If we are going to age well it is important that we provide our bodies with the whole food nutrition it needs. We humans were made to thrive on the whole foods once available to us. If we have the right nutrition, our body can often heal itself. Our bodies are able to be the best hospital there is. The problem is getting the whole food nutrition that we need. And that problem just keeps getting worse as the years go by.

Do you know that we would have to eat eight oranges today to get the same amount of Vitamins A and C as our grandparents would have gotten from just 1 orange?

The quantity and quality of nutrients in food crops has been declining over the past 70 years or so. For example, in a serving of spinach, vitamin C content has dropped 30%. Evidence from multiple scientific studies show that many fruits, vegetables, and grains grown today carry less protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin, and vitamin C than those that were grown decades ago. Fruits and vegetables grown back then were much richer in vitamins and minerals than the varieties most of us get today. This is due to soil depletion. Modern intensive agricultural methods have stripped increasing amounts of nutrients from the soil in which the food we eat is grown. Nutrient decline leaves our bodies with less of what’s needed to mount a defense against chronic diseases. It undercuts the value of food as preventive medicine.

After harvesting, the now less nutritious whole food gets processed on its way to the grocery store and it’s no wonder so many of us are in poor health. The majority of processed foods will have fats, salt and lots of sugar added. Wheat products will have all the nutrients removed in order to prolong shelf life. UC Davis found 69% of imported olive oil to be fake or did not meet the standards for extra virgin oil. Bloomberg News reports there is no evidence of Aloe Vera found in the Aloe Vera at Walmart, Target and CVS. Food Safety News found 75% of honey sold in stores contain no pollen. High fructose corn syrup should not be labeled real honey. Clean Label Project found arsenic, cadmium, lead, and acrylamide at high levels in nearly 80% of infant formula and baby foods.

WorldHealth.net ranked the United States 35th on the list of healthiest countries. Yes, 35th. In 2020 there were 157 million Americans suffering from one or more chronic diseases. The WHO states that chronic diseases cause 71% of all deaths globally. The CDC says up to 80% could be prevented or helped through proper nutrition and better lifestyle choices. 60% of cancers in women are linked to diet and 40% of cancers in men are linked to diet. There are more cancers caused by diet than all the other causes combined.

You may be thinking…...but wait, can’t we just all take vitamin supplements to fill in the gaps in our nutrition needs? Then we can stay healthy, feel good and have energy. A 2021 study by the Council for Responsible Nutrition found that 80% of adults take a daily supplement. Well, I have good news and bad news. First, the bad news. 98% of the vitamin supplements available to the public are synthetic. Most of the adults who are taking supplements are wasting their money. We should be concerned about taking synthetic vitamins and other unnatural nutrients because published research in the last few years concludes two important things: First, synthetic and other unnatural nutrients are mostly ineffective in preventing disease. Second, these chemicals may be dangerous to your health — some have been shown to increase the risk of the incidence of cancer and heart disease. Synthetic vitamins are often made using industrial petrochemicals and solvents, which can increase the toxic load on the body. The potential for long-term risk to human health far outweighs any health benefits or cost savings associated with consuming synthetic vitamins. In December 2020 Consumer reports reported that the FDA found hidden drugs in nearly 50 dietary supplements sold on Amazon and eBay, including an Amazon #1 best seller. The New York Attorney General reported GNC, Walmart, Target & Walgreens herbals do not contain the herbs shown on the label. Consumerlab.com tested 21 brands of multivitamins and found 52% had ingredients that did not match the label. Three of the multivitamins did not dissolve at all. One contained lead. The six brands left were used in a study of two thousand cancer patients. 32% of the patients that received the supplements saw their cancer get worse.

It is important to have good criteria for choosing a good vitamin supplement. I said earlier that there was good news and bad news. You heard the bad news. The good news is that the next time that I post I will share the criteria that I use when choosing vitamin supplements. There are some great whole food vitamin supplements available.