Truths about health, aging and disease
We have oft been taught that a healthy diet and moderate exercise are the prerequisites for good health. What is less often emphasized, and then only in part, is the role of nutritional supplements and if, and why, they are important.
Medical doctor and author Ray D. Strand explains the connection between health, aging and disease this way. Our cells use oxygen to create energy. In the process of doing so, they create a by-product called free radicals. Free radicals are charged oxygen molecules that are missing an electron. In trying to find an electron to pair up with, they can cause damage to our bodies by damaging the cell walls, vessel walls, proteins, fats and the DNA nucleus. Free radicals are only prevented from causing further damage when they encounter antioxidants, which are able to give the free radicals the electrons they need.
The “rusting” damage to our bodies caused by out-of-control free radicals is called oxidative stress, and medical literature shows that over 70 chronic degenerative diseases (including Parkinson’s, cancer, diabetes and coronary artery disease) are the result of small oxidative changes over a long time.
Why take supplements
Dr. Strand advocates that the only way we have a chance of fighting oxidative stress is to get enough antioxidants in our bodies. While he agrees with conventional health advice that says we should eat adequate servings of fresh fruit and vegetables daily, food is not enough to provide us with the optimum levels of antioxidants our bodies need. Because of environmental pollution, stressful lifestyles and our love for using medication for every physical complaint, our generation is faced with more free radicals than any other generation before us. The antioxidants provided through diet are simply insufficient. The solution is a healthy diet PLUS high quality nutritional supplements that feed our cells with micro-nutrients at advanced or optimal levels like those proven in medical studies.
So the missing link is to supplement, but not just with the cheapest supplements or the most popular brands of supplements you can find at the chemist. You want to get the best nutritional supplement or supplements with the most potent nutrients that benefit your particular condition, if you are suffering from one. If you are in fairly good health, you want to get the best supplements to help you stay physically and mentally fit for as long as possible.
When working with patients who already had cancer, diabetes or such other diseases, Dr. Strand found that he achieved best results for his patients when he used every aspect of the body’s natural defenses. Vitamin C and glutathione are great antioxidants, but they need antioxidant minerals and vitamin B co-factor to help them work well. Also, vitamin C was able to replenish vitamin E so it could be used repeatedly. This synergistic approach helped Dr. Strand bring oxidative stress under control much more effectively and helped his patients experience significant improvements in their health.
Prescription for a healthy, disease-free life
Dr. Strand’s approach to optimal health is thus three-fold: Diet + Exercise + Nutritional Supplements.
If you are already battling a chronic disease, consult your doctor on how you can use nutritional supplements to augment your natural defenses and give yourself the best chance of regaining your health. You may want to read Dr. Strand’s book What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know about Nutritional Medicine Could Kill You, which contains many medical references and explains how he came to his conclusion about the health benefits of nutritional supplements. Another valuable point is to remember that the Recommended Daily Allowance on the label of the supplement bottle is the minimum. The optimal levels for good health are higher, and you can get guidance on how much to take of what supplement from Dr. Strand’s book.
If you are thinking of getting yourself some supplements and wondering where to start, consider investing in a good quality probiotic supplement for digestive health. Probiotics keep your good bacteria count up and help you maintain a healthy colon by flushing out accumulated toxins. A probiotic supplement in powder form is more easily digested and absorbed than capsules. Also consider a good quality immune system supplement or antioxidant supplement to help you stay free of colds, flu and viruses and minimize the oxidative damage from free radicals.
The key thing is to make taking daily vitamin supplements a part of your routine, just like brushing your teeth and taking a shower. The best alternative health care is available and accessible to anyone who understands the link between oxidative stress, disease and nutritional supplements.