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THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONQ. : The author of "Food and Our Bones" writes that "if we continuously feed our bodies with nutrients in pill form, the body becomes lazy and loses the ability to absorb nutrients from food, thereby becoming more and more deficient in the presence of nutritious foods." Could this be true?
A. The author you refer to is Annemarie Colbin, the founder of a natural foods cooking school in Manhattan. I certainly respect her work, and have spoken at her school. However I don't think I agree with her on this. I would have to see the data on which this claim is based. I must confess that in scientific terms I do not understand the phrase "the body becomes lazy." Many people choose sides between getting your nutrients from foods OR getting them from food supplements. The National Cancer Institute takes a similar stance--eat five portions of fruits and vegetables per day but do NOT supplement. I think this sets up a false dichotomy. Foods are undoubtedly the best source of antioxidants and other phytochemicals. There is much to be said for making them the mainstay of your nutritional support. Foods contain many antioxidants, some of which may not even be known to science yet. They are a dependable source and you certainly won't go wrong if you pick fresh, deeply colored, organic produce. Foods are also an economical way of getting your antioxidants. You have to eat, and so you might as well choose foods rich in health-giving factors.
SUPPLEMENTS ARE ALSO NECESSARYOn the other hand, we have nutritional needs (especially in the face of disease) that go beyond what can be provided by the diet. As an example, it would be hard to guarantee an intake of 400 or 800 IU of vitamin E per day, each and every day, from food alone. It would also be hard for most people to get up to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C. I myself might get that much on my best days--but not every day is a best day. To guarantee that you reach your basic requirements you should supplement an outstanding diet with an outstanding selection of supplements. In Antioxidants Against Cancer I will give my top ten recommendations for antioxidant food supplements that can be used in the batle against cancer (as well as many other diseases). I think the health of the general population would be greatly improved if everyone pursued such a program.
We have a Moss Report on the topic of bone cancer as we have for most other types of cancer. Please see my forthcoming book Antioxidants Against Cancer for more on the supplement controversy.
ABOUT OUR Q & A SERVICE: Each week we answer a new question from a visitor to our website. Questions posted at this site are chosen based on their general relevance and become the property of Equinox Press. They may be edited for reasons of space. Moss Reports clients can ask followup questions by us at mail@ralphmoss.com If you have questions about purchasing a Moss Report for a particular kind of cancer, you can call our office at 718-636-4433 or you can order your Moss Report BY CLICKING HERE via our secure order form, and ask your question in the box provided.
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