The Natural VS Synthetic controversy Part 1

Before we get into the specifics of individualizing your vita- nutrient program, you may want to know how I feel about two of nutrition’s greatest controversies:

1.  Are you better off seeking nutrients from food or from supplements?
2.  Should you consume natural or synthesized nutrients?

My position is that natural sources of nutrients are generally superior to synthetic or unnatural sources, although the magnitude of this advantage varies from vitamin to vitamin. However, the cost of extracting vitamins from natural sources makes them so prohibitively expensive compared to the synthesized varieties that they have all but disappeared from the marketplace. In fact, virtually every convincing scientific study done establishing the proven benefits of nutrients used nonfood source nutrients. Thus it would seem that synthetic supplements not only work, but work very well.

But when synthetic beta-carotene failed to match the cancer- preventing capabilities of its natural counterparts in several recent studies, scientists were reminded that sometimes natural vita-nutrient sources are the most effective. Indeed, many scientific papers by nutrition pioneer Royal Lee, DDS, and others writing in the 1930s through 1950s showed that entire nutrient complexes were significantly more effective than synthetic vitamins.

Many times I have been tempted to devise diets in which natural foods provide all necessary nutrients. But in practice I found that the quantities of nutrients my patients could derive from those sources were less than optimal. Worse yet, those with weight problems had to take in more carbohydrate to accomplish the nutrient goal, and this led to further weight gain.

Rather than providing a small number of inexpensively produced chemicals that supply the central constituent of a vitamin complex, we provided the entire complex. For example, we recommended all the tocopherols, not just one, when using vitamin E. Then we made certain we used as many different nutrient complexes as the body might need. With such a basic formula providing the backdrop for further nutrient prescriptions, we reduced the likelihood of running into built-in difficulties of single dosages of vitamins. A good multiple vitamin and mineral formulation would contain at least forty different nutrients. This form of ‘group therapy’ allows vitamins to be given safely in high dosages, thus strengthening the therapeutic effect.

An important part of this concept is that those vita-nutrients not on the usual list of vitamins and essential minerals can have a tremendous impact. Nutrients like glutathione, coenzyme Q10, taurine, pycnogenol, lipoic acid and many others, are described in this article clearly add synergy battery circuit. This team approach packs a much stronger therapeutic punch than administering only a handful of isolated vitamins in the manner in which the early research was conducted.

Even more important is the principle of getting the maximum nutritional value from the food we eat. Eggs, meat and other animal products contain a wide spectrum of vita-nutrients. Nuts and seeds are extraordinarily good sources, and certain fats and oils – such as flaxseed, borage and evening primrose oil – can be among the most valuable nutrients of all. Specific vegetables, particularly those high in the С and E complexes, are also vital. But empty calories, which come from sweets, refined foods and foods designed to have long shelf life, have an antinutrient effect. Our celebrated food pyramid, which has been redesigned to be based on grain products, fails to distinguish empty calorie food from nutritionally dense food. Thus it can no longer be relied upon to prevent nutrient deficiency, let alone provide optimum nutrition.