I am always amazed at what negative topics come out in the press about supplements. You and I both know I think that the media is not often 100% reliable (this is clearly shown in our FERTILITY SECRETS CD SET now available from our website), but unfortunately the media is where most people get their information about supplements, foods, and really anything these days.
A recent report spoke of Antioxidants not prolonging life and in some cases may even be related to increased mortality. This is simply more propaganda to keep the public from purchasing something that can be very good for them.
The reasons this review may have come up with this conclusion are many.
1) when reviewing studies it is never clear what type of supplements are used. Were they pharmaceutical grade? This guarantees that the supplements have been tested to make sure they get absorbed in the body. Most supplement companies do not do this testing because it is expensive. So if the antioxidants were not pharmaceutical grade it is no wonder that results would be mixed.
2) The supplements studied were too diverse. They were looking at antioxidants across the board and this is like looking at how effective IVF is around the world, instead of at each centre. There are too many variables at each centre to give an effective measure. I know just from seeing out patients that each centre and each doctor in the centre uses different protocols.
One thing I do agree with in the article I read was that antioxidants should be taken in from your food sources first and "supplements" should do just that..."supplement" a healthy diet. And when you consider that some organic foods will have up to 88% more nutrients than their regular store bought counterparts, it is very important to consider buying organic whenever you possibly can.
3) I have never read a study where people's digestion was considered before they take the supplements, and participants with poor digestion as far as I can tell are not ruled out of these studies. If you aren't digesting your foods properly, they are less likely to get absorbed into the system and less likely to make any difference. So purchasing supplements that are pharmaceutical grade (guaranteed to be tested to ensure they get absorbed) is your best investment regarding supplements. Store bought supplements rarely have this guarantee.
So before you believe everything you read in the media about antioxidants or other supplements be skeptical and ask your natural healthcare practitioner for more information or to do the research from reliable sources for you.
