Alexandra Binder
"You have to eat ten times as many fruits and vegetables today to get the same amount of vitamins and minerals as you did before 50."
US physician Al Sears
Is your household in order, everything in the green area? No, do not worry, you do not have to swing the duster now. It is more about your vitamin and mineral balance. Simone Koch, a functional physician from Berlin, looked red after her test. A shock to the doctor, because she ate optimally: "The largest part made vegetables in organic quality complemented by a small amount of fruit, green smoothies - which are supposed to ensure a particularly good intake of micronutrients, and offal. In return, the proportion of empty food, such as polished rice and white flour, was close to zero. "A good supply should be guaranteed, she thought. In fact, almost all important minerals and B vitamins were in short supply. What was a shock to medical doctor Koch is something that Herbert Schamberger, head of the Austrian dietary supplement manufacturer, wonders Evolution Internationalbut not: "Today's industrially manufactured foods are depleted in vitamins and micronutrients. We starve to the full pots. That's why we're talking better about satiety and not food. "
The numbers speak for themselves
In fact, more and more evidence of widespread vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the EU has been around for some time. According to the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, in the UK now 3,6 millions suffer from malnutrition, which costs the UK health care system more than 10,8 billion a year. In Germany, the second national consumption study showed: 86 percent of women and 79 percent of men are not sufficiently supplied with folic acid, 91 percent or 82 percent have a vitamin D deficiency, 20-50 percent are vitamin B1, B2, B12, C and vitamin E in the red area. And in Austria, even the kids are Vitamin C undersupplied. In addition, according to a report by the Ministry of Health, about half have zinc deficiency. We are not there alone. Between 57 and 64 percent of children in Europe suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, such as the Boston endocrinologist Michael Holick noted.
Loss of nutrients in fruits and vegetables
There are plenty of reasons for the dilemma: Our foods contain far fewer nutrients and nutrients than they did before 50 years ago. This is due, among other things, to unripe fruit, UV radiation, long transport distances and storage times. On the other hand, soils can no longer recover, are drained, lose their nutrients. Fertilizers and pesticides do their part in the situation. Already the comparison of a study of the pharmaceutical company Geigy from 1986 with a study of the food laboratory Karlsruhe from 2002 showed a vitamin A loss in apples of 41 percent and a vitamin C loss in paprika of 31 percent. Broccoli only had half the iron and carbohydrate lost 40 percent of Vitamin C, B1 and B2. The US physician Al Sears sums it up: "Today, you have to eat ten times as many fruits and vegetables to get the same amount of vitamins and minerals as you did before 50."
"Anyone who still believes that a sufficient source of vitamins and minerals is found in fruits and vegetables, which are harvested in immature state and also contaminated with toxins, is not to help."
Herbert Schamberger, Evolution International
Who needs dietary supplements?
"Everyone from toddlers to the elderly," says Schamberger, adding: "Even a slight micronutrient deficiency can reduce cellular energy production and weaken the power of the immune system." In addition, drugs also negatively affected the micronutrient balance. These include, for example, the anti-Babypille, antibiotics or cholesterol-lowering. Experienced therapists would know about these relationships and would recommend the right dietary supplement because of the obvious problems: "Of course, this also includes the knowledge of regulatory processes in the body. In the beginning is always a diversion - detoxification. After the diversion it is about the restoration of self-healing powers. "
Those who do not want to experiment in the blue can not ignore serious advice and support. Christine Marold of ECA Medical agrees with this opinion: "Deficiencies can be identified symptomatically - symptoms include fatigue, convulsions, insomnia, restlessness - or the determination of laboratory values". When selecting the manufacturer, she advises to pay particular attention to the quality of the raw materials used - "We recommend organic compounds because they have better bioavailability" - as well as adequate dosing.
In the latter, however, the ghosts are different: Many dietary supplements in Europe are compared to the counterparts from the United States very low doses. How much of an active substance may be contained in a product is defined in the EU definitions of safe intake limits of dietary supplements. But they are always in the criticism. As early as 2010, Robert Verkerk, Scientific Director of the Alliance for Natural Health, presented a study demonstrating an inappropriate methodology that would allow low ceilings to be set on a regular basis. "But this will most likely make it possible to set maximum levels at doses that are so low that various beneficial health effects will be prevented and many useful products will have to disappear from supply."
Cranberry vs. antibiotic
The approach to supplement vitamins and minerals in case of lack, Florian Schanzer of the Wellness Company is too short. He says: "If people can do without antibiotics, for example, thanks to supplementation with plant nutrient concentrates, that already says a lot about the usefulness of certain dietary supplements." He also has a prime example: Superfood Cranberries. Recently, a practical doctor gave him the feedback to be able to replace antibiotics in more and more cases with high-dose cranberry extract. In fact, a meta-study of the Cochrane collaboration from the year 2008 proved the effect on young women. Interesting in this context is also the result of an Indian in-vitro study, which investigated the effect on antibiotic-resistant uropathogenic E. coli strains. It showed, among other things, that the attachment of problematic, so-called multi-drug-resistant germs could be reduced by as much as 70 percent. Thus, cranberries already offer an important therapy option for antibiotic-resistant germs.
"The supplemental micronutrient supply has a permanent place in modern nutritional medicine", as Herbert Schamberger is convinced. Science provides almost daily new insights into the applications, which are becoming increasingly important when it comes to stabilize people's health, to reduce side effects of drugs, to support their effect or preventative health-promoting: "For a long time From the point of view, these nutrient gaps are one of the causes of serious health problems. The long-term, deliberate and deliberate use of micronutrients in a holistic context is now in the serious scientific community in the meantime as meaningful and health-promoting. "
Useful supplements
Vitamin D is one of the fat-soluble vitamins and is also classified as a hormone. Vitamin D is essential in the metabolism of calcium and phosphate and promotes their absorption in the intestine. In addition, it supports the bone structure and affects various hormones and the immune system.
Omega fatty acids 3 belong to the most important vital substances of our time. Research shows that Omega 3 can help prevent heart disease, normalize blood pressure, lower cholesterol and relieve joint pain, migraine and depression.
Magnesium is a vital mineral necessary for normal muscle function, among other things. Enzymes, which are substances that initiate chemical processes in the body, are also involved in sugar production, cellular respiration and calcium metabolism.
The Trace element zinc plays an important role in a strong immune system and energy production. It is also involved in the formation of thyroid and sex hormones, promotes the development of muscle, promotes wound healing and prevents hair loss.
The B vitamins are indispensable for all phases and forms of energy production in the metabolism. Every single cell is dependent on the presence of sufficient B vitamins. At the same time they have a positive effect on mood and concentration and strengthen the nerves.
The Probiotics they are living microorganisms. These bacteria and yeasts are - provided that they reach the intestine in sufficient quantity - health promoting effects attributed. For example, it has been proven that certain probiotic bacteria stimulate the immune system in the intestinal mucosa. Others produce substances that are similar in their effect to antibiotics.
astaxanthin is one of the most powerful antioxidants in the world. It colors salmon pink and gives them the power to float for days against the roar of the water upstream. Astaxanthin protects the heart, helps with joint pain, reduces inflammatory processes, strengthens the immune system, the eyesight, helps with infertility and acts as a natural sunscreen from the inside.
Almost one third of edible algae consists of valuable fiber, another third of proteins, the rest of the third share mainly the important vitamins A, B, K, iron and iodine. In addition, many species have a high content of vitamin B12, which is especially important for a balanced vegetarian diet.
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