Posted by Mike Akins on December 16, 2002 at 18:14:14:
In Reply to: cellfood? posted by Adida on December 16, 2002 at 02:39:01:
Hi Adida,
Good question. There are several parts to the answer. First, you have to get past the marketing factor. Every company tries to market its product some where between solid science and the product's possible benefits. Sometimes companies use science in one area to support a theory in another area. They may seem to apply but under careful examination the cross over may not scientifically apply.
An example of this is the HGH products. Companies that sell precursors to HGH list all of the benefits of real HGH. There is not conclusive scientific proof that a Precursor will actually create the same level of benefits. Even measuring IGF levels do not conclusively prove this. So you read all of the benefits of HGH and assume that the product that is being advertised with accomplish all of the listed benefits.
You may have the same type of spin job going on with the oxygen products that are being promoted. You will find all of the listed benefits to the body’s use of oxygen listed. You will read the cancer doesn't grow in an oxygen rich environment. You will read that the earth used to have more oxygen available with the indication that our bodies would function better if we could increase oxygen in the body. Then you read that this product will increase oxygen in the body.
All of these concepts are much more complicated than what these suggests indicate. For example, increasing oxygen intake doesn't necessarily equal increasing oxygen at the cellular level. The body uses iron and ferritin to transport oxygen to cells throughout the body. You can introduce more oxygen into the body without the oxygen being transported into the cells if your ferritin levels are not adequate.
Cellfood advocates talk about the Krebs Cycle or the removing of hydrogen from food, increasing what is available to the ETS (Electron Transport System). There is very little science to support their conclusions. There may be some reality to this but if there is to what degree is it relevant to one's health.
Another statistic used by Cellfood advocates is the claim that only 15% of the nutrients in tablets are absorbed and only 25% of nutrients in a get are absorbed. There is not science to back these statements up. It is the opinions of a great number of biochemists that this is not true.
The claim that the nutrients in Cellfood are 95% absorbed cannot be substantiated. It is very difficult to measure how much of a substance is absorbed at the cellular level. First, which cells are you going to consider in the body and how are you going to measure nutrients in cell tissue. You cannot measure only serum levels because there are a number of factors involved in the body that will effect how much of the serum levels are absorbed into the actual cells.
The permeability of cell walls can vary from person to person and from one area of the body to another. I used to believe all of the jargon put forth by the masters of marketing until I started researching myself. I find there are scientists that have a number of theories that later prove to be unfounded. My research suggest there is some reality to these theories but not as profound as these individuals would like to suggest. What you have here is a valid theory that has been exaggerated.
There are a number of other claims about the number of nutrients in Cellfood and the need of colloidal minerals. You cannot have everything you need in one product. When you try to create one product with every nutrient needed, you have to short yourself on some of the most important nutrients. Some of the most important nutrients have certain threshold (volumes) that must be achieved in order for the nutrient to do what it does best for your health. When you short yourself on these foundational nutrients, you hurt your health more than if you left out a few of the micronutrients.
I have found that it is best to consume a foundational nutritional formula and then supplement that formula with other formulas as your body requires. Each person requires more a certain nutrients depending on such factors as age, race, gender, hereditary and environmental considerations.
Mike