More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

SECFORT24 — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 02:37:02 GMT

I have to agree with Sucram. Dr. Mercola goes too far when it comes to avoiding fruits due to sugars. The brain needs atleast 65 grams of carbs a day to function properly and the brains main source of energy is glucose.

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

melby — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:48:28 GMT

not all fruits will send your insulin levels spiking. eg. apples, berries , cherries, grapefruit, orange, lemon, pineapple, peach, pear, nectarine, pomegranate, kiwi, guava, kumquat, mango, papaya and less ripe banana. on the other end of the spectrum all melons, grapes, raisins and ripe banana have a very high glycemic index (which means they will spike your insulin levels almost immediately). all of these, of course, must be eaten in reasonable portions. just because they're healthy doesn't mean they can be eaten in unlimited quantities. also, generally the darker the fruit (and vegetables too for that matter) the higher the antioxidant level.

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

drfairman — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:19:17 GMT

Surely you all know about Whole Foods Supplements. And while they should never replace clean, organic and local foods, reality shows that a perfect diet does not exist.

If you want your supplements to be top of the line check out whole foods, they are made in the USA from organic food (not chemicals!!!) and never fractionated or isolated. There are a few companies out there but I prefer Standard Process, they have been doing this for about 75 years! http://standardprocess.com

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

RoxieW — Mon, 14 May 2007 12:55:53 GMT

Thank you Dr. Mercola for everything you do. I have learned so much from these exchanges and look forward to them everyday. I understand everyone's frustration with trying to eat healthy in today society. I live in Charlotte, NC and wish that we had more available to us in the forms of grass fed meat and raw milk products. But I keep looking. I really enjoyed your videos from Hawaii. If people are jealous of you because you can spend a month there, then that is their problem. Keep up the great work. We depend upon you.

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

RoxieW — Mon, 14 May 2007 12:34:39 GMT

The big thing everyone needs to remember is that everyone's body is different and what is good for one person maybe is not good for someone else. That is the biggest issue I have with all this information is sorting out what is good for me and my family. I do have a question about fruit though. How about cantaloupe? You wouldn't eat the skin there. Is is bad to just eat the fruit pulp in that instance? And fruit in my mind is dessert. We eat it instead of having muffins or cookies or cake. I see it as nature's dessert and probably should be consumed like a dessert should be , in moderation.
Roxie

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

mamabear — Fri, 11 May 2007 18:32:59 GMT

I agree that whole foods are the best way to be healthy, it is common sense. What is not good is any extreme. A balance of all good foods, fruits, vegetables, meats, ect.. also a balance of rest and exercise. It doesn't matter how good you eat if you never move around or if yoou over do. It seems that many people go to extremes and then wonder why it is not working. We have to use our common sense. If someone had to "invent" my food, it probably isn't worth putting in my mouth. That includes most supplements and vitamins.

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

butta02 — Fri, 11 May 2007 15:58:33 GMT

Hi Dr. Mercola,
While I appreciate what the article is trying to imply (i.e. whole foods are supposedly better than supplements) I am a little confused by the "evidence trail" (or lack thereof).

Is it fair to compare a single nutrient (vit. C) with a whole fruit?
I mean no nutritionist is going to say that vit. C alone can be considered enough to support healthy metabolism.

Also was the H2O2 ingested or was the blood simply "exposed" to H2O2 (I don't have access to the full article from Nature). I am trying to makes sense of those who say h. peroxide is actually beneficial and is produced during normal metabolic processes.

Furthermore, the implication that supplements are not good might be valid for vitamins that are easily found in food (some at least) but the same is not true for minerals.

Your comments are most welcome.

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

jwags — Thu, 10 May 2007 21:15:27 GMT

I wholly agree whole foods are better the anything else. however, what about the fac that the soil doesn't contain the nutrients it used to? Organic means no pesticides or artificial fertilizer, but it doesn't guarantee it was grown in nutrient rich soil. I am very wary of the supplement sales that make outragous claims, but doesn't it help to find a good reliable source to assist in whole food eating? You know like Krill oil, grape seed extract, Organic coconut oil, etc.?

John

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

D_Minus — Thu, 10 May 2007 17:30:08 GMT

I agree 100% that whole foods are superior to isolates but I found this experiement to be quite flawed.

I recently had a a blood orange and it's flesh was purple and quite yummy. I am guessing that the anthocyanins [the purply goodness] present in the fruit had much to do with it's free radical neutralization capacity.

I think a better experiement would have been to also test an isolate of anthocyanin + also test a combination of vit.c with anthocyanins. Information on the following statements would have be quite interesting.

:

Vit C alone absorbed this much free radicals :
Athocyanin absorbed this much free fradicals :
Vit C + Anthocyanin together absorbed this much free radicals :
Blood Orance Juice absorbed this much free radicals:
Your standard juice orange absorbed this much free radicals :

good read on blood oranges:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_orange

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

kare4u — Thu, 10 May 2007 17:23:54 GMT

I have a Naturopathic doctor that loads me up with supplements and herbs when my system gets off? I don't take anything on a daily basis but krill oil, probiotic and the antioxidant that Dr. Mercola recommends. I try to eat a fairly healthy diet. But sometimes it is frustrating that we are being told we can't eat this, eat that or drink this or take that. Maybe it is much easier for you pros. For me right now it is even worse, and any of you in my shoes may understand. I am eating vegetables for breakfast, lunch and dinner and am about over it. I have acid reflux and a spastic esophagus (thanks to my last pregnancy) and let me tell you when it acts up eating vegetables all day and night won't help. I drink about 2 liters of water (sorry bottled), I sit up at night, take four probiotics daily and eat vegetables galore. But no amount of vegetables is going to fix the messed up spincter so the acid keeps coming. So when I am feeling well, eating is a challenge and when I am not, eating is even more of a challenge. Does anyone have any SUPPLEMENTS that will naturally cure me of acid reflux and a defective spincter? Because after trying to stay true to Dr. Mercola's beliefs for the past three months that I have been suffering and worrying about bigger damage, I am about to throw in the towel and go to the MD for the Acid Blockers? The acid blockers may be bad, but it cannot be worse than letting it go and ending up with Barrett's, cancer or whatever else.

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

Katy B — Thu, 10 May 2007 17:14:20 GMT

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re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

healthstar — Thu, 10 May 2007 16:03:58 GMT

It is definitely best to eat whole foods instead of taking supplements that are man-made. Much better for our health! A variety of foods is great, but some great whole foods that high in vitamins and minerals are chlorella, spirulina and wolfberries. Dark green drinks sold in health stores have chorella and spirulina and I highly recommend you drink some of it everyday. Also, I recommend that you look into getting dry wolfberries (AKA goji berries),fresh if you can, but those are hard to find in western society. They are not only high in vitamins and minerals, they are also extremely high in antioxidants! Just a half ounce of these berries is sufficient for the day.

Mirdza
Helping People Lead Healthier Lives

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

Greenmunchkin — Thu, 10 May 2007 15:34:25 GMT

I have heard that many whole foods do not contain enough of their originally intended vitamins, minerals, nutrients because they are picked too soon to allow them to ripen during shipping. The statement was made that most whole foods obtain their maximum "vitality" when they are allowed to ripen before being harvested/picked. Is this true?

re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

nitrotjj — Thu, 10 May 2007 15:05:48 GMT

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re: More Proof That Whole Foods Are Better Than Supplements

rjskater — Thu, 10 May 2007 12:51:09 GMT

Of course whole foods are better, the problem is that VERY few people can get out in their organic garden EVERY day and pick, clean, prepare and eat a large variety of fresh organic produce. Who has a year-round garden or the time to do this? Yet Dr Mercola refuses to even consider JuicePlus which contains the nutrients from 17 fresh, organic fruits and veggies apples, oranges, pineapple, cranberries, peaches, acerola cherries, and papaya. carrots, parsley, beets, kale, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, and barley and oat fibers.(minus the sugar) simply because it is sold by people through MLM. It is $42 a month, far less expensive than the few other whole food supplements available.