By Michael Biamonte, C.C.N.
Many health enthusiasts, health food store shoppers, and professional health practitioners are constantly exposed to floods of information on the benefits of different vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc. However, many of them including, perhaps, even you, have had disappointing experiences in applying this information.
WHY VITAMINS DON’T WORK
The truth is that vitamins do work. However, many health programs involving supplements fail because they are done incorrectly. Many people spend hundreds of dollars on supplements they can’t absorb, are too toxic to utilize, their bodies can’t retain or do not address their most important needs. The truth is that people who expect supplement programs to work must prepare their bodies for the introduction of the nutrients.
The first step to any supplement program is to detoxify the bowels and intestinal tract of any debris that has not been eliminated. Much has been written on the importance of bowel or intestinal cleansings, using intestinal cleansing products or methods to help remove old encrusted fecal matter and mucus that can block the absorption of many nutrients. Doing this step first ensures that nutrients don’t end up directly in the toilet.
The second step is to enhance the digestive system. Various herbs, enzymes and digestive aids are important in aiding and re-establishing normal digestion. A person is not what they eat, they are what they digest.
The average American suffers from bloating, belching and lower gas from improperly digested food that ferments in his intestines.
This may sound very elementary; however, the lack of these two initial steps prior to taking a specific supplementation can make the difference in it working or making you sick.
Getting sick from supplements is a sign of a toxic body.
When a person detoxifies their bowels and intestines before taking vitamin and mineral supplements they lessen the chance of having bad reactions and allergic reactions.
TOXIC METALS, THE UNSEEN MINE FIELD
Many Americans have toxic metal build up. Most medical doctors are only familiar with serious poisoning occurring from lead, mercury, iron, arsenic, etc. In the ten years I have been in practice as a clinical nutritionist, I have found almost 40% of my patients had a toxic accumulation of a metal. Toxic metals like mercury, arsenic, lead, aluminum, cadmium, nickel and excess nutritional minerals such as iron, copper, manganese and even calcium can cause amazing effects. Disorders ranging from arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, neurological disorders to mental disorders have all been documented as being caused by toxic metals.
Vitamins, mineral, and many supplements can cause a release of these toxic metals and other poisons from the liver and other storage areas. When toxic metals are removed from storage they can cause headaches, fatigue, heart palpitations, diarrhea and a host of symptoms. Someone who doesn’t understand what is happening to him is liable to think this bad reaction is caused because “these vitamins are irritating my system.”
Therefore, the third step would involve the removal of toxic metals, using exact supplements. These supplements can remove the metals with minimal complaints. Toxic metals block and stop the function of many vitamins and minerals. If someone were to take calcium for their lower back pain and happened to have excess lead levels, the calcium would start to pull the lead out. They may begin to experience bizarre symptoms. Toxic metals once accumulated remain in the body until the person takes something to remove them. They do not just go away on their own, not after any amount of time.
Once toxic metals have been removed, an additional part of the third step is to restore proper balance between vitamins and minerals that are in excess or deficient.
At this point the supplement program needed to address the person’s complaints will work. But you can see at this point that there are obstacles that can prevent a correct supplement program from working, giving one or an entire profession the opinion that all this stuff about vitamins is hogwash.
The fourth step is to then determine what exact nutriments are needed by the person. There exists many methods of doing this that all have different degrees of validity. Which ever method is used, it will work better if the steps I have outlined are followed first.
I can say from tremendous experience doing it the wrong way, what the right way is. Several years ago I studied all the failed cases that I had seen; people who didn’t get results or got bad reactions. In every case of those who actually did what they were instructed, I found that these initial steps–#1, 2, 3–were not done completely, correctly or at all in these people.
I personally feel that this information is one of the greatest contributions I have made to the health field.
Doing each of these steps fully, exactly, and one at a time keeps the patient winning on his nutritional program, because he is gaining a full and organized insight into how the body works. The patient understands what’s happening and why. The results are much more predictable and confident.
Michael Biamonte holds a Doctorate of Nutripathy, and is a New York State certified Clinical Nutritionist. He is a professional member of the International and American Association of Clinical Nutritionists,The American College of Nutrition and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Clinical Nutrition Certification Board. He is listed in “The Directory of Distinguished Americans” for his research in Nutrition and Physiology.
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