WHY DO I NEEDNUTRITIONALSUPPLEMENTS?By Hank Liers, PhD

PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTORS, INC.

MultivitaminsVitamin C / AntioxidantsEssential FatsHigh-RNA Superfoods

Enhancement FormulasSpecific Condition Formulas

We often hear someone ask, “Why do I need nutritional supplements?” The answer to this important question can lead directly to significant benefits in overall health and quality-of-life.

You’ve probably known people who have waited until a health problem developed before investigating solutions. If they learned about a nutritional supplement that might help their problem, they took just that one supplement in a single-shot attempt to resolve the issue. Did it work? Most likely not. Others will take all the supplements they can think of to resolve the issue. We call this a shotgun approach, and like the single-shot approach, it’s rarely effective.

Our approach is different. We recommend that everyone begin with a basic supplement program. We call these basic supplements Foundational Supplements because they create the essential nutritional building blocks everyone requires. You will significantly improve your health by taking just these supplements. After establishing solid foundational nutrition you should investigate specific-condition supplements.

Our four basic categories of Foundational Supplements include: 1) a multivitamin that provide high levels of nutrients; 2) essential fats needed by the body for many critical functions; 3) vitamin C (with other antioxidants, especially bioflavonoids); and 4) a high-RNA superfood, which supplies critically needed nucleic acids in the form of dietary RNA and DNA.

While companies like ours often offer a wide range of supplements, including many designed to resolve specific problems, we always recommend starting with Foundational Supplements. There is no shortcut to building health without first putting in place a firm foundation.

FOUNDATIONAL SUPPLEMENTS PROVIDE THE MOST ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS

The reason Foundational Supplements are needed is not much of a mystery. During the past 70 years, nutritional scientists have explored the fundamental questions about essential nutrients the body needs to properly function, as well as substances the body needs from outside sources because it cannot synthesize them.

WHY DO I NEEDNUTRITIONAL

SUPPLEMENTS?By Hank Liers, PhD

We often hear someone ask, “Why do I need nutritional supplements?”

“Others will take all the supplements they can think of to resolve the issue. We call this a shotgun approach, and like the single-shot approach, it’s rarely effective.”

“We recommend that nutritional supplement programs begin with just the essentials.”

“A review of nutritional studies indicates that deficienciesof nutrients among individuals range from 25%–95% depending on the nutrient.”

The current scientifically accepted list of essential nutrients includes thirteen vitamins (see Table 1), more than twenty minerals, two essential fatty acids, nine essential amino acids, a source of calories (protein, carbohydrates, and fats), water, oxygen, and sunlight.

To that list we’ve added dietary nucleic acids based on the research of Dr. Benjamin S. Frank. You may not have heard of Dr. Benjamin S. Frank, but in the 1970s he conducted pioneering research on the health benefits of dietary nucleic acids (RNA, DNA, nucleotides, nucleosides). Dr. Frank explored the use of dietary nucleic acids

as therapeutic agents in anti-aging and degenerative diseases. He declared: “[N]ucleic acids are an essential nutrient in our daily diets, and [...] optimal health and reduced aging are clearly related to their intake, more than to any other nutrient. Nucleic acids in our diets are of paramount importance for the repairing of molecular and gross tissue degeneration, and for combating the process of aging by simple, effective and essentially non-toxic, natural means”. There is still less awareness among consumers about the benefits of dietary nucleic acids compared to other essential nutrients, but they are highly important for healing and health.

Daily values are established for most of these substances, but these values represent only minimum amounts needed to avoid disease. Optimal levels of health are not addressed by minimum daily values. It is no surprise that optimal nutrient amounts are nearly

always significantly higher than established daily values. In fact, daily values are probably better described as “deficiency values” because these amounts hover dangerously close to actual deficiency levels.

MAJOR REASONS WHY ESSENTIAL DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

ARE NECESSARY

Our nutritional needs are increased by many factors. The average modern diet is full of processed, nutrient-poor foods, and is often low in fresh vegetables and fruits. This describes the so-called “Standard American Diet,” or “SAD,” which has been implicated for its negative health effects. Even individuals who closely monitor their diets through the consumption of organic, non-GMO food sources, are not completely immune to this problem.

The reasons are not complicated. Industrial farms grow crops in nutrient-deficient, depleted soils using methods that can fail to replenish nutrients. Farms that don’t follow organic growing principles poison the soil with toxic pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. Processing methods damage, destroy, and in some cases strip essential nutrients from foods.

In contemporary diets, an even greater need for nutrients can be tied to stress, pollution, and environmental toxins. These are all factors unique to modern society.

In addition, an individual’s unique genetic profile can result in a greater need for certain nutrients. Biochemical individuality means that someone may require many times the recommended US Daily Value for specific nutrients. Consequently, one person may need hundreds of times the amount of a nutrient compared to another person’s requirement.

A review of nutritional studies indicates that deficiencies of nutrients among individuals range from 25%–95% depending on the nutrient (Table 2). Such major deficiencies are less surprising given studies indicating that nutrient losses from the processing of foods range from 20%–95%, and average 70%–80% (Table 3). In addition, mineral levels measured in plants grown in poor soils (a result of inadequate agricultural practices) are as low as 5% of the mineral levels measured in plants grown in nutrient-rich soils.

Complicating this picture is the fact that environmental variables can change nutritional requirements throughout the year. Changing seasons can modify water supplies, or an individual’s need for specific nutrients may change. For example, more vitamin D is needed in the winter. More nutrients may be needed to cope with pollution associated with urban environments. Nutrient density of foods also varies by location and season.

All of these factors point to the difficulty of ensuring optimal nutrient intake. Because the need for nutrients is greater than ever for most people, the need for supplementation is also greater. Foundational Supplements are an effective and cost effective means to ensure the high levels of nutrients required to build optimal health.

THE FUNCTION OF THE HUMAN BODYMIGHT BE LIKENED TO AN AUTOMOBILE FACTORY

Hundreds of nutrients interact in our bodies simultaneously. This is an important consideration that is often overlooked because nutritional research typically examines just one or two nutrients at a time.

You might think of the human body like an automobile factory. If a factory is designed to produce 100 vehicles per day, then the factory must be supplied

“Like an automobile factory, our bodies need proper amounts of critical components to function.”

“Supplements are far less costly than pharmaceutical drugs or the medical procedures used to correct health conditions related to nutrient deficiencies.”

with the minimum amounts of essential components to accomplish this. Incorrect amounts of parts — 3 tires, 7 transmissions, or 13 exhaust pipes — would never allow optimal production. Important relationships among parts must be honored for the entire system to function properly.

Like the automobile factory, our bodies need proper amounts of critical components to function. However, the need to obtain these components in correct amounts is clearly more relevant for the extremely complex human body.

In this regard, some scientific studies on nutrients perform a disservice when they fail to consider the complex interactions among nutrients. The simple fact is, minimum levels of nutrients leads to minimum health.

A SURPRISINGLY SAFE ANDCOST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION

The basic nutrients provided by Foundational Supplements confer immense benefits and have proven remarkably safe and effective at improving health, especially relative to their cost. In addition, most vitamins demonstrate low toxicity even at levels significantly higher than official daily values. Foundational Supplements are far less costly than pharmaceutical drugs or the medical procedures used to correct health conditions related to nutrient deficiencies.

Given the importance of essential nutrients, Foundational Supplements are an ideal means to get optimal levels of nutrients not readily available from other sources. The fact that a majority of individuals are deficient in at least some nutrients means that Foundational Supplements can play a major role in creating health.

MultivitaminsVitamin C / AntioxidantsEssential FatsHigh-RNA Superfoods

PO Box 5600Oracle, Arizona 85623Toll-free: 800-228-4265 Local Arizona: 520-896-9193

Reseller: www.healthproductsdistributors.comRetail: www.integratedhealth.comBlog: www.integratedhealthblog.com

NUTRIENT DAILY VALUE

Total Fat 65 g

Saturated Fatty Acids 20 g

Cholesterol 300 mg

Sodium 2,400 mg

Chloride 3,400 mg

Potassium 3,500 mg

Total Carbohydrates 300 g

Dietary Fiber 25 g

Protein 50 g

Vitamin A 5,000 IU

Vitamin C 60 mg

Calcium 1,000 mg

Iron 18 mg

Vitamin D 400 IU

Vitamin E 30 IU

Vitamin K 80 mcg

Thiamin (Vitamin B1) 1.5 mg

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) 1.7 mg

Niacin (Vitamin B3) 20 mg

Vitamin B6 2.0 mg

Folate 400 mcg

Vitamin B12 6 mcg

Biotin 300 mcg

Pantothenic Acid 10 mg

Phosphorus 1,000 mg

Iodine 150 mcg

Magnesium 400 mg

Zinc 15 mg

Copper 2.0 mg

Manganese 2.0 mg

Chromium 120 mcg

Molybdenum 75 mcg

Selenium 70 mcg

Table 1: Daily Value for 33 Nutrients

NUTRIENT % DEFICIENCY NUTRIENT % DEFICIENCY

Calcium 68% Biotin 10%

Folate 10+% Chromium 10%

Iron 57% Copper 90%

Magnesium 75% Manganese 85-90%

Phosphorus 27% Pantothenic Acid 20-30%

Vitamin A 50% Selenium 25%

Thiamin (Vitamin B1) 45% Silicon 50-60%

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) 34% Vitamin D 30%

Niacin (Vitamin B3) 33% Vitamin E 70%

Vitamin B6 80% Vitamin K 20-40%

Vitamin B12 34% Essential Fatty Acids 15%

Vitamin C 41% Zinc 95%

Source: Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill by Udo Erasmus

Source: Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill by Udo Erasmus

Table 2: Nutrient Deficiencies

Table 3: Nutrient Loss From Processing

From National Surveys From Clinical Estimates

NUTRIENT LOSS % NUTRIENT LOSS %

Calcium 60% Strontium 95%

Chromium 40% Zinc 78%

Cobalt 89% Vitamins B1, B2, & B3 72-81%

Copper 68% Vitamin B6 72%

Iron 76% Pantothenic Acid 50%

Manganese 86% Vitamin E 86%

Molybdenum 48% Linoleic Acid 95%

Phosphorus 71% Alpha-Linoleic Acid 95%

Potassium 77% Protein 33%

Selenium 16% Fiber 95%

Appendix