutinBioflavonoids (vitamin P) Factor K
Factor JFactor P Tyrosinase
Ascorbinogen Ascorbic Acid
When you consume synthetic ascorbic acid, the body must gather all of the other components from the body`s tissues in order to make the complete complex. If the other components are not present, the body will simply eliminate the ascorbic acid in the urine.
Different vitamins and minerals also synergize together bringing out the full potential of their purposes in the body. For an example, the mineral copper is necessary for full function of vitamin C as is selenium for the function of Vitamin E. These components are typically found together in natural foods such as sunflower seeds but not in synthetic
supplementation.
Synthetic supplementation can also be very dangerous on the body. Due to the lack of absorption, they can stress the liver and kidneys as the body tries to detoxify and eliminate the excess. Heavy ascorbic acid supplementation has been shown to thicken arterial walls by up to 2.5x creating an increased risk of heart disease. High doses of synthetic vitamin E has been shown to leach nutrients like calcium and magnesium out of the bones. High doses of synthetic vitamin A are linked with higher rates of cancer. Meanwhile, natural vitamin A sources such as carrots and spinach have been shown to prevent cancer. There is clearly a difference between whole food based nutrition and synthetic supplementation.
Many processed foods such as cereals, snack bars, & yogurts contain synthetically derived
supplements to bring up nutritional values. They are often marketed as healthy foods due to the inflated nutritional values. However, this is very misleading. These synthetic supplements offer very little functional value and often are loaded with sugar, artificial flavoring, pasteurized dairy and other toxic substances.
It is very important to read labels and look for synthetic forms of
nutrition. If the list of ingredients sounds like chemistry class (alpha-tocopherol) or contains `Vitamin C` it is most likely synthetic. Look for actual foods that contain vitamin C in the ingredient list such as acerola cherry powder. Great sources for whole
food nutritional supplementation include supergreens & superfruit powders and raw food based multivitamins in capsule or drink form.
http://www.nutriteam.com/natural.htmhttp://drbenkim.com/articles-vitamins.htmlhttp://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/01/prweb200902.htmAbout the author
Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care. For more information go to
www.exodushc.com To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to
www.maximizedliving.com
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
people have commented on this article.
Email this article to a friend
Now Available from 
