New York Life Extension Center Vitamin Page

The HANES studies by the US Department of Agriculture have shown almost no one in the USA meets the Recommended Dietary Allowances or RDAs, for vitamins and minerals. Americans are on track for health problems because of poor dietary habits.

Even if we were to eat healty we may be missing some important nutrients. It is hard to believe, but even using "organically" grown foods we may still have a problem. In many cases, the minerals that are supposed to be in the soils our crops come from are not there! U.S. farmers plant the same crops on the same soils repeatedly, so that even with fertilization, our soils are depleted. Plants only need nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium to grow. People need boron, zinc, magnesium, calcium and a host of micro-nutrients that farmers don't put back in the soil when they plant. In other words, our bodies are not getting the materials our ancestors got. That is why a healthy diet may not be enough. A daily supplement of vitamins and minerals may be just as important to us all. Remember USDA dietary recommendations are based on the nutrients we are supposed to get from food, not what they actually contain. Soil depletion, processing and storage all play a part in what we get or don't get from our foods.

For instance, there are oranges out there without any Vitamin C! They may taste OK, but the Vitamin C can be reduced or destroyed during transportation and storage. The same thing happens with overcooking what you thought were healthy veggies! On the other hand some vitamins are liberated by cooking. Also, the R.D.A.s for vitamins are based on the minimal amount necessary to prevent deficiency disease. How much more do we need for maximum mental and physical health?

Sound complicated? It is, and that's why the right supplements are so crucial for your good health!

To learn more on the core supplements I recommend, click the items I have listed in the blue column.