AHA: Get Antioxidants from Food, Not Supplements
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&;u=/nm/20040802/hl_nm/antioxidants_heart_dc
This headline,the "big proclaimation" from the American Heart Association, is certain to be seized upon by the Big Pharmaceutical Companies and the FDA as yet another reason to shut off your access to quality nutritional supplements. It should probably more accurately be sub-titled "At least until the Big Drug Companies can figure out a way to create patentable and therefor profitable supplements!"
This news article suggests that while antioxidants are valuable for health when obtained from food sources, it seems to warn consumers away from taking supplements of those same antioxidants, even though those supplements are derived from concentrated food sources.
Perhaps one of the most revealing items in this news article is the following statement: "It is clear that foods rich in antioxidants can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, and scientists have been working to isolate the particular compounds responsible. Vitamins, such as A and C, are antioxidants." (The emphasis is mine.) That very telling little snippet suggests to me that just as soon as someone at Big Drug Company Inc. can figure out a way to synthesize and patent these same antioxidants that are found in nature we will see this story change to one of an absolute necessity that these wonderful "new" products be taken - what are you willing to bet?
The article goes on to defend it's pooh-pooh'ing of health-protective supplements by quoting "one important Finnish study showed that male smokers who took supplements actually had a higher risk of lung cancer." This dated and flawed study, often-quoted by those in opposition to nutritional supplementation, was based upon the administration of one "nutritional" supplement - a synthetic form of beta-carotene. There can be no doubt from the results of this study that this synthetic, man-made form of a valuable nutrient was useless and perhaps even harmful. When will Big Drug Companys Inc. and their lapdogs figure it out? Synthetic is not better! Other studies, based on research that analyses the eating patterns and wellness profiles of large populations show without doubt that natural beta-carotenes and other micronutrients are highly health-protective. I refer you again to the statements in this very article that otherwise slams nutritional supplements: "It is clear that foods rich in antioxidants can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, and scientists have been working to isolate the particular compounds responsible. Vitamins, such as A an C, are antioxidants." (Again, the emphasis is mine.)
So here is the rub: For many decades now, we have watched our farming and food processing practices reduce the amounts of these vital micronutrients, vitamins and minerals in our foods. It is getting harder and harder to get optimal amounts of these nutrients from our diet, even for the most conscientious among us who eat all-natural, all-organic foods whenever possible. The American Heart Association give sound advice as it "continues to promote a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, legumes, poultry and lean meats to derive antioxidant vitamin benefits," but it fails to mention that our foods have been systematically stripped of these very same benefits by modern growing, processing, and packaging methods.
We at Dr. Myatt's Wellness club have been aware of this for many years, and that is why we have developed our Maxi-Multi optimal dose multi vitamins and our Maxi-Greens Complete Green Food / Flavonoid / Phytonutrient Rich Formula. Maxi-Multi provides a state-of-the-art formulation of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and bioflavonoids with highly concentrated plant enzymes for optimal assimilation. Only natural forms of the important antioxidant Vitamin A (beta-carotene) and other nutrients are used. Maxi-Greens provides extra phytonutrients including flavonoid herbs, pycnogenols, indole-containing herbs, high chlorophyll / mineral rich herbs, and more as part of a solid foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Yes, I know this sounds an awful lot like a sales pitch, and maybe it is. But if truth be known, Dr. Myatt developed both these formulas so that she could have the very best nutrition possible - there was (and still is!) nothing else on the market that comes even close, and we both take these supplements every day!
I for one am not going to wait for Big Drug Company Inc. to figure out how to synthesize, patent, and market vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. I'm going to make sure I'm getting all my nutrients every day, despite the warnings of The American Heart Association. Shame on the AHA for so obviously being a lap-dog of the pharmaceutical industry and shame on the AHA for warning people away from health-improving dietary supplements!
Cheers,
Nurse Mark
11:03:16 AM 
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