People should routinely take nutritional supplements

In this polluted, highly stressed modern world, with the quality of most food and the difficulty in eating a perfect diet, people should take nutritional supplements on a routine basis.

There is much to gain – Premature ageing and chronic degenerative diseases are crippling and killing our generation and it is likely to be even worse for our children. If good supplementation can reduce this, then surely it should be carefully considered.

Which supplements are recommended?

• A good multivitamin / antioxidant preparation. Appropriate formulations should also be given to children over the age of one. In areas of the world where selenium levels are low, selenium should be added to the supplement.
• In addition unless a person has a substantial regular diet of fish, then he or she should take an omega 3 fish oil supplement – but make sure it is mercury free.
• Because magnesium is so important for many bodily functions, including absorption of calcium, for most people should take a good quality calcium and magnesium supplement as well.

What is there to lose? Supplements which simply provide the body with what should be in an optimal diet are as safe as eating that optimal diet. Higher doses of some nutrients may provide additional benefit, but even these have been shown to be safe. In the recent Oxford Heart Protection Study involving over 10,000 people taking vitamin E for 5 years, no adverse events were seen.

Our children: even if you yourself do not wish to take supplements, think about your children. Many diseases are becoming more common in the children of today (diabetes, obesity, cancer, asthma, allergies, eczema, depression, suicide) and poor nutrition is playing a significant part in this. Just look at what our children and youth eat and ask yourself if their growing cells are receiving proper nutrition. Providing quality nutritional supplements to our children will have a profound beneficial effect on their future health. What better legacy could we leave them?

Everyone should take supplements (as recommended in the Journal of the American Medical Association) because:

1. The nutritional value of today’s food has fallen so much.
2. High levels of processing and prolonged storage affect the quality of food.
3. Most people are unable to eat the wide range of foods in our fast-moving world.
4. Fast foods, with all their problems, continue to be the staple diet for many people and their children.
5. Our world is more polluted, toxic and chemically laden. We need additional good nutrients to enable our bodies to detoxify.

Supplements will not replace a good diet. We need to eat as well as possible, paying attention to the quality and source of the food (organic and fresh is best). There are many additional beneficial nutrients in our food which we have not yet recognized. Unfortunately, quality food containing everything we require is almost impossible to obtain. It is expensive and beyond the budget constraints for most people who would benefit from them. The utopian diet is not available to most people in this world. BUT nonetheless, we should try. It would be wonderful if we could get our nutritional requirements form our food.

Recommendations for a preventive Lifestyle

1. Avoid toxins and preservatives as much as possible
2. Regularly exercise – as appropriate throughout life
3. Learn relaxation – take time out for your body and mind
4. Eat as well as you can – especially fruit & vegetables
5. Take nutritional supplements to make sure that your body receives all the nutrients it needs – from childhood right through till old age:

• A good multivitamin/multimineral. Note, to get all the nutrients at optimal dose this may mean 4-8 tablets day
• Omega 3 fish oils (mercury free) – at least 1 gram/day
• Calcium and magnesium – 500-800mg daily
• Selenium 150ug daily – especially in countries where it is not in the soil
• In men as they age – saw palmetto and lycopene for prostate health
If we start this in our children and they carry it on though their lives, we genuinely believe that:

We could reverse today’s degenerative diseases epidemic (coronary disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, arthritis) in one generation. What a legacy for us to leave our children!