by T. S. Love

Created on: February 23, 2007   Last Updated: April 20, 2007

Vitamin supplements are not a substitute for a wholesome diet. No pill can replace the body's own internal magic as it converts food into fuel. Think about this for a moment: What exactly does one need to eat each day in order to get the maximum amount of nutrients and the minimum amount of leftover waste? Is there a bare minimum? Clearly, there must be a maximum, as evidenced by the sea of expanding waistlines across these fruited plains. The answer is hard to find on a Google search but it is simple enough if one stops to consider the nature of food and its relationship to the human body.

All necessary vitamins and nutrients for health and vitality come from living foods: plants and animals. In theory, most items in supermarkets and restaurants originated from a living food. In reality, often the heavily processed gunk most of us think of as "food" today is a far remove both chemically and nutritionally from once living and nutritious whole foods.

The two most nefarious offenders are white flour and white sugar. It would not be out of line to call these substances toxic poison. These two enemies of health are endemic to the food supply. Pick up a box or bottle at random in the supermarket sometime. Odds are that some form of one of these two ingredients will be in that package. This is not even mentioning contamination from genetically modified organisms (GMO), pesticides, and antibiotics.

The era of the idyllic farm has evolved to that of the laboratory. Corporate chemists in pristine lab coats constantly strive to design new concoctions to tempt our spoiled palettes. Meanwhile, the advertising department provides public education and nutrition information about their "new and improved food". What is wrong with regular old food?

The only thing wrong with regular old food these days is the difficulty in finding it. The long-standing rule about only shopping around the edges of the supermarket is helpful but not always accurate as hidden poisons can be lurking in seemingly healthy food. The easiest way to attain proper nutritional health is to eat only organic whole foods as close to their natural living state as possible.

All that being said, vitamins and supplements can indeed enhance your body chemistry when used in combination with a wholesome diet based upon natural foods. Research your supplements carefully. Different brands can vary in potency, safety, and effectiveness. Also be aware of possible drug interactions. For example, St. John's Wort is widely known to interfere with the body's processing of many medications. Remember, vitamins and supplements can only be used to enhance or improve a well functioning body. They can not create health or overcome self damaging habits. Health is the result of daily habit.

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