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How to Handle the Vitamin Crisis

By: Tara Smith

Practically everybody is facing an acute vitamin and mineral shortage these days. This has taken an ugly turn with people on weight loss diets - especially low carb diets. It is now an accepted fact that nutritionally driven chronic diseases have reached epidemic proportions. Nearly 95% of people over 40 are prone to suffer from one or more of these chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and loss of vision by the time they reach retirement.

For nearly a century the medical community ridiculed the nutrition "fanatics" when they mentioned the importance of vitamins and minerals as a basis of our vital health. Then, the June 19, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association announced that vitamin deficiency was the main cause of disease, especially in the elderly.

This came as an eye-opener to most people who realized that our food contains much less nutrition today and yet our body needs much more vitamins and minerals than ever before in human history. The problem is two-fold. On the one hand, we have reduced the intake of vegetables in our daily diet; and on the other hand, whatever vegetables we do take are devoid of natural nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Let me explain the problem further.

The basic truth is that plants are the only source of all vitamins and minerals for every living creature, directly or indirectly from the food-chain - from an animal or fish that eats plants. Plants create body-ready vitamins and minerals from nutrients in the soil. The richer the soil, the more vitamins and minerals are packed into the plants. On the other hand, vegetables grown in poor soil will have far lower levels of vitamins and minerals.

But the sad truth is that the soils are depleting at a very rapid rate. Commercial farming that came as boon for consumers who didn't have to grow their own vegetables has resulted in soils turning into sand. The same fields are used for commercial farming year after year, with the result that the soils have lost their rich nutrients, especially the vitamin and mineral content of the vegetables.

To make up for this depletion, the chemical fertilizers were invented, which has increased the need for vitamins and minerals to counter the effect of these chemicals that we absorb through vegetables grown with them. Our body needs even more vitamins to deactivate these toxins. The vegetables cultivated today are less nutritious than those hundred years back. On top of it we need more of these vegetables. The effect is therefore twofold.

Genetic engineers have created vegetables that are more disease resistant, that grow faster, are more visually attractive, and are easier to harvest. For example: a new tomato was developed for growers primarily to take a 5-mile-per-hour impact from the faster picking machines. Tough skin tomatoes - you've probably had some. Nothing is being done to increase the nutrient levels of the plants - or to enrich the soil.

Try to take fresh, whole fruits, vegetables in your daily diet in their raw, uncooked form or cook slowly at low heat to preserve the nutrients. They are the best quality vitamins and minerals you can buy and most of us are not even eating the minimum recommended amounts.

Apart from all these factors, we have to battle with higher levels of air and water pollution, lower oxygen levels in the air we breathe, not to mention our fast paced, fast food societies of today. So, it is not difficult to see that our wonderfully created bodies are being taxed to the maximum, and need more protection than ever before.

Look for organically grown produce at your grocery store or health food store. Generally this produce will contain the much higher levels of nutrients - as they did a century ago - without the chemicals. They cost more but you get a LOT MORE nutrients and much more succulent flavor than commercially grown produce.

Regardless of how perfect our diet is, you will still need to supplement it with vitamins today. You will need at least 3 large tablets or six medium size tablets every day. Less than that is virtually ineffective. Make sure you buy good quality vitamin supplements at most reputable vitamin or health food stores or buy online.

Finally, you must know that no matter how perfect your diet is you still need vitamin supplements. And, you need to take 3 large tablets or six medium size tablets every day minimum. You'll find the best vitamins online at the best price. You must buy good quality vitamin supplements at most reputable vitamin or health food stores. You can get the best deals in term of quality and price online. For those who are making their retirement program, it is recommended that they invest in vitamin supplements, which are, by far, the cheapest health insurance and wisest retirement plan they can think of.

Article Source: http://www.bodyformind.com/db

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