Vitamins – To Be Or Not To Be

Fifty years ago the foods that were consumed by the general public were far more nutritious than they are now. I'm referring to fresh fruit and vegetables. Why is this? The answer is quite simple really - the soils that these foods were grown in way back then held far more nutrients and minerals than they do now. Therefore, foods now don't contain nearly enough vitamins and minerals than they did back then. Consequently, there is a need for good quality vitamins and mineral supplements. One could argue that the alternate medicine industry has gotten out of control of late and to some degree maybe it has, however, there remains enough evidence to suggest that there is a place for very good vitamin and mineral supplements and perhaps the cooperation of the medical fraternity and the alternative medical industry isn't such a bad idea after all. Let's examine some of the benefits of an ongoing working relationship between both parties.

Nutrition as it applies to our daily lives means that we take in what we need to maintain our body's healthy state. Nutrition has become an important word thanks to the involvement of the USDA in our daily food requirements, and the FDA's involvement in determining what is and is not dangerous for us to consume.

But what is our responsibility in the nutrition game? Do we understand what our nutritional requirements are, how to fulfill those requirements, and how to look for real nutritional value in our foods? I'm not sure that nutrition has been successfully addressed in its own right. We hear nutrition in relation to our vitamin intake, our fortified cereals and milk, and in the context that we need "nutritional value" from our food choices. But we don't often stop to think, what do we really need in nutritional supplements?

This is where it can get a bit confusing. Unless you have outward signs or symptoms, then it is very difficult to determine what vitamin or mineral supplement you might need. Generally speaking, if you can find a very good quality multivitamin then this is going to cover any mild shortfall that you have. Don't just buy any product and be sure to do your own research first. Cheapest is not the best and the most expensive may not be the best either. Following on from there, there are quite a few that contain most vitamins and minerals so do your homework.

Vitamins and minerals are more readily available to us than ever before, and we're still no better equipped to actually determine what we need to take, than we were forty years ago. Just because we see the latest advertisement about a particular vitamin and decide the symptoms of deficiency apply to us, does not mean we need to rush out and purchase the product. The symptoms of deficiency for lots of vitamins and minerals are the same or overlapping. What we need is a way to detect, on an individual basis, what our body's lack, and then plan a suggested nutritional solution.

The complete lack of unity between our medical field and the herbal field, (this is the field that vitamins and minerals belong to) is a disgrace in a country so forward thinking as the United States. But it is also where we fall short in providing our citizenry with the tools they need to make better, informed decisions. The medical field has long resented any contact that patients might make with herbalists, vitamins and minerals, or any other proposed health aid, that wasn't directly related to medicine.

Thanks to this prevalent attitude among most all doctors, we have missed great opportunities to advance a generation's health. If you were to take a cross section of the population, and check for adequate levels of the most used and fortified vitamins and minerals, you would probably find the as high as 80% or the population is lacking in a least one of the vitamins and minerals. Now, that doesn't sound too bad, until you stop to think, what if it's calcium? A calcium deficiency brings on osteoporosis, a deteriorating of the bone. This disease alone costs millions in medical expense to the population.

Fewer problems and lower health costs are just two issues surrounding a relationship of tolerance and understanding between the traditional medical fraternity and alternative medical organizations. Can you see how a little more cooperation and open-minded participation on the part of our medical field could result in far fewer health problems? It would also have provided the general population with a viable way to discern their vitamin and mineral needs, accurately. Blood tests, urine tests, and other simple office procedures would provide the vast majority of the information needed for us to arm ourselves, and head off to the health store. This would surely be a win, win situation for everybody and would result in a much healthier population too. Anyone agree? Preventive medicine comes in all shapes, forms, and tablets! Not to mention……cooperation and tolerance!