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| The Huntress, Pen, Ink, & Colored Pencil. © by Ruth Zachary |
My last post was an abridged version of
an article By
Tom Philpott, food and ag. correspondent for Mother Jones (July 23, 2014) I
liked the fact that several contributors were credited with parts of the
general challenge to conventional beliefs about plant and human biochemistry,
including possible ill effects from supplements. The way plant and human
biochemistry interact is very complicated.
All the studies are carefully worded with disclaimers,
such as “may,” “might be wildly wrong” and so on. The last word on the subject
has clearly not been concluded.
All the same, it is well worth keeping our eye on the
latest information if we can get it and if we can trust it. It is still not
clear if people are better off getting their phytochemicals from real food
sources than from supplements and vitamins.
I personally suspect that it is better to get it from real
foods, but there is a problem with our modern world in that the full values
from our foods is diminished by growing less nutritious foods than our
ancestors ate, when and if they could eat well, given seasonal
variations and weather cycles. Distribution of our current diet diminishes the
value in even the best fruits and vegetables.
A Sixty Minutes feature yesterday (Sunday, Aug 31)
discussed a study of supplements and other factors believed to be influential
for longevity. Factors that seemed to contribute were a healthy social life, a
daily glass of wine and regular exercise out of doors.
No one questioned whether people who lived shorter lives
also exercised, drank wine and had active social lives.
Supplements and vitamins taken by this long living group
of seniors, were not always the same, and was assumed not to be a factor. The
conclusion about vitamins was that they did not contribute to long lives.
Whether short -lived people also took vitamins and
supplements was not documented. Whether supplements resulted in better health
for people taking them might be a future issue of study.
Whether supplements and vitamins affected quality of life
of those living shorter times or long lives was not a matter of comment and
should have been.
Exercise does seem to be a factor in long life, as well in
quality life according to the Sixty Minutes documentary. Everything I have read
would support this conclusion.
Our ancestors were first, hunters and gatherers, and then
they were agricultural. Human heredity supports adjustment to a wide variety of
food sources and those life styles demanded exercise. Our ancestors often
fasted, of necessity. They were aware of beneficial herbs, medicines and spices
in their locale. Stresses from various causes may also be built into our
chemistry, so that we may benefit or even need them.
Allergic reactions and adverse immune responses to certain
foods and also to supplements may be built into our nature, because in
primitive society, humans did not eat the same foods for months upon end.
People who benefit from certain supplements, vitamins and
medicines might do even better by discontinuing these substances for intervals
of time, with their physician’s council, of course.
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