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Benjamyn Smith

Benjamyn Smith. What About Multi-Vitamins?. What is a Multi-Vitamin. Multi-vitamins became very popular in the 1970’s when mega-doses of vitamins were purported to help stave off illnesses (Christ, 2013).

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Benjamyn Smith

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  1. Benjamyn Smith What About Multi-Vitamins?

  2. What is a Multi-Vitamin • Multi-vitamins became very popular in the 1970’s when mega-doses of vitamins were purported to help stave off illnesses (Christ, 2013). • A multi-vitamin contains both vitamins and minerals that the human body needs to perform vital functions • It is intended to supplement the diet and help ensure adequate intake of essential vitamins and minerals.

  3. Do They Work? • So far, science is inconclusive as to whether multi-vitamins have any health benefits (Christ, 2013). • They may be beneficial if a person’s diet is chronically deficient in many vitamins and minerals. • Because multi-vitamins are created by humans, they do not contain everything the human body needs. Things like phytochemicals are usually missing (Adams, 2006). • Multi-vitamins vary widely in quality with some having vastly inferior nutrient bioavailability.

  4. But What about Food? • A healthy diet can supply all the necessary nutrients without the need for a multi-vitamin (Therien, 2010). • There are likely essential nutrients contained in whole foods that are as yet undiscovered and therefore cannot be added to a multi-vitamin. • Just like multi-vitamins, food quality can vary greatly and have both very good and very poor nutrient profiles. • The quality of food is largely dependent on the quality of the soil (Adams, 2006).

  5. How Variable is Food Quality? • In a recent study of GMO vs. Non-GMO corn, the nutrient quality of Non-GMO corn was found to be far more dense in Non-GMO corn. • The Brix reading, a measure of nutrient concentration, was found to be 20 times higher in Non-GMO corn (Honeycutt, 2013). • In some cases individual nutrient contents are 100s of times higher Non-GMO corn than in GMO corn.

  6. But that’s GMO • GMO produce is a good example because the pesticides that are applied kill soil biology while also interfering with a plant’s ability to absorb certain nutrients from the soil. Repeated tilling, as is common in industrial agriculture, has a similar effect on soil biology. • This soil biology is a large part of what makes nutrients bioavailable to plants (Mollison, 2012). • Plants are capable of growing with only a very small percentage of the nutrients they are designed to absorb (Adams, 2006). • These essential nutrients are applied via fertilizer and the other nutrients are often overlooked. • This means that much of the grocery store produce likely does not contain the advertised nutritional profile (Adams, 2006).

  7. The Multi-Vitamin Alternative • Whole foods are better than a multi-vitamin. • The best solution is to produce your own food on property you maintain in a holistic manner. • The next best solution, and most practical for many people, is to purchase your food from a local farm that uses holistic practices. • Lastly, Non-GMO foods have a better nutrient profile than Non-GMO produce.

  8. References Adams, M. (2006). Secrets of Soil Nutrition: Why the Minerals in Soil Determine the Success or Failure of Foods, Health and Civilization. Retrieved from http://www.naturalnews.com/020072.html Christ, S. (2013). Everything You Thought You Knew About Multivitamins Is Wrong. Retrieved from http://greatist.com/health/multivitamin-effectiveness Honeycutt, Z. (2013). Stunning Corn Comparison: GMO versus NON GMO. Retrieved from http://www.momsacrossamerica.com/stunning_corn_comparison_gmo_versus_non_gmo Mollison, B. (2012). Permaculture A Designer's Manual. Sisters Creek, Tasmania, Australia: Tagari Publications. Therien, S. (2010). The Disadvantages of Taking Vitamins. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/293412-the-disadvantages-of-taking-vitamins/

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