Could Synthetic Vitamins Be Hurting You?

Sounds like a trick question doesn't it? In What’s wrong with Synthetic Supplements? I learned that in three different studies, synthetic vitamins are suspected of doing more harm than good.

In the first study quoted in New England Journal of Medicine, an impact study on the effect of synthetic beta carotene and synthetic Vitamine E on cancer was halted when rates of lung cancer, heart attacks and death increased.

In the second study also quoted in New England Journal of Medicine, this study was also halted because of a 400% increase of birth defects for women on synthetic Vitamin A supplements.

The third and final study quoted in Reuters Health (March, 2000) found that men who took 500 mg of synthetic Vitamin C daily over 18 months showed signs of thickening of the arteries.

The main thing that I took away from those three studies was that in order to avoid the greatest degree of risk, it is safest to stay away from synthetic supplements. e.g. Stick to food sourced supplements.

Researching synthetic vitamin safety a little further, I found some interesting comments from Dr. Zoltan P. Rona, M.D. In his article titled "Nutritional Supplements - BEST NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS -How to Avoid the Hype and Gain Real Benefits", he said

“Most healthy people will have no obvious side effects from ingesting the small amount of toxins in vitamin tablets. Over 7 per cent of people, however, are sensitive to these chemicals. Allergic reactions can affect any organ system in the body including the brain. This produces symptoms such as fatigue, memory loss, depression, anxiety, hallucinations and insomnia.”

Dr. Zoltan P. Rona, M.D. has also been quoted as saying that while a healthy person will not drop dead immediately after ingesting synthetic supplements, "the long-term consequences of continuous, daily intakes are potentially dangerous."

Not to make Dr. Rona's comment sound too extreme, he is simply saying that statistically speaking more than 7% of people taking vitamins (synthetic or "natural") that contain toxic elements for binding, packaging, or whatever experience allergic reactions to those toxins. To be fair, I am certain that some percentage of people have allergic reactions to toxin-free food sourced vitamins simply because a food source itself may be an allergen for some.

For example, many people are allergic to glutens, shellfish and other natural ingredients. So, people with known allergens should carefully study the ingredient list to ensure that their allergen is not present. The challenge with that approach is that many supplements do not list the full ingredient contents. As for me, I prefer to stick to toxin-free food sourced supplements that list the full set of ingredients.

Hopefully by now, we agree that we should avoid synthetic vitamins. The next question is "How do we tell if a vitamin is synthetic or natural?" I ran across this great article that helps you do just that. At the end, it includes a list of ingredient names that clue you into whether the contents of a supplement product are synthetic or natural.

If you want to go the extra mile of not only avoiding synthetics but also to find great toxin-free food sourced supplements (multivitamin, anti-oxidant, glyconutrients, and more) that shows you the FULL ingredient list for every product, click here to request more information.

Blessings to you and yours!

Brad
--
When Quality of Life Matters,
  Get Good Sugars
    http://info.GoodSugars.net

Bears and Vitamins Please!!!

One of the biggest challenges for parents of my generation is ensuring that our children get sufficient and proper nutrition. The culmination of a Super Size Me fast food culture, the fact that processed foods are almost an unavoidable part of our food intake, and that the fruits and vegtebles that we do buy are significantly depleted of minerals compared to just 50 years ago is overwhelming.

If you don't believe me that fast food and processed food by themselves are having a dramatic impact on the children of this generation, I highly suggest that you buy and watch the Super Size Me DVD. Also check out wikipedia on the topics of Childhood Obesity and Childhood-onset Diabetes. Certainly there are genetic contributors to both of these childhood challenges. However, the scary thing is that the data is clear that both have been on the rise in western cultures due at least in part to poor nutrition.

Assuming that you want the best nutrition possible, as most caring parents do, the only way to get there is to provide a great diet and supplement. As proof of this assertion, note the Journal of The American Medical Association recommends that ALL Adults Should Take Vitamins. The reason for their stance is either a recognition that people just don't eat like they should. Or it is simply because they recognize that it is almost impossible for people in our modern western culture to get all of the necessary nutrition from the available foods. If either is true for adults, I have got to believe that it is that much more important for children that burn all the food they eat in developing their bodies and minds as they grow.

In my family, we have tried a variety of multi-vitiman supplements through the years with our children. However, the only product thus far that has consistently produced meaningful results have been glyconutrient bears and vitamins.

An extra bonus is that I hardly ever forget to give them their bears and vitamins because they remind me multiple times a day. I love to hear that refrain of "Bears and Vitamins Please!!!" every morning and evening from my children. Wouldn't you like to hear that from yours and know that what they are taking is actually helping them and not just literally going down the drain?

My point though really is that all parents should give serious consideration to supplementing their children's diet with good glyconutrients and vitamins. Of course, I would prefer that you have a look at mine but even if you don't, please find a good supplement for your children.

If you would like to learn more about these great glyconutrient bears and vitamins, click here to request additional information.


The bottom line again is that more than likely, your children aren't getting all of the nourishment that their developing bodies need. For your children's sake please start supplementing today. There are a few great vitamins on the market. However, very few are plant sourced and I don't know of any others that offer glyconutrients.

Blessings to you and yours!

Brad
--
When Quality of Life Matters,
  Get Good Sugars
    http://info.GoodSugars.net

Saying Goodbye To A Faithful Friend...

This was a sad day for the Diggs family. We had to say goodbye to a faithful friend. Our beloved lab dog Samson passed away. He was almost 11 years old. Sadly, cancer was quietly eating away at his bones for a long time.

We didn't see any signs of his cancer until like the tip of an iceberg revealing itself on the surface of the ocean, a simple accident that otherwise wouldn't have made a scratch on a 90lb lab dog broke his leg in three places. After examining his X-Rays, the doctors confirmed that like the danger that silently comes with the lower half of that iceberg, so too the cancer slowly and quietly ate his bones away until they became thin and brittle.

Many of you already know Samson through his annual Christmas Letter that he has published on our behalf for many years. For those of you that never met Samson, let me tell you a little about him. He loved to retrieve just about anything that you could throw... tennis balls, frisbees, footballs, sticks, soccer balls, boomerangs, base balls, ... you get the point.

Samson loved people. Like his mother before him, if you pet him, he was your instant companion. If you threw a ball for him, he was your devoted friend for life. He knew when a ball throwing friend had arrived even before they parked their car. Have you ever seen an 85 lab dog dance and leap with joy at the anticipation of a friend opening the front door. That is what Samson did every time a ball throwing friend showed up at our house. I wish I had a video to share of that glorious greeting. It was always a hoot to watch.

Just like his father, Samson adored children. He would be the first one at the baby's crib when a baby started to cry. He would comfort the children when they got hurt, would be their horse to ride, their captive during war, their spy during hide and seek, and of course their personal face and hand washer in time of need.

Before concluding, I want to share a funny story with you. When we decided that it was time to teach Samson how to swim, it was not an easy task. This may sound weired for a lab dog to have a hard time learning how to swim. But it was nevertheless true. We tried a few different pools. If persuaded to jump in to a body of water, he could find his way to the side and get out but he was not happy about it. So what solution do you use to help a lab dog love to learn water? A nerf football of course.

We took Samson to the lake. Just like before, he wanted nothing to do with getting in that water. That is until I pulled out the football. We played fetch on the beach for a while. That was big fun. Then I bounced the ball into the edge of the water. He looked at me like I was cruel or something. He meandered to the waters edge and tip-toed into the water to rescue that football. I repeated that sequence going slowly further and further into the lake. Before long, he was leaping into the lake and swimming a good 30-40 feet out to chase down that football and bring it back to me. That was our Samson. He would do just about anything for some fetch time.

Well, I better wrap this up. I hope that gives you a little glimpse into the life of our faithful friend. For your benefit, we put this small sampling of some of the many faces of our Samson. We hope that it is a blessing to you as you remember him with us.

Good bye dear and faithful friend! We miss you deeply!

The Diggs Family

Can You Afford Not to Supplement?

I read a very thought provoking blog post by Dr. Tom Taliaferro today that made me re-think the true cost of health care today. Here were some of the interesting takeaways that I got from his blog post:

1. Most people pay more on home and auto insurance than they do on investing in their health.
2. The Journal of The American Medical Association Announces Recommendation that All Adults Should Take Vitamins
3. Most people prefer to take insurance covered medications to address symptoms instead of seeking proper nutrition to give the body what it needs to do its job.
4. According to research by Dr. Bruce H. Pomeranz, 4.6% of all recorded deaths in the U.S. in 1994 resulted from hospital patients experiencing serious adverse drug reactions (side effects).
5. The United States of America ranks 37th in the world for health care.
6. Many people pay more per month on their favorite cup of java than they invest in their health.

I personally wonder how far up the WHO Healthcare Ranking ranking that the US would go if Insurance companies simply agreed with JAMA that our bodies need proper nourishment to do its job effectively. And toward that end start subsidizing the cost of nutritional supplementation like they do harmful drugs or at the very least let people use their Health Care Spending Account to get tax advantages for taking care of ourselves through proper nutrition.

Check out the rest of Dr. Taliaferro's blog post for the rest of the story.

Blessings to you and yours!

Brad

References:
* Incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitalized Patients by Dr. Bruce H. Pomeranz

* Journal of The American Medical Association Announces Recommendation that All Adults Should Take Vitamins

* WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ASSESSES THE WORLD'S HEALTH SYSTEMS Note that America comes in 37th place behind many western and asian cultures and others including Colombia (22nd), Saudi Arabia (26th), United Arab Emirates (27th) Morocco (29th), Chile (33rd), and Costa Rica (36th).

Brad
--
When Quality of Life Matters,
  Get Good Sugars
    http://GoodSugars.net

The Go-Giver Book Report...

So I bought the book and finished reading it yesterday. For most it would be a very quick read. But for a slow and easily distracted reader like myself, it took a little longer.

This really was a great business parable. The five laws really capture in a little different form many of the principles that I have drawn from in my own experience.

As a Christian, I am encouraged through many Biblical passages such as 1 Peter 4:10 to use every gift given to me to serve one another as a good steward of every gift and most importantly the ultimate gift of grace that I received from God.

Further, I am to serve like Jesus did... Humbly for the benefit of others and without regard to any gain that I might receive in return.

This March concludes my first year of business as an Independent Associate of a certain un-named glyconutrient company. My tax return certainly demonstrated that I gave a lot more value than I received in payment. However, the interesting thing was that it was a tremendous blessing to see others seeing results that really improved their Quality of Life that it was totally worth it. However, I do look forward to the day when I reach positive cash flow (including the cost of paying for my families product use).

If you haven't already read "The Go-Giver" I highly encourage you to get a copy and read it today.

Blessings to you and yours!
Brad
--
When Quality of Life Matters,
  Get Good Sugars
    http://GoodSugars.net