Malnourished…with fruit and veges!
A reader made a comment on one of the posts in which he felt that you can get all your essential nutrients from food. As some people still believe this, which is a myth, I thought that it would be appropriate to post a copy of an article I wrote about seven years ago. The principles still apply today; in fact, even more than ever before.
XTEND-YOUR-LIFE
Issue - 21th August 2002
Malnourished...with fruit and veges? This will shock you!
This is a concept that you may have difficulty in accepting. Nonetheless it is one that I have been ‘preaching’ for years and has now been confirmed by studies showing people in the US, Canada and the UK are amongst the most malnourished in the world. This is the case in spite of obesity reaching epidemic proportions in the US. Malnourishment is without doubt a leading factor in a wide variety of health problems including cancers.
Does this mean that overweight people are eating all the food to the detriment of the rest of the population? Not at all! In fact, obese people figure prominently amongst those people who are malnourished.
I can sense you thinking... ”That’s a crazy statement”. After all, when you think of someone being malnourished your mind flashes to pictures which you have seen on TV of starving children in Africa. How can an overweight person be malnourished? Much easier than you think... please read on and I will explain.
The Problem is in the Food!
A recent analysis of a range of staple foods in Canada including potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, apples, onion, broccoli etc, etc was commissioned by The Globe and Mail and CTV news. The results were predictable to some and a shock to others. Let’s use potatoes as an example. This is what the analysis found:
Over the last 50 years the potato has lost:
•· 100% of its Vitamin A
•· 57% of its Vitamin C and iron
•· 28% of its Calcium
•· 50% of its riboflavin
•· 18% of its thiamine
Of the seven nutrients analyzed only niacin levels had increased. The results were similar for all the 25 fruits and vegetables tested. One of the worst results was from broccoli in which ALL nutrients had declined measurably including niacin with Calcium down 63%.
The Globe and Mail and CTV used comparative figures from government researchers for the years 1951, 1972 and 1999. These earlier figures had been published in various scientific journals in the UK including the British Food journal. Release of this data in the US has been limited to a few alternative health journals.
Tim Lang a professor at the centre for Food Policy in England says as a further example of how our food has been degraded is that you would now have to eat eight oranges today to get the same amount of Vitamin A that your grandparents got from eating just one orange.
What’s gone wrong?
That’s simple to explain. Consumer demand for cheaper and ‘good looking’ food has over recent decades changed traditional farming methods as well as distribution. A farmer used to rotate his crops to suit his land and maximized his yields through natural methods and then supplied his fresh produce to his local market for distribution.
Regrettably that is largely the way of the past. Now, the emphasis is on production, appearance, storability and transportability. Nutritional value of fruits and vegetables is of virtually no concern. As Dr Phil Warman, an agronomist and professor of agricultural sciences at Nova Scotia Agricultural College points out, “crops are bred to produce higher yields, to be resistant to disease and to produce more visually attractive fruits or vegetables, but little or no emphasis is placed on their vitamin and mineral content.”
Unfortunately the situation is getting worse as more Corporations become more vertically integrated and control the entire food process from supplying the seeds through all the production stages, and distribution. Because of these controls some farmers have become little more than modern day serfs with almost no options left to them other than contract to these major conglomerates and conform to their ‘corporate’ farming methods.
Add to this the increasing foothold of GE engineered crops where nutritional value is way down on the priority list and this problem is going to become much, much more serious and will I believe flow on to an elevation of health problems such as cancer and brain disease which may well reach epidemic proportions over the next couple of decades unless the public wake up to what is happening.
Do foods that have low nutritional values play a part in obesity?
Absolutely! I believe this is a major factor in the current epidemic of obesity. If you are lacking in essential nutrients it will have a serious flow-on effect in your body. First of all you will never really feel ‘well’, you will lack energy which means you exercise less, and you will have a tendency to seek out ‘comfort’ foods which generally contain sugars and thus the cycle continues and it gets worse and worse and ultimately ends up in obesity and ill health.
What can be done about this problem?
•· Try to eat organic fruit and vegetables wherever possible.
•· Avoid processed foods! If you think the loss of nutrient value in fresh fruit and vegetables is bad enough, I can assure you that it is nothing compared to the nutritional emptiness of processed foods...and to add insult to injury they are full of trans-fats due to the hydrogenated processing methods that are used.
•· Take a QUALITY multi NUTRIENT supplement such as our Total Balance. A multi vitamin/mineral tablet is not adequate for a number of reasons. The prime one is that most ‘multi vitamin’ supplements use synthetic ingredients with both questionable efficacy and bio-availability and they lack other important nutrients. Unfortunately this is an area in which many consumers are being mislead. It’s a complex subject and as such I may devote a newsletter to this very important subject in the not too distant future.
•· Take a quality Omega 3 fish oil supplement. In this regard you cannot find better than our own Xtend-Life Omega 3 DHA fish oil.
It was interesting to see that even some mainstream physicians are beginning to recognize this problem as evidenced by a recent article in JAMA which advocated people take quality supplements for preventative measures.
In good health,
Warren Matthews
Warren Matthews
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Reader Comments (46)
Well, I agree with you on parts. For example, by the time an orange has been shipped across the world, sat on the supermarket shelf, and then in your fruit bowl, it may well have lost all it's Vitamin C by the time you come to eat it. That is why I am a big believer in growing your own fruit and veg.
Also, taking more than one supplement a day could increase your chances of prostate cancer. I don't know how true that is. But, everying comes with it's risks. "Moderation" is key. You have to remember that some vitamins are "fat-soluble" so too many can be toxic.
A balanced, varied diet is the best you can do for your body. There are some fruits that go amiss, which people wouldn't include in their typical fruit bowl. Goji berries, acai berries, Pomegranates to name a few. People should definitely include honey in their diet too -- I take a spoonful of Active Manuka honey a day. It may help keep an healthy digestive system -- which I believe an unhealthy digestive system is linked with some skin problems.
My point is this: If you grow your own food in nutrious soil, then I see no reason why you wouldn't be getting all the right vitamins and minerals.
I don’t know where the claim that taking more than one supplement a day could increase your risk of prostate cancer came from. That is a bit of a weird one. There are many hundreds of different ingredients in supplements and a lot of them are necessary in avoiding prostate cancer. I take a lot, I am 62 and my PSA is around 0.5. I don’t have even a slight enlargement of the prostate.
On the other hand I agree with you that moderation is important. This is why we do not advocate or believe in mega doses of any vitamin, mineral or other ingredient. The key is variety and synergy. This can mean you can have a lot of supplements and still be moderate on your intake overall of the nutrients.
You will notice that the fat soluble component to all our formulas is very minimal. Also, unlike other companies we recommend periodic breaks from our Total Balance to ensure maximum efficacy for the lowest possible dose.
It would be great if we could all get our total nutrition needs from our own garden but, even in an ideal situation, there would still be some shortfalls which require a top up.
Since i bought my mother and my sister TB and Omega 3 both of them have lost some weight which both have welcomed as they are overweight! Does TB help with weight loss?
My sister also has cataracts and eye pressure and she said it has helped with her pain in the eye and the vision a bit.
It seems that you have serious chip on your shoulder and I know it is not related to us but you are trying to make Xtend-Life the brunt of your unhappiness. However, consistent with our policy of not deleting blog comments - good or bad - we are leaving your comment in place.
You have earned the dubious honor of being the sender of our first bit of ‘hate’ mail in 10 years.
I have no idea of what your motivation could be or why you are doing this. I understand that you have spent literally hours on the phone with our staff over the last few months making all sorts of unfounded accusations. Throughout all this, they still dealt with you in good grace and patience.
I agree that LEF is a good company and I have been quite open about the fact that 10 years ago, when Xtend-Life was founded, we were looking for the best supplement in the world. In our opinion, LEF mix was the best at that time. We did not copy it but rather said to our formulator Prof.Dr A Munem Daoud - one of the top bio-scientists in the world - that we wanted to develop a new formula that was better than this product. That is how Xtend-Life started. If you examine the two products you will see that they are quite different.
Anyway you have gone right over the top with your accusations and no doubt many of our customers will be upset at reading what you have said as they know it is all unfounded. We have an open door policy and we are very transparent. Any customer is welcome to visit our facilities and factory for an inspection at any time and they will see that all our products are true to label and we do not compromise on anything.
I intend blocking you from this ‘cheap’ blog Kenneth as it is intended for knowledge, not for this type of vindictive comment.
As with all people, I wish you well nonetheless and hope that life starts treating you better in the future.
Yes, many people find it easier to lose weight on Total Balance and Omega 3. This is because if you have any nutrient deficiencies you are inclined to be more hungry, TB and Omega 3 helps in that area so I am not surprised it they have been getting those benefits.
And, yes the TB will help with pressure behind the eyes and eye health in general.
I remember a couple of years ago getting an email from a customer who had been on Total Balance for about a year and his optician couldn't believe it when he went for his annual check up.as the pressure that he had behind his eyes for 20 years had gone. The customer could only put it down to Total Balance.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6657795.stm
Like I said, I really don't know how true it is.
After thinking about it, you're probably right that the "average" person growing their own food wouldn't get all the right vitamins and minerals.
I've just taken a look at your total balance ingredients and I have to say it looks good! The B group of vitamins are especially important as people usually lack those. Vegetarians are usually lacking the b12.
Oh and for that Kenneth guy, I would rather a cheap little blog where the chairman of the company actually interacts with his customers than a big company that doesn't listen to their customers. And who cares who was around first ect? The most important thing is the company who cares about their customers and produces a superior product(s)!
im not sure where to put this in your blog but i guess it's somewhat related to nutrients and your formulas. if it's in the wrong place im sorry you can delete or move it.
i was looking around websites to see if there was anything else people had said about xtend-life. i would definitely like to know what your opinion is on these opinions people have had...if you could please take the time to answer these questions with detail it would be greatly appreciated and give me more confidence that your formula is indeed superior to anything else. The primary questions is what is more important for me to know but if you could answer the secondary questions that would be great too.
From a recent customer.
PRIMARY QUESTIONS
1.
Do you have a clue why you are ingesting heavy metals? Those elements are generally not found in the human body...
Rubidium as Rubidium Chloride 200mcg I've never heard of any effects of those two. I'm assumung you know the literature if you are ingesting them?
Tungsten as Sodium Tungstate 1.67mg
Strontium as Strontium Chloride 2mg Do you have osteopenia? Are you trying to improve BMD for some reason?
Zinc Citrate 31mg 31mg elemental zinc is quite a lot (i.e. way too much in my opinion)
Folic Acid (98%) 300mcg way too much, read my post
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol; Natural) 400IU uuh.. yeah.. the only dose conclusively proven to be useless (women's health initative study)
Vitamin K2 (Menaquinone) 180mcg MK-4 or MK-7 vitamer?
Vitamin A (Mixed Natural Carotenoids consisting of Alpha-Carotene, Beta-Carotene and Xanthophylls) 50mg 50mg?! Are you kidding me? (such a ridiculous mega-dose combined with such a petty vitamin D dose?!)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Hydrochloride) 10mg IDK, what's the benefit of such a fence sitter dose anyway? Either you go all the way to >100mg and use it to increase transketolase acitivty and such post-meal or you don't (because of the cancer risk). But maybe I'm wrong and 10mg is a perfect trade-off, I just don't remember any evidence....
I'm not sure but this multi seems to be crap.
> So basically the question is about rubidium, strontium, zinc citrate (i thought the RDI is around 9mg a day, so 31mg?), folic acid amount, vitamin D3 amount, vitamin A, vitamin B1.
2.
They do reference independent studies supporting these claims, though I'll see if I can find any articles suggesting that these chemicals may be ineffective/harmful.
I'm assuming there was some speculative evidence that those substance might do *something*. But then you should consider them (pre-clinical) drugs, i.e. dangerous stuff.
>Question is about pre clinical drugs being dangerous.
3.
I couldn't locate any more specific information regarding the Vitamin K2 in the formula. I also don't suffer from osteopenia.
Then there's probably not much point in supplementing strontrium. I don't think there's any long term data suggesting it's completely safe, while its only important benefits are in treating osteoporosis.
>Question is about long term data suggesting strontrium is 100% safe.
4.
After reading your post regarding Folic Acid it seems I may need to consider lowering my intake.
The biggest issue I think is that supplemental folic acid is much more bio-available than dietary folic acid. You may be thinking you are ingesting "only" 300mcg, but you're getting probably much more than from diet.
>Question about the high intake of folic acid when combined with normal diet.
5.
Regarding total balance for men premium
It appears to have everything but the kitchen sink. Many of the dosages are far less than what studies have shown to have a real benefit. This is typical in many shotgun formulas. Who makes this product?
Like the person said above, it has far too low of dosages to work.
99% of everything in it would be like not even taking that substance at all.
The general consensus around here is that carnosine has to be taken at dosages at or above 1,000mg at each sitting to get past the breakdown of carnosine by carnosinase. For this reason, beta-alanine is known to be an excellent alternative to carnosine supplementation and is a lot cheaper as well.
As I see it there are several reasons to not take Total Balance Men's Premium by xtendlife.
1. A one month supply is $90.00 USD.
2. They include 50mg of 5-HTP. While much of this will not be absorbed due to the other ingredients why would a potent serotonin enhancer be included in a multi?
3. Much of the capsules are taken up with token amounts of Amino Acids that will do absolutely nothing in the dosages provided. For example they provide 50 mgs of Glutamine. The average diet consists of anywhere from 5 - 8 grams of Glutamine per day. The supplement provides a whooping 1% of our daily intake. Lysine intake is typically 2 -3 grams daily. They provide 165 mg which equals less than 5-8% of our daily intake. What is the point of 50-150 mg dosages of amino acids in a multi? There is no point.
4. A quick review of the herbs indicates that most if not all of them would need to increased 2 - 5 times to have any clinical effect. 10 mg of alfalfa? 50 mg of Bacopa?
5. I did not see any Gamma, Beta, or Delta tocopherols which can lead to an imbalance of Vitamin E.
6. Vinpocetine is usually taken in amounts of 10-30mgs a day. They provide 2mgs.
7. Niancinamide should be avoided (at 10mgs per serving however this is virtually a non-issue).
8. Depending on the condition being treated SAMe is usually taken in dosages of 400-2400mg a day. They provide 100mg which adds to the price of the product but does nothing for one's health.
9. The claim that their "enteric coating" protects all the nutrients, enchances absorption, and is responsible for much of the cost of the vitamin. I doubt the veracity of this claim given that given the conspicious lack of evidence.
The product has 93 ingredients. I would half the number of ingredients, optimize the dosages, and cut the price in half.
Cost ASIDE I actually think the product is pretty decent however if you factor in the cost the product hardly merits any attention IMHO.
>Questions about low dosages, carnosine dosage, 5-HTP, token amounts of amino acids, herb dosage etc etc..
6.
Regarding Omega 3 DHA Fish Oil
Sorry, their analysis of price is ridiculously flawed, they totally ignore the EPA fraction of the oil, which we know is not a worthless component. Furthermore, they don't mention the % of rancid oils, which is a key component of buying a good fish oil. Also, they don't mention who tests it
>Question about EPA fraction of your fish oil, % rancid oils.
SECONDARY QUESTIONS
1.
What is everyones take on xtend-life products? Here is a link/example. Supposedly the primary ingredient in all these products (I.e 'cynergytk') has been
tested and 'proven' in clinical trials to increase collagen production by 14% in addition to something called 'phytessence wakame' which supposedly inhibits the enzyme hyaluronidase from taking control and causing damage. What do you think eva?
Are we allowed an opinion? If so, that product looks like a wanna be retin-a type product with phony science trying to back it up.
Use the real thing....RETIN-A.....oh yea forgot your having issues with that
2.
'Virtually no manufacturer conducts clinical studies on their finished products. This is because of the cost which can run into millions of dollars and unlike a synthetic pharmaceutical product which can enjoy patent protection there is no such protection with natural products.'
This is untrue. Cosmetic companies with the biggest research budgets in the world (Loreal, Procter & Gambles Olay, J & Js Neutrogena, Shiseido, Estee Lauder, Kao corp and Beiersdorfs Nivea) all publish both experimental studies on individual molecules and clinical studies on the final formulation.
There´s no way to tell what this cream may do beyond moisturize dry skin. We don´t know if the ingredients penetrate skin, if they do anything or if they´re compatible in this formula. I stay away from products with no studies on the finished product.
3.
Regarding neuro natural general
The ingredients look good, but it is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY underdosed. I'd say to get benefit you'd need to do a 3-4 servings a day and at 6 tablets a serving...that's a bit steep. Especially when there's 90 tablets in a bottle. That's a 3-4 day supply.
I agree with neogenic. The ingredients are good but the dosing for some is way to low. I have to pick at the amino acids part as well. If it's meant to be a "neuro" mix then I gather they are looking at a nootropic/cognitive enhancement effect. They shouldn't have combined Large Neutral Amino Acids (LNAA) because they compete with each other. The last time I checked tyrosine and phenylalanine compete. They should be taken seperately
XTEND-LIFE
Neurological Formula
Has way too much selenium, has a less effective form of lipoid acid, most of the amino acids are completely ineffective (5HTP, D-Phenylalanine, SAMe, ), and its levels of ALC, Carnosine, and bacopa are too low to have any effect.
SAMe is a very unstable compound and is very difficult to make unless specially coated and made by a reputable company
I understand you are new to this and do not understand biochemistry, and perhaps do not know who I am. Biochemistry and Neuropharmacology is my background I am a health consultant who has been taking and prescribing nootropics for more than a decade to over 10,000 people.
SAMe taken with any amino acids can combine with them in the bloodstream, if not the stomach. This is why it is best to take any amino acids 30-60 min before or 2 hours after food or other amino acid products. Most Amino Acids are protein forming which means in the body (stomach/blood) will reduce each other effectiveness.
SAMe can break down inside bottles even when coated, it should (in my opinion) be taken only in individually wrapped foil packs.
You would be better off with Ortho-Mind & Ortho-Core from AOR
Interesting comments from these people but also a lot of misinformation. Just a simple one in the beginning about elemental zinc. We use 31mgs of Zinc citrate but if this person had even the most basic knowledge they would know that the elemental component of zinc citrate is only about 20%. With regard to tungsten, etc, these are actually important trace mineral and they are present in the body. You don't have to wait until you are diagnosed with osteopenia to use a minute amount of strontium for example.
There is a reason why every ingredient is included.
As for their comments about the Omega 3 fish oil that is quite childish. Fish oil in its natural state is not rancid. It only becomes that way after it is oxidised.
Honestly Stefanos it appears that these comments were written by someone that knows a little and/or is a competitor and are doing their best to try and discredit us.
I afraid I have little time for people who go on to forums and try to rubbish other products without first approaching us with specific questions.
As a point of interest regarding the comments on the Skin Care products. If we felt the Retin A was superior to what we are using we would have used it. It is a lot cheaper than the ingredients that we do use.
The comments about clinical trials re the skin care are misleading. The big companies do not do clincial trial in the true sense of the word. They rely on the data from the individual inrgedients and then do some testing on subjects. We do the same but that is not a clinical trial.
Some of the issues that have been raised would need to be addressed by our formulator Prof. Dr, Munem Daoud but his is away on a sabbatical at the moment. I am currently in Hong Kong and will be travelling for the next 10 days.
As I get time I will try to answer those components that I can but it will take time due to the current demands that I have on me at the moment.
I am sorry that I cannot give you a detailed response at this stage but it is always difficult and time consuming when having to respond with people (not you) you are opinionated and think they know it all.
Thanks
Oh...just a couple of other comments in the meantime. With regard to the kitchen sink approach that one of the people referred to they do not seem to understand that it is MUCH more desirable to combine certain ingredients to maximize the effectiveness of each. This is very important in the area of herbals. For example, you may have a number that have polyphenols which is the prime active but it is the combination of other components that we want interplay with each other.
This is a very complex science and way beyond my level of understanding which is why we use experts in this field.
What I can say is that this 'kitchen sink' approach has worked well for me for 10 years, my family and thousands of customers. I will be 62 this August. I wonder if these 'experts' on the forums are in as good a health as I am even if they are younger.
I should have also mentioned that when we get comments or opinions like those above we do check them out to see if they have any validity. When it comes to complex formulas there will always be varying opinions because it is not an exact science.
There will also always be room for improvements no matter whether it is one of our products or someone elses. Science does not stand still. This is why we are on our seventh generation of Total Balance and consistantly looking at ways to improve it for the next generation. It is also one of the reasons why we run such a transparent organization and give people the opportunity to criticize and offer their opinions.
We will review all the above points and if thare is anything at all which has some validity and requires a formula adjustment we will do it. However, I see nothing in any of the comments that would justify any changes at this stage. As one of the commenters stated "at a quick review". Now, that really doesn't cut it. You have to examine the profiles of each ingredient in great depth to the point of also examining the other fractions present.This takes a LOT of time and specialised knowledge...
There is much more that I will add but unfortunately time is against me at the moment.
thanks for answering some of the questions so far. look forward to reading a more detailed response later on when you have time. i only put those comments there because those were the only ones i could find that were negative! and you know if you want to prove that your formula is the best then you have to discredit what negative things people say, which would mean that all that is left are the positives! if you get what i mean.....
but anyway i know your busy but you know whenever you have time that's fine. thanks once again.
Yes, I will follow it through and I think that you will be pleased with the final outcome. Actually its not bad considering that is the sum total of criticism over 10 years.
By the way I don't think many people would agree that 300mcgs of folic acid a day is to much like one of the 'posters' argued.
Just a quick question. Are your skincare products the only ones in the world that contain cynergy tk? Because I've searched it on google -- and all I find is links to here.
It is due to be incorporated into some of the big name skin care companies maybe later this year or earlier next year. It can take 2 – 3 years for the big name manufacturers to incorporate a new ingredient into their range. By that time we may be using something even better.
Right now we are testing another new ingredient that may be even superior to Cynergy TK. It is currently not available in any big name manufacturers as the development and studies on it have only just been released.
Also good to hear about the possibility of an even better ingredient! Will keep my eyes peeled.
I just need to sort this problem out with my bank so I can order.
Thanks for replying.
I have been taking your TB Unisex and O3's for nearly a month now and things are good.
I used to take a supplement called Total Skin & Body from Dr. Perricone (www.perriconmd.com). After taking his supplement for a month I noticed a significant difference in my hair growth, nails, and skin. All of which was promised by the manufacturer.
I'm still giving your products a month trial to see if I notice similar results. I have been off of supplements for month prior to starting your TB Unisex and O3's. My reason for doing this small experiment is simply because Dr. Perricone's supplements are quite expensive ($140 for a one month supply), whereas yours were around $100 per month.
What are your thoughts on the differences between what I'm taking currently and what I used to take from Dr. Perricone? I appreciate your time!
I forgot to mention on the previous post that I was taking your TB Unisex Premium, not the standard version! Thanks and look forward to your analysis!
We looked at the Perricone supplements some time ago and found them to be actually very basic and grossly overpriced. If you can let me know exactly which product/s that you were using I would be happy to comment further so long as the ingredients are listed on the website. I am rushing to catch a plane right now so I can’t look at their site at the moment.
The website is www.perriconemd.com and the product is Skin & Total Body Supplements, it is located under the "Supplements" section on the top of the browser. There is a full list of ingredients once you click on the product and then click on ingredients.
The ones we looked at a while ago were a different kind called Skin Clear Supplements from the same doctor. These were the ones that we concluded to be not so good for the price.
Thank you for your time!
You often state that your own health is excellent, and by association that your products have something to do with this - which of course you cannot prove - there are far too many variables. Your PSA is low, and mine at 70 is rising despite some years of ingesting your products!
Likewise my testosterone and DHEA levels are now extremely low, despite taking for some years TB and Male Regenerator - so for me your claims are not realistic.
Having said that I do believe that your products are world class and I shall continue taking them, but I think that you should be cautious in your claims that your own excellent health is somehow connected to the ingestion of your products.
By the way the border control has prohibited me from importing from LEF Vit. D and DHEA!
John Wheeler.
PS You asked me some months ago to remind you to perform a comparison between LEF basic mix and TB ( when you have time).