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Imagine
Your Kids with Vibrant Health and Natural
Vitality!
Boost and Strengthen their
Immune System the Natural Way!
Super Healthy Kids is a comprehensive e-book
(you can get a printed paperback version as
well) about what you can do to strengthen
your kids health and boost their immune system
to prevent disease and create increased vibrant
health and vitality...read
more...
Synthetic or Natural
Vitamins - What's The Difference?
by Dr. Laura Mason-Scarborough
Hold the Fritos, and pass the carrots. Most
kids today are not eating what they need for
proper growth and general health. According
to the September ‘97 Journal of Pediatrics,
only 1% of American children aged 2 to 19
eat healthy diets. With a rapidly growing
kid’s vitamin industry, it is apparent
that more and more parents are turning to
vitamins to supplement their children’s
diets. Do we really know how safe these products
are? Can they fully replace the nutrients
in spinach or apples? Is there a difference
between vitamin products on the market?
What Are Vitamins?
Before we can answer these questions, we
must know exactly what vitamins are. In Judith
DeCava’s book, The Real Truth about Vitamins
and Antioxidants, she defines a vitamin as
“a complex mechanism...of functional,
interrelated, interdependent components. A
vitamin consists of, not only the organic
nutrient(s) identified as the vitamin, but
also enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants and
trace element activators.” A vitamin
complex is not simply an individual chemical
or several chemicals. It must contain all
factors that make up the vitamin in its entirety.
Just like a car is not four tires, nor a wheel,
nor an engine, but rather it is a “car”
when all parts are complete and working together.
Two Viewpoints
There are two points of view when it comes
to supplements. One is that vitamin parts
can be synthesized, in high concentrates (high
potency). This is the principle followed by
most supplement manufacturers, the majority
of which are pharmaceutical companies. These
vitamins are termed “synthetic”.
(Though they can be labeled “natural”
even if they come from sugar or coal tar).
The other viewpoint is that vitamins and
mineral elements are so complex, and have
so many parts that are dependent upon each
other, that when separated they no longer
can produce a normal nutritional effect on
the body. According to this theory, an overdose
of any one vitamin, as it occurs with separated
out or synthetic vitamins, can be hazardous
to the body. Complete vitamins, with all of
their parts and necessary cofactors are often
termed “whole food vitamins”, since
they are derived entirely from whole foods.
Vitamin C is Not Simply
Ascorbic Acid
An excellent example of the difference between
whole food and synthetic supplements, is vitamin
C. The majority of books and magazines on
the subject of nutrition refer to vitamin
C as ascorbic acid. These terms are used interchangeably.
However, vitamin C is not simply ascorbic
acid. Ascorbic acid is the outer skin of vitamin
C, much like the skin of an orange. Vitamin
C also contains bioflavonoid complexes, tyrosinase,
and several other factors. What do you get
if you purchase a synthesized bottle of vitamin
C? You are buying ascorbic acid, a small part
of vitamin C, manufactured from super-refined
corn sugar. Ascorbic acid does have strong
effects on the body but is more of a drug
than a nutrient. Because your body needs all
parts of a vitamin to function, it will leech
the other necessary cofactors from itself
in order to use the ascorbic acid. This puts
a lot of extra stress on your body, according
to Dennis Nelson, in his book, Maximizing
Nutrition.
Another example of whole food versus synthetic
is vitamin B complex. Coal tar is the source
of many synthetic B vitamins. Coal tar is
not alive, and research confirms that it does
not work as well in our bodies as natural
sources of B vitamins, such as wheat germ.
What is Best For Our
Children?
What is in the best interests for our children?
According to many nutritionists, including
Dr. Betsy Meshbesher, a nutritionist and owner
of a national vitamin company, whole, organic
foods in their natural state are best. Feeding
your children organic fruits, vegetables,
nuts, seeds and whole grains instead of potato
chips, macaroni and cheese, granola bars and
other highly processed foods will give them
the nutrients they need to be healthy. What
do you do if your child won’t eat nearly
enough whole foods? Then use whole food vitamins
such as wheat germ oil, which provides a substantial
amount of vitamin E complex as well as other
vital nutrients. Or use rice bran syrup or
nutritional yeast, which are excellent sources
of the vitamin B complex.
How do we know if the vitamins are working?
Let me relate my personal story, which illustrates
how I learned the hard way about the efficacy
of vitamins. One and a half years ago my daughter
was born prematurely. By the time she was
three months old she had chronic bronchitis,
cradle cap, a persistent diaper rash, and
very white porcelain skin. Though she was
breastfeeding, it was apparent that she needed
additional help. Liquid infant vitamin drops
for several weeks did nothing to change her
health condition. After thoroughly researching
nutrition and consulting with several nutritionists,
I started her on cod liver oil (an organic
source), which is rich in vitamins A and D;
rice bran syrup full of the vitamin Bs, iron,
and other essential nutrients; wheat germ
oil, rich in vitamin E; a liquid mineral supplement,
and a whole food vitamin C tablet, which I
crushed. By mixing my breast milk with tiny
amounts of all of these nutrients, (as well
as acidophilus-healthy bacteria that fight
off bad bacteria in the body) she was able
to fully recover within two to four weeks.
Her lungs completely cleared and she has
not even had a cold in the past year. She
has never again had a rash on her bottom.
Her cradle cap rapidly disappeared, replaced
with beautiful shiny red hair. Her skin changed
from white porcelain to beautiful creamy pink.
She looks healthier and she is healthier.
In summary, it is best to feed your children
the healthiest foods possible because food
is the best medicine. However, if your child
does not eat well or has a health condition
that is not resolving, try whole food concentrates.
Skip the funny cartoon vitamins that look
and taste like candy. They may actually be
harming instead of helping your kids.
Dr. Laura Mason-Scarborough is a chiropractor,
nutritionist, writer and mother. She lives
with her family in Clearwater, Florida.
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Use
the information provided on this site as an
educational resource for determining your
options and making your own informed choices.
It is not intended as medical advice or to
diagnose, prescribe, or treat any specific
illness.