Jax
29-05-2010, 10:44 AM
An informative article from Get Fresh magazine Spring 2010 about using supplements;
The shocking truth about supplements
Supplements are important. They constitute essential support systems that help us sustain proper vitality and function in a modernized, polluted world where electromagnetic interference and consistently high levels of mental/emotional stress are the norm. These are factors our toxin-burdened bodies have never had to deal with before in the history of our planet.
Even on the best of diets we are often not getting enough (or the correct blend) of medicinal properties needed to maintain optimal health. Good-quality supplements have a place in every health-conscious person’s kitchen. However, like our food, the supplements we consume must be considered “carriers of light” and must be made of top-quality raw materials so they have the ability to restore coherence to our bio-field.
Unfortunately, few supplements are of premier quality. Some are highly processed and overheated; others laden with preservatives and additives. A surprising landmark study published in the Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association showed that the odds of purchasing an effective, non-toxic, herbal product is only 2.5%. That means you have a shocking 97.5% chance of walking into a health food store and purchasing a supplement that is not only not effective but worse yet, toxic to your body!
The toxic burden
Our inner and outer environments have become increasingly polluted. Every day we are exposed to innumerable toxic chemicals being released into the atmosphere. Even if we are eating all raw and all organic we are still getting the contaminants that are present in our food, water and air. If we allow too many pollutants to enter our bodies, the burden our detoxification organs have to endure can just be too high.
Just like our food, our supplements must not be irradiated, exposed to excessive heat and light, or damaged through the use of pesticides. One piece of research showed that over 60% of the herbs currently used in nutritional products in the USA have been either fumigated or irradiated, or contain significant pesticide and insecticide residues – even if organic!
Additionally, the common 1-2% talcum powder commonly used in the encapsulating process of nutraceuticals may not seem like much, but added to the innumerable other environmental contaminants present in our everyday life it plays its part in making our bodies overly toxic. Just like the outer environment has a tipping point, so too does our internal ecology. So be a savvy consumer and consider the following guidelines before purchasing nutritional supplements of any kind.
1. Know your excipients!
The use of excipients is widespread in the supplement industry. Excipients are non-active ingredients such as binders, fillers and glues, and they are often toxic. They are only used to make the production process faster and more cost effective; they do not add to the nutritional value in any way. On the contrary, many of the excipients used in the processing of nutraceuticals are known carcinogens and may be capable of causing DNA damage
These are just some of the common excipients to watch out for when purchasing supplements:
Magnesium stearate - Research shows it to be immune-suppressing. Besides, magnesium stearate is insoluble in water and may hinder the absorption of nutrients.
Povidone (polyvinylpyrrolidone or PVP) - PVP is a synthetic polymer used in virtually all encapsulated nutritional supplements; considered to be a potential carcinogen.
Silicon dioxide - This transparent powder is insoluble in water. It is thought to hinder digestion and the uptake of other nutrients, and to deplete hydrochloric acid.
Corn starch - Typically from cheap GMO corn; can invoke allergic responses.
Titanium dioxide - A pro-oxidant and liver-toxic substance used for colour. Titanium dioxide is also used in paint, plastics, paper, inks, food and cosmetics.
Dicalcium phosphate - Commonly used as a tabletting aid, filler or bulking agent. Phosphates can induce the same symptoms as MSG.
Pharmaceutical glaze (shellac) - Used to coat vitamin tablets. It is insoluble in stomach acid and supplements coated with shellac are difficult for the body to break down and assimilate.
Methacrylic copolymer - Methacrylic acid, a component of the methacrylic acid copolymer, has been reported to act as a teratogen in rat embryo cultures.
Triethyl citrate - A plasticizer not meant for consumption.
Talcum powder - Talc is both a suspected carcinogen and a very common excipient. Most manufacturers use 1-2% talcum powder for optimal functioning of their machines.
2. Know to avoid tablets!
In my opinion, tablets always contain excipients. Making a tablet supplement requires processing the raw material with heat, which creates rancid by-products and degrades nutrients. Liver-toxic, glue-like resins, binders and lubricants often not listed on the label are then used to bind the tablet together. Lastly, to smash the ingredients into a tablet form, manufacturers must apply a force of up to 50,000 pounds per square inch which inevitably degrades the healing properties within the nutrient.
When shopping for supplements I recommend purchasing them whenever possible in capsule form, liquid form or as a loose powder. These methods provide a 50% better absorption rate than any tablet could, so that’s another reason to say no to tablets.
3. Go plant-based when it comes to capsules!
If you are taking supplements on a regular basis, it is important that the capsules enclosing them be 100% solvent free, preservative free and vegan. Some manufactures don’t use vegetable capsules because they cost twice as much as gelatin capsules. However it is important to know that vegetable capsules are 50% better absorbed than gelatin capsules and are free of the toxic preservatives necessary to preserve animal parts. In case you didn’t know, gelatin caps are made with hooves and bones – not ingredients on most health seekers’ wish lists.
4. Know to choose natural, not synthetic!
To be completely clear, when products are listed on the label as isolated vitamins and minerals (such as ascorbic acid) it means you are consuming a synthetic supplement.
From an energetic point of view, consuming nutrients that are synthetic, or that have degraded resonant frequencies, will inevitably weaken your cells’ resonant frequencies, resulting in poorer vitality over time.
Studies have shown that consuming a synthetic (or degraded) nutrient may initially stimulate your cell’s DNA and produce a beneficial effect. However the results are short-lived, as research demonstrates that after the initial stimulation, the DNA of the cell deteriorates at a much faster rate (meaning that in essence you are inducing accelerated aging of your DNA).
Furthermore, when a product containing isolated vitamins and minerals is taken for a long period of time, it can produce nutritional imbalances. For example, isolated zinc may imbalance your copper levels, and so forth.
(http://www.jasminescalesciani.com/)
The shocking truth about supplements
Supplements are important. They constitute essential support systems that help us sustain proper vitality and function in a modernized, polluted world where electromagnetic interference and consistently high levels of mental/emotional stress are the norm. These are factors our toxin-burdened bodies have never had to deal with before in the history of our planet.
Even on the best of diets we are often not getting enough (or the correct blend) of medicinal properties needed to maintain optimal health. Good-quality supplements have a place in every health-conscious person’s kitchen. However, like our food, the supplements we consume must be considered “carriers of light” and must be made of top-quality raw materials so they have the ability to restore coherence to our bio-field.
Unfortunately, few supplements are of premier quality. Some are highly processed and overheated; others laden with preservatives and additives. A surprising landmark study published in the Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association showed that the odds of purchasing an effective, non-toxic, herbal product is only 2.5%. That means you have a shocking 97.5% chance of walking into a health food store and purchasing a supplement that is not only not effective but worse yet, toxic to your body!
The toxic burden
Our inner and outer environments have become increasingly polluted. Every day we are exposed to innumerable toxic chemicals being released into the atmosphere. Even if we are eating all raw and all organic we are still getting the contaminants that are present in our food, water and air. If we allow too many pollutants to enter our bodies, the burden our detoxification organs have to endure can just be too high.
Just like our food, our supplements must not be irradiated, exposed to excessive heat and light, or damaged through the use of pesticides. One piece of research showed that over 60% of the herbs currently used in nutritional products in the USA have been either fumigated or irradiated, or contain significant pesticide and insecticide residues – even if organic!
Additionally, the common 1-2% talcum powder commonly used in the encapsulating process of nutraceuticals may not seem like much, but added to the innumerable other environmental contaminants present in our everyday life it plays its part in making our bodies overly toxic. Just like the outer environment has a tipping point, so too does our internal ecology. So be a savvy consumer and consider the following guidelines before purchasing nutritional supplements of any kind.
1. Know your excipients!
The use of excipients is widespread in the supplement industry. Excipients are non-active ingredients such as binders, fillers and glues, and they are often toxic. They are only used to make the production process faster and more cost effective; they do not add to the nutritional value in any way. On the contrary, many of the excipients used in the processing of nutraceuticals are known carcinogens and may be capable of causing DNA damage
These are just some of the common excipients to watch out for when purchasing supplements:
Magnesium stearate - Research shows it to be immune-suppressing. Besides, magnesium stearate is insoluble in water and may hinder the absorption of nutrients.
Povidone (polyvinylpyrrolidone or PVP) - PVP is a synthetic polymer used in virtually all encapsulated nutritional supplements; considered to be a potential carcinogen.
Silicon dioxide - This transparent powder is insoluble in water. It is thought to hinder digestion and the uptake of other nutrients, and to deplete hydrochloric acid.
Corn starch - Typically from cheap GMO corn; can invoke allergic responses.
Titanium dioxide - A pro-oxidant and liver-toxic substance used for colour. Titanium dioxide is also used in paint, plastics, paper, inks, food and cosmetics.
Dicalcium phosphate - Commonly used as a tabletting aid, filler or bulking agent. Phosphates can induce the same symptoms as MSG.
Pharmaceutical glaze (shellac) - Used to coat vitamin tablets. It is insoluble in stomach acid and supplements coated with shellac are difficult for the body to break down and assimilate.
Methacrylic copolymer - Methacrylic acid, a component of the methacrylic acid copolymer, has been reported to act as a teratogen in rat embryo cultures.
Triethyl citrate - A plasticizer not meant for consumption.
Talcum powder - Talc is both a suspected carcinogen and a very common excipient. Most manufacturers use 1-2% talcum powder for optimal functioning of their machines.
2. Know to avoid tablets!
In my opinion, tablets always contain excipients. Making a tablet supplement requires processing the raw material with heat, which creates rancid by-products and degrades nutrients. Liver-toxic, glue-like resins, binders and lubricants often not listed on the label are then used to bind the tablet together. Lastly, to smash the ingredients into a tablet form, manufacturers must apply a force of up to 50,000 pounds per square inch which inevitably degrades the healing properties within the nutrient.
When shopping for supplements I recommend purchasing them whenever possible in capsule form, liquid form or as a loose powder. These methods provide a 50% better absorption rate than any tablet could, so that’s another reason to say no to tablets.
3. Go plant-based when it comes to capsules!
If you are taking supplements on a regular basis, it is important that the capsules enclosing them be 100% solvent free, preservative free and vegan. Some manufactures don’t use vegetable capsules because they cost twice as much as gelatin capsules. However it is important to know that vegetable capsules are 50% better absorbed than gelatin capsules and are free of the toxic preservatives necessary to preserve animal parts. In case you didn’t know, gelatin caps are made with hooves and bones – not ingredients on most health seekers’ wish lists.
4. Know to choose natural, not synthetic!
To be completely clear, when products are listed on the label as isolated vitamins and minerals (such as ascorbic acid) it means you are consuming a synthetic supplement.
From an energetic point of view, consuming nutrients that are synthetic, or that have degraded resonant frequencies, will inevitably weaken your cells’ resonant frequencies, resulting in poorer vitality over time.
Studies have shown that consuming a synthetic (or degraded) nutrient may initially stimulate your cell’s DNA and produce a beneficial effect. However the results are short-lived, as research demonstrates that after the initial stimulation, the DNA of the cell deteriorates at a much faster rate (meaning that in essence you are inducing accelerated aging of your DNA).
Furthermore, when a product containing isolated vitamins and minerals is taken for a long period of time, it can produce nutritional imbalances. For example, isolated zinc may imbalance your copper levels, and so forth.
(http://www.jasminescalesciani.com/)