Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Real (Whole Food) Vitamins Versus Synthetic Isolated Vitamins



Many people take vitamins to gain energy, to prevent certain health conditions, and to avoid vitamin deficiency. Taking the wrong types and doses of vitamins can pose great health risks. But there are two types of vitamins. One is synthesized from plants or copied from active plant ingredients or synthetic and the other one is whole food vitamins.

There is a big difference between synthetic and whole food vitamins that most people didn’t know. Synthetic vitamins are manmade while whole vitamins are naturally available or God given. Synthetic vitamins are synthesized from plant active ingredients like Vitamins C while whole Vitamins are already available in most fruits and vegetables. Here is an example how synthetic vitamins are synthesized or manufactured: Sorbitol + Acetone (nail polish remover) + Perchloric Acid (A catalyst found in rocket fuels and explosives) + Benzene (gasoline) + Nickel + Caustic Bleach (NaOh) + Toluene (glues and paints) = Ascorbic Acid or vitamin C.

Here are some facts that you won’t find advertised on most of the vitamin supplements at your local store:

The majority of commercial vitamin supplements are made up of synthetic vitamins. Synthetic vitamins do not perform the same functions in your body as vitamins found naturally in whole food. Many synthetic vitamins deplete your body of other nutrients and tax your kidneys before being excreted through your urine. Anyone who studies biochemistry learns that vitamins do not exist as single components that act on their own. Vitamins are made up to several components – enzymes, co-enzymes, and co-factors - that must work together to produce their intended biological effects. Vitamins that are found naturally in whole foods come with all of their necessary components. The majority of vitamins that are sold in pharmacies, grocery stores, and vitamin shops are synthetic vitamins, which are only isolated portions of the vitamins that occur naturally in food.

A good example is vitamin C. If you take a look at a variety of vitamin C supplements, you will find that the majority of them contain only ascorbic acid or a compound called ascorbate, which is a less acidic form of ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid IS NOT vitamin C. It represents the outer ring that serves as a protective shell for the entire vitamin C complex, much like an orange peel that serves as a protective shell of an orange. Real vitamin C found in whole foods like fruits and vegetables contain the following components: Rutin, Bioflavonoids (vitamin P), Factor K, Factor J, Factor P, Tyrosinase, Ascorbinogen, and Ascorbic Acid. When you take only ascorbic acid found in your synthetic vitamin C tablet or powder, your body must gather all of the other components of the full vitamin C complex from your body’s tissue in order to make use of it. In the event that your body does not have adequate reserves of the other components, ascorbic acid itself does not provide any of the health benefits that the full vitamin c complex does. After circulating through your system, the unused ascorbic acid is eliminated through your urine.

Just like vitamin C, almost all other vitamins that we know of offer their full health benefits when they are in the presence of a number of enzymes, co-enzymes, co-factors, and even minerals. For example, Vitamin D may have as many as twelve different active components, while vitamin P has at least five different components. The mineral copper is needed for full vitamins C activity, while vitamin E works closely with the mineral selenium to provide its health promoting, anti-oxidative effect. Clearly, it is best to get your vitamins from whole foods. In many cases, whole foods also provide the minerals that are necessary for optimal vitamin activity. For example, sunflower seeds are an excellent whole food source of vitamin E and the mineral selenium, both of which need each other to offer their full health benefits. How do you know if the vitamins on your kitchen counter are from whole foods or if they are synthetic? If the list of ingredients includes an actual vitamin like Vitamin C” rather than an actual food that contains natural vitamin C like “acerola cherry powder” you can bet that it is a synthetic vitamin. If you choose to use nutritional supplements, it is in your best interest to use only those products that list actual foods as their ingredients rather than synthetic and isolated vitamins. While some synthetic and isolated vitamins have been shown to provide minimal health benefits, on the whole, most of them cause more harm than good and you are far better off spending your money on whole foods. It is important to note that the principles in this are just as relevant and applicable to minerals and mineral supplements.

Here are the lists of dangers of using synthetic vitamins:

1.    Synthetic Folic Acid Supplements
a.     increased colon cancer by 68%
b.    Increased the risk of prostate cancer by 167%
2.    Vitamin E
a.    John Hopkins University Study stated that taking too much vitamin E could possibly increase your risk of death or cause other serious side effects.
3.    Vitamin A
a.    Too high a dose of vitamin A in a pregnant woman can cause birth defects in her baby.
b.    Risk of liver damage
c.    Hair loss
d.    Weaken bones
4.    A study of 232,000 people showed taking vitamins A, E, C, Beta-Carotene and Selenium SHOWED NO IMPROVEMENT.
5.    Vitamin C
a.    A research conducted by Mount Sinai School of Medicine actually shows too much vitamin C can damage your cells.

Whole vitamins sources:

1.    Vitamin E
a.    Almonds
b.    Peanut butter
c.    Avocados
d.    Spinach
e.    Broccoli
f.     Asparagus
2.    Vitamin A
a.    Raw Carrots
b.    Sweet Potatoes
c.    Squash
d.    Spinach
e.    Canteloupes
f.     Leafy Vegetables
g.    Eggs

Now, it is really fascinating because most people would assume that their vitamins that they are taking are nature base not manmade? Our body wasn’t created in a laboratory our nutritional supplements shouldn’t be either. Nature really given us all we need for good health we just need to look it, harness it and use it.

"Know the labels of what you eat and drink. Have a healthy life."...:>)



Monday, April 8, 2013

Deoxyribonucleic Acid Alteration or DNA Mutation. A New Technology or A New Danger?



Have you heard of this chemical term, Deoxyribonucleic acid? Or DNA? According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA - Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule that encodes the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and many viruses. Along with RNA and proteins, DNA is one of the three major macromolecules essential for all known forms of life. Genetic information is encoded as a sequence of nucleotides (guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine) recorded using the letters G, A, T, and C. Most DNA molecules are double-stranded helices, consisting of two long polymers of simple units called nucleotides, molecules with backbones made of alternating sugars (deoxyribose) and phosphate groups (related to phosphoric acid), with the nucleobases (G, A, T, C) attached to the sugars. DNA is well-suited for biological information storage, since the DNA backbone is resistant to cleavage and the double-stranded structure provides the molecule with a built-in duplicate of the encoded information.

Today, the word DNA is so famous in the research world. Why? Modern scientist of today have found a way to manipulate our DNA for us to have a better body not prone to any diseases. They said that, with this technology any disease can be cured. But how? By DNA alteration or mutation. A change in DNA resulting from a copying error during DNA replication is called a mutation. Mutations happen naturally, by chance, and when that happens there is no way for the mutated cell to recover the original DNA sequence. Mutations play a role in evolution, where they sometimes lead to the rise of new traits, and in cancer, where mutations of cells within the body may cause the cells to start multiplying out of control.

What??? Mutation? Are they saying that, in order for us to be better or to have a healthier body they need our DNA to be mutated into another one? So, meaning to say they are making mutants and Professor Charles Xavier Academy of mutants will come to fulfilment. I am kinda scared of this new discovery, I am not against it but I am just scared. Why? Because, until now they don’t have facts and proof of what kind of mutation our body will have and they only have one, only one proof that these technology are good for humans. Mutations in our body are happening everyday and these mutations are cause naturally. It doesn’t mean these mutations happened naturally for us to have a newer or mutated body but it happens for us to have a new cell, for mutations is a way of producing new cells in our body. There are a lot of fruits and vegetables that can do these mutations naturally like grape seed extract, resveratrol and etc.

These new technology is using synthetic chemicals for our body to have these mutations, and this makes me scared off for a lot of reasons. By using these synthetic chemicals mutations are force not naturally happening. With using unbalance synthetic ingredients not from the whole food or whole natural ingredients from plants, will create a bigger possibility of having side effects. As we all know, most synthetic drugs, medicines and synthetic ingredients have side effects. We may have good mutations, but what about the side effects? And we are not just talking side effects here like most drugs give, we are talking side effects here in DNA level. Which is the foundation of our cells and our entire body. Think about it? The side effects of these new technology will happen in our entire system. There are no known side effects yet nowadays, but I am pretty sure in 5-10 years side effects will be revealed and I hope there will be no cover up this time for the welfare of the consumer here is at risk.

These side effects won’t happen unless these giant companies sell or manufacture products from whole plant food or plant ingredients, not synthetically made or laboratory made. I know most scientists have an idea that the best way for us to have a healthier life is to eat what we have in our garden but they wanted to earn more and produce these synthetic drugs or medicines. God gives us a body that can heal itself whatever sickness do we have (Immune system), but we must eat the right kind of foods for these system to function well. God had given us everything for us to have a happy and a healthy life… J

              http://www.genome.gov/10004764