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Bruce Coary's avatar

Awesome series Agent131711 though I am concerned about throwing everything about supplementation aside. I agree how vitamins are sourced and made is crucial to their safety and efficacy. Unfortunately like most situations we are faced with the trust issue since we are lied to about pretty much everything.

Vitamins, hormones, and minerals can be isolated in blood and tissue tests. Actual bodily deficiencies can be detected and corrected with good quality supplementation. That said addressing poor diet, stress, toxins, and sleep issues are critical for vitamin and mineral supplementation to be effective. I'm living this reality. I take many supplements for 6 years now (instead of pharmaceuticals) to deal with multiple sclerosis (MS). That and acupuncture has been working out pretty well. This year I was able to get the guidance of a holistic health practitioner in addition to my acupuncturist. They had me stop taking some poor quality vitamins and adjusted quantities on others. The goal is to reduce or eliminate the supplements and address the root cause of MS or any other illness. It helps to have someone you can trust. Seek out holistic or functional medicine health care providers.

Depleted soil issue is self evident. If the soil wasn't nutrient depleted there wouldn't be any need for fertilizers. Look at regenerative farming where land and animal management works with nature to have soil/grasslands that are self sustaining. No need for oil based fertilizers or toxic pesticides. Thankfully this regenerative trend is being embraced by many small farmers.

For those that may need some sort of vitamin/mineral supplementation a good rule to keep in mind is "more is seldom better". It can be detrimental to over do it. Like calcium. Most people probably have calcium toxicity since dairy is promoted so much and some folks are taking calcium supplements too. This (along with magnesium deficiency) makes for higher risk of heart problems and strokes among other health problems. Also doesn't help osteoporosis which is why many people take calcium in the first place. They would be better off just taking some magnesium.

So yeah in winter (I'm in the Chicago area) I take 5000 IU of rat poison (vitamin D3) along with vitamin K2 and magnesium. That and lots of vitamin C keeps the flu at bay. In the summer the sun (when not blocked) is way better of course. No need to use toxic sun block either.

Thanks for your awesome articles. Truth is the best medicine of all.

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ClearMiddle's avatar

The specific "depleted soil" claim I have encountered (and believed without evidence) is that in the previous century the topsoil used to grow crops became depleted of magnesium. That, of course, is a mineral, not a "vitamin", but still available in many forms as a "supplement", and the claim would have been testable.

Whether there is evidence for it or not, I don't know, but I haven't taken any supplements in quite some time now and I am beginning to experience the benefits of not taking them.

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