What’s the Problem
This isn’t about the pharmaceutical industry’s repeated argument that supplements are bad for us because they are not subject to the same testing and research as prescription drugs. Or that imported ones place all users at risk. Anything the drug companies say about this issue is mostly about profits rather than facts.
What I want to alert you to is research that raises serious questions for anyone taking a nutritional supplement.
But before we look at these 2 alarming studies, let me back-track a bit! Whenever I see proof that a nutrient is tremendously beneficial, my first though is, great I’ll take MORE to get even more benefits. I’m not alone. In fact, that’s a major reason that most of us take supplements – if a little is good, more’s better!
Which is why I have some sympathy for athletes who take performance enhancing drugs – don’t we all want to enhance our performance whether it’s with coffee or alcohol or Viagra or even supplements? But I digress.
The Latest Research
So if we all want to enhance our performance as well as the rest of our lives, the question is what is the safest way to do it. Well, 2 relatively new studies seriously questioning our long held faith in supplements, and our long held idea that more is better.
Take a look for yourself.
1. This study reveals that common antioxidants such as vitamin C and E which athletes have been taking in mega doses for decades to speed up workout recovery, actually do the very opposite.
2. And this study looked at men with prostate cancer. Previous studies found anti-cancer effects in vitamin E and selenium especially for men with prostate cancer. So the logical idea was that more vitamin C and selenium would be even more effective against prostate cancer. Well, this study found that the opposite was true – mega doses of C and selenium actually caused prostate cancer to be more aggressive.
Why Juice and NOT Smoothies?
These studies reinforce a growing sense that natural supplementation such as from fresh juice or smoothies is better. But in this case juicing is even better than a smoothie, because you’re using more volume of produce for the same amount of beverage as a smoothie due to the fact that you’re discarding a great deal of pulp. More volume of produce results in more nutrients. Some nutrients are lost in juicing when you separate the pulp, but for a concentrated ‘natural’ nutritional supplement – vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients – juicing packs more punch. here’s more about juicing vs. smoothies.
So for those of us juicing, keep it up. And those who are on the pills, start juicing instead!