Is Vitamin & Mineral Supplementation Necessary?

-By Mark Woodgate

(Owner/ Manager of Bay Bodyfit Health & Fitness Centre,
Fitness Director of Body Blueprint Personal Training)

vitamins and minerals

There's been plenty happening in the news lately regarding the question of nutritional supplementation. The Health Sciences Authority( HSA ) has to date recalled a total of 243 products manufactured by the company Pan Pharmaceuticals. (These were marketed under 25 brands in Singapore.) The danger of taking too much isolated vitamins and minerals is now being exposed...

Many clients have asked for my opinion regarding this controversial topic. So the question remains. Is it necessary to take vitamin and mineral supplements?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Did you know that there are more than 10,000 phytochemicals in a single piece of fruit or vegetable alone? Based on this fact, does it make sense to extract only 1 of these phytochemicals (such as Vitamin C for example) with the assumption that this isolated vitamin will have therapeutic value?

There is now overwhelming evidence that in order for these vitamins and minerals to produce the desired effect (eg: strengthening the immune system, protecting against against cancer and various diseases), they must work TOGETHER with their counterparts – in other words, the remaining 9, 999 *phytochemicals from that single piece of fruit or vegetable need to be present!

(NB: Scientists are yet to determine the role of thousands of these phytochemicals, having only officially labelled the main vitamins eg: Vit A,B,C,D, K etc)

nb: "Phyto" = Plant.

Therefore what happens if we take a single vitamin or mineral over a long period of time? Invariably, it can produce toxicity in the body and this can manifest itself in a number of ways.

"BUT I THOUGHT VITAMINS AND MINERALS WERE SAFE?"

A vitamin or mineral is not a whole food. Similarly in modern medicine, many widely used drugs are derived from a single plant chemical. Here again, drugs are toxic to the body and cause side effects as they do not simulate that which is found in nature.

WHAT ABOUT MULTI VITAMINS & MINERALS? DO THEY HAVE MERIT?"

Recently I was amused to watch an advertisement for a nutritional supplement that claimed to have all the necessary vitamins & minerals necessary for good health. (from "A-Z" in fact) Surely this amazing nutritional supplement would contain thousands of phytochemicals? Not so. In fact, only 20 to be precise!

When producing multi vitamins and minerals scientists do not have the luxury of knowing the precise ratio of vitamins & minerals required for optimum health. However, we can find exactly the right ratio of these phytochemicals working synergistically with their counterparts in NATURE.

Therefore in my view, the best way to obtain a healthy balance of essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and their counterparts is to consume plenty of FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES.

ARE YOU EATING THE RECOMMENDED 5-9 SERVINGS OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY?

This is the recommendation from the cancer society if we wish to achieve good health. Researchers continue to find elements in fruits and vegetables- vitamins and other antioxidants, phytochemicals, minerals, enzymes and fibre that contribute to health and longevity in many ways.

Unfortunately, despite the growing medical evidence, only a small percentage of adults (and an even smaller percentage of children) eat at least 5 servings per day.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Whole foods in the form of fruits and vegetables - NOT isolated vitamins and minerals- promote health and vitality. These are our weapons against disease as they keep our immune systems strong. Make sure to get your share!

Mark Woodgate is a leading New Zealand personal trainer. He has successfully transformed thousands of people thanks to his revolutionary ‘quality versus quantity’ training principles.