Whole Food Supplements vs. Isolated Nutrients

Updated: October 17, 2017

Fruits in a capsule-shaped container

We all agree that whole foods are better than refined foods.

So why should it be any different when it comes to vitamins?

When you eat an orange you are not only getting vitamin C, but bioflavonoids, fiber, calcium and folate all in one bite.

But time and time again we try and isolate nutrients, like vitamin C, for its known health benefits.

The only problem is when you isolate these nutrients, you are not benefitting from the entire food complex.

Why Nutrients Are Better in Teams

It’s called nutrient synergy.

Nutrient synergy is when 2 or more nutrients work together to produce an effect that you can’t get from either nutrient alone.[1]  Sometimes one nutrient helps you absorb the other.  Other times, they work together to complete the same task.

But the main takeaway is that they are all needed.  And they are all important for optimal health.nutrient synergy

Research has shown many examples where whole foods are far superior over isolated nutrients.

Fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K are a great example.  They need to be taken with some fat to be absorbed.[2]

Isn’t it convenient that they usually come packaged together in whole foods?  

For example, vitamin D is in fish, vitamin E in almonds… this is the way nature intended.  And nature knows best.

The same goes for bone health.

You’ve seen studies showing increased heart attack risk for calcium and vitamin D supplements.  Science (and supplement companies) have tried to isolate these nutrients and give them to you as is.

But we now know, that’s not how it works.

Not All Supplements are Created Equal

Whole food supplements are better than isolated nutrients.

And when it comes to your bone health, you don’t just need calcium and vitamin D, which is what traditional rock-based calcium supplements give you.  

You need a whole food supplement that in addition to calcium and vitamin D –  has magnesium, vitamin K2, vitamin C, boron, selenium, silica and trace minerals.

That’s why we formulated AlgaeCal Plus with every bone supporting nutrient possible.  And did so at full clinical doses!  AlgaeCal Plus is a whole food supplement that provides your bones with the nutrients they need, in their proper proportions.

USDA-Organic-SealBut beyond being the “full meal deal”, what makes it so special?

It’s a plant-based, food source of calcium.  And a plant source of 12 other bone supporting minerals.  So just like a carrot or potato root would draw nutrients from the soil and convert them into a useable form your body recognizes as food – AlgaeCal does the same.

USDA organic certification also attests to both the purity and sustainability of this algae. 

Making it a safer choice than traditional calcium supplements because it’s not only a natural balance of nutrients, but is pure and sustainable. [To learn more, click here.]

So the next time you get caught up in the latest and greatest health nutrient, remember that isolated nutrients can only do so much by themselves. They need their nutrient ‘buddies’ to provide you with the health and natural balance you need. The way nature intended.


Sources:
  1. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/5/1543S.full#ref-8
  2. https://blog.algaecal.com/fantastic-four-fat-soluble-vitamins-work-together-fight-health/

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This article features advice from our industry experts to give you the best possible info through cutting-edge research.

Lara Pizzorno
MDiv, MA, LMT - Best-selling author of Healthy Bones Healthy You! and Your Bones; Editor of Longevity Medicine Review, and Senior Medical Editor for Integrative Medicine Advisors.,
Dr. Liz Lipski
PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMP, BCHN, LDN - Professor and Director of Academic Development, Nutrition programs in Clinical Nutrition at Maryland University of Integrative Health.,
Dr. Loren Fishman
MD, B.Phil.,(oxon.) - Medical Director of Manhattan Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Founder of the Yoga Injury Prevention Website.,
Prof. Didier Hans
PHD, MBA - Head of Research & Development Center of Bone Diseases, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, Switzerland,