There are reasons why dietary supplements may be beneficial for some. Examples include:
• Those with a poor diet may benefit from taking a multivitamin.
• Those with milk allergies may benefit from taking calcium and vitamin D
• Those who don’t eat fish may benefit from taking Omega 3s
• Vegans may benefit from taking vitamin B12
• Pregnant moms may benefit from taking folic acid
However…
In most cases, eating healthy is better than supplements, especially for children with autism or apraxia as they tend to have digestive problems. Children on the spectrum have a variety of digestive problems that can range from constipation to irregular bowel movements, food revulsions/feeding disorders, and absorption problems including malabsorption in which the intestines are less able to absorb nutrients.
Even though numerous research studies don’t support the following, to this day still many parents of special needs children have been advised by either non-MD professionals or other parents to limit certain essential food groups such as dairy and to try to then get those essential nutrients into the child with a large number of supplements instead. Let’s face it, food is the purest form of supplementation, especially for those that have trouble digesting and utilizing essential nutrients. To have a chance at being healthy, the body needs to be able to digest its food properly. Absorption of vitamins may be an issue for more than a handful of individuals. There are numerous reports that vitamin pills and capsules are showing up more frequently in our nation’s sewage treatment plants. It was reported from Tacoma, Washington where 250 thousand pounds of undigested vitamins were pulled out every six weeks while over 150 gallons per month come through their filters for Salt Lake City’s filter system.
From The Dirty Little Secret of the Drug and Supplements Industries
“Noted lecturer and neurologist Dr. David Friedman reports the story of a patient who had to have her septic tank repaired. The tank was clogged with hundreds of undigested vitamin pills – some with the brand names still readable!2
An X-ray taken by the highly respected Mayo Clinic tells a similar story. A woman checked into the hospital complaining of abdominal pain. At first her doctors believed the problem was gallstones – but x-rays showed fifty undissolved pills in the woman’s abdomen. 3
Even “all-natural” pills often use fillers, binders, and adhesive agents that can inhibit absorption. And even if the pill you’re taking actually disintegrates, these fillers can interfere with your body’s ability to utilize the active ingredients. 4 And if a pill doesn’t disintegrate, its benefit to you is zero.
And as you already learned, even when pills dissolve your body may absorb only 10% of the nutrients! 23 The rest simply passes right through your body.”
Be aware
Unlike food where you can eat whatever you want at a buffet, not all vitamins should be combined. Certain vitamins or minerals can compete to be absorbed. For example, you should not use calcium, zinc, or magnesium supplements at the same time. While most food contains what is needed naturally to help support digestion this is not the case with supplementation. Some vitamin supplements require another vitamin supplement for digestion. One example is zinc requires copper for digestion. This example was in the news due to seniors who were being diagnosed with severe nerve damage for no known reason other than a severe copper deficiency. It was a sad and perplexing problem that was found to be due to a popular denture cream that contains high levels of zinc. Seniors with poor-fitting dentures were swallowing large amounts of zinc. To digest zinc the body requires copper, but if too much zinc is consumed the body’s essential copper stores will deplete. While zinc is an essential nutrient, too much is toxic. Zinc toxicity creates bone marrow suppression and degeneration of the spinal cord, typically resulting in crippling nerve damage. In some cases, too much zinc sadly led to death.
Fish Oils
Even though fish oils are a supplement they are something I highly recommend for everyone as there literally have been tens of thousands of clinical studies to support their safety and efficiency for just about every system of the human body from in utero all through life till seniors. Due to today’s diet, most don’t consume enough DHA and EPA essential fatty acids which are found in cold-water fish and algae. In addition, due to pollutants in the water, fish oil is the best way to get all the essential fatty acids without any of the bad stuff such as mercury. Mercury binds to the protein or the muscle of the fish, and studies have found that OTC fish oils don’t contain mercury. This is the formula I recommend as part of my protocol.
My son Tanner’s experience with fish oils is shared in Dr. Stordy’s book The LCP Solution. A book based on her research on fish oils and ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and apraxia
Food offer three main benefits over dietary supplements:
• Greater nutrition. Food is complex, containing a variety of the macronutrients and micronutrients your body needs.
• Essential fiber. Foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, provide dietary fiber. The benefits of eating fiber-rich foods are numerous including better digestion, helping with constipation, providing more efficient nutrient intake, and lowering the risk of obesity.
• Protective substances. Many foods contain protective chemicals that promote health, such as antioxidants — substances that slow down the damaging process of free radicals and allow our cells time necessary for repair or replacement. The body has an amazing ability to heal itself, but sometimes it needs a little help.
Food is the best way to get all your essential nutrients in one place. They offer greater nutrition than dietary supplements because they provide a variety not found with pills or capsules; essential for anyone looking after their health!
When you eat food, there’s also this amazing thing called synergy. When different nutrients or food ingredients are combined, they work harder than if each was consumed separately because their combined forces make one comprehensive unit! The human body knows how important these combinations really are.
More reasons why food is the purest form of supplementation
• Food is more easily digested than supplements. This is because food contains fiber, which helps keep your digestive system functioning properly. Additionally, food doesn’t usually contain the harsh chemicals that can be found in some supplements.
• Food tastes better than supplements. This is because food contains natural flavors, while supplements often contain artificial flavors.
• You’ll get more nutrients from food than from supplements. This is because food contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are essential for your health. When you take supplements, you’re only getting a small fraction of these nutrients.
• Food is more affordable than supplements. This is because you can usually get all the nutrients you need from food without having to spend a lot of money on supplements.
• Outside of food allergies, you’ll be far less likely to experience side effects from eating food than from taking supplements. This is because food is a natural source of nutrients, while in most cases any drug, or supplement, may have side effects.
Food is naturally a great source of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are essential for keeping your body functioning properly. Some of the most important nutrients that can be found in food include:
• –Vitamins: Vitamins are essential for brain health, and for maintaining your immune system, vision, and skin health.
• –Minerals: Minerals such as calcium and iron are essential for keeping your bones strong and your blood healthy.
• –Fiber: Fiber is important for keeping your digestive system functioning properly.
• –Protein: Protein is essential for repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue.
• –Antioxidants. Carotenoids and flavonoids can improve human health by alleviating oxidative stress.
When you eat a healthy diet, the vitamins and minerals in food sources are easier for your body to absorb than those found only in supplements. Supplements can be hard on the stomach and often require taking multiple pills per day, while food can provide all of the nutrients you need in one or two servings. To ensure that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy, try limiting processed foods. Processed food can affect digestion negatively while water will help break down food so that your body can absorb the nutrients. Water also softens stool, which helps prevent constipation
Meal replacements made from food ingredients
Food, or meal replacement powders made up of natural food ingredients, are easier to digest than supplements because they contain natural flavors, fiber, and fewer chemicals. Additionally, food is a better source of nutrients than supplements. Finally, food is more easily digested than supplements because vitamins can be hard on the stomach and require taking multiple pills per day. If you’re looking for something that’s nutritious and easy to digest, reach for food instead of supplements. Your body will thank you!
LISA GENG
Author, Mom, Founder, and President of The Cherab Foundation
Lisa Geng is an accomplished author, mother, founder, and president of the CHERAB Foundation. She is a patented inventor and creator in the fashion, toy, and film industries. After the early diagnosis of her two young children with severe apraxia, hypotonia, sensory processing disorder, ADHD, and CAPD, she dedicated her life to nonprofit work and pilot studies. Lisa is the co-author of the highly acclaimed book “The Late Talker” (St Martin’s Press 2003). She has hosted numerous conferences, including one overseen by a medical director from the NIH for her protocol using fish oils as a therapeutic intervention. Lisa currently holds four patents and patents pending on a nutritional composition. She is a co-author of a study that used her proprietary nutritional composition published in a National Institute of Health-based, peer-reviewed medical journal.
Additionally, Lisa has been serving as an AAN Immunization Panel parent advocate since 2015 and is a member of CUE through Cochrane US. Currently working on her second book, “The Late Talker Grows Up,” she also serves as an executive producer of “Late Talkers Silent Voices.” Lisa Geng lives on the Treasure Coast of Florida.