Many people consider it unnecessary to take supplements. They believe that we get all the nutrition we need from our food. Maybe that used to be so. Our ancestors didn't need nutritional supplements. The food they consumed was mostly fresh and unprocessed so, therefore, rich in vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.

The majority of our foods now are processed, and even when we do consume fresh fruits and vegetables, the same nutrient content that was evident just 50 years ago is not always evident today. Soils have become depleted through constant farming and toxic fertilizers and insecticides are used all too frequently. In many cases fruit is harvested before it has reached its full nutritional value. It is picked before it has fully ripened and is sometimes gassed to ripen and then held in cold storage for many months.

It would seem to me, then, that it is becoming more and more difficult to get the nutrition that our body requires, directly from our food, and it would appear that supplementing our diet would be a wise thing for us all to do.

One study shows that to get the same level of nutrients that was in a peach in the 1950's, we would need to eat 53 peaches today! Try doing that!

If you do happen to eat the now recommended 8 servings of fruit and vegetables each day, and they are all grown organically and left to ripen naturally, you'll be in better shape than someone who doesn't. It seems very clear to me, though, that in today's toxic environment our body needs all the help we can give it if it is to repair and regenerate as it should.

Diseases associated with dietary deficiency and imbalance, are among the leading causes of illness and death in the Western world today. We are becoming more aware of the critical role that nutrition plays in the prevention of many common diseases - coronary heart disease, cancer, hypertension, obesity, dental caries, gingivitis and periodontal diseases, and non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, to name a few.

Even the The American Medical Association (AMA) has reversed its long-standing position and stated in an article published in the June 2002 edition of JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) that everyone should be using nutritional supplements.

Here is a list showing what we need to enable us to maintain optimal health; - something I am sure we are all aiming for.

* Vitamins and minerals, essential for the creation of healthy cells

* Glyconutrients, vital to provide immune support and allow the cells to communicate

* Plant Nutrients or Phytonutrients help to detoxify the system

* Phytohormones, or plant hormones, necessary for glandular function

* Essential fatty acids (EFAs), to regulate hormonal function and metabolism

* Essential amino acids, the building blocks for all proteins

* Antioxidants, to give protection from oxidative stress

There are so many supplements available today and we do need to be careful about which ones we are taking. Many companies use cheap ingredients and many on the market are made using synthetic vitamins, which are not readily absorbed, or recognized by the body as being food. This is why often it will be suggested that your supplement be taken 'with food' with the hope that the body will think it is food.