You say that man has tried to imitate nature and failed.  I say that man could do much worse than imitate or mirror nature (as opposed to alter it).  It is when man has tried to change nature that he has failed most.  To say that we should only consume something if nature made it and it's not been processed by humans in any shape or form would rule out all cooked foods and most natural beverages.  I have yet to find a whole wheat muffin and glass of hot tea sitting in the field or woods.  And as far as taking out a part of a plant, it is usually only when that is done in such a way that leaves out synergistic supporting compounds that causes problems.  As an analogy, when I catch fish I usually like to separate the fillets from the skin, bones and entrails.  In the same way, you normally take an orange from the tree and peel it and eat only the flesh.  You do not also eat a branch along with it.

For thousands of years, man has taken the natural medicinals of the earth and made natural remedies from them - either by processing them naturally or combining them.  And the best of them have indeed worked what some might consider miracles.  For a fraction of that time, man and his labs have tried to improve on what you can make from nature with altered and invented compounds and that is where the failures have largely come from - along with the failure to address proper nutrition, lifestyle, prevention and treating the whole body instead of just symptoms.

Whenever you can can get vitamins, minerals, medicinal plants and/or herbs from nature, by all means do so.  But do realize that even dried herbs are not the same as those found in nature.  Much depends on the soil and conditions they were grown in and how they were harvested, dried, stored and transported.

So, while pure natural sources are always best, for the huge majority of us who cannot get everything we need from a safe and healthy diet and fresh from the fields to meet the requirements of maintaining a healthy body, much less get the therapeutic amounts we need to treat a serious condition, I think supplements are a good and proven alternative.

I personally make a big effort to get a lot of nutrition from nature.  Perhaps not as hard as I could try with a lot of effort, but I do eat lots of fresh raw vegetables and fruits, eat things like garlic, broccoli, baby spinach, carrots, raw almonds, whole grains, cold water fish including salmon, organic free ranging hen eggs, organic milk (and raw if I can find it), green tea, black tea, pomegranate, grape, cranberry, plum and apple juices, red grapes with seeds, flaxseed and flaxseed oil with cottage cheese and yogurt, organic beef, tomatoes, squash, snow peas, spring water, and more.

And I also take about 125* or more vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and other herbal and nutritional components every single day, not to beat any illness or condition, but to prevent them from happening in the first place.  Maybe it is coincidence, but outside of a trip to the doctor the first time I was bitten by a brown recluse spider, I have not been to a doctor's office in decades.

To get an idea of what I support, and even a lot of what I take, take a look at this not yet official catalog I am working on right now:

http://www.tbyil.com/Supplements.htm

Was that a perfect lead-in question to give a preview of the catalog or what? LOL

It is not yet complete at all and much more will be added and maybe even an item or two removed.  For example, I still have to add my selection of items from Jon Barron's Baseline Nutritionals, Native Remedies and Mountain Herbs to the catalog.

If you have any advice or even concerns, please let me know - but please do so by private email or message until I announce the catalog is complete.

*125 sounds much larger than it is when you consider the 75 trace minerals, multi-vitamin and other multiple element supplements.  But yeah, it is a lot and will remain that way.  I am always mindful that a shortage in just one of many vital nutrients, such as vitamin D3, calcium, magnesium or zinc, can lead to improper absorption of other vital nutrients in a chain reaction that results in a lot of colorful urine and less than optimum health.

(Oh yes - since the links in the catalog are functional and at this stage are only for CureZone sponsor Utopia Silver products I suppose I should mention that CureZone readers who follow the links and use the code LR0001 will get a 15% discount on any product not currently on sale.)

Thanks!

Live long, live healthy, live happy!

Tony M. Isaacs
Natural Health Advocate, Researcher and Author
Cancer's Natural Enemy e-book
Collected Home and Herbal Remedies e-book
The Best Years in Life Website for Natural Health and Longevity
Ask Tony Isaacs CureZone Forum
Oleandersoup Soup Yahoo Health Group
Utopia Silver Colloidal Silver, Plant Minerals and Natural Supplements
Jon Barron Baseline of Health Nutritional Formulas
Native Remedies
Mountain Herbs - Organic Harvested Fresh

"In health there is freedom. Health is the first of all liberties."
- Henri-Frederic Amiel 1828-1881

"Nature alone can cure disease. Doctors cannot heal. They can only direct the sufferer back to the pathways of health. Nature alone can create, and healing is re-creation."
- Dr. Willaim S. Sadler

"Unless the doctor of today becomes the dietitian of tomorrow, the dietitian of today will become the doctor of tomorrow."
- Dr. Alexis Carrol (Famous Biological Scientist and head of the Rockefellar Institute)

Required Disclaimer: The information in this message has not been evaluated by the FDA.  We do not sell or advocate drugs and we make no claims that anything advocated or sold on this forum or on our related websites is a drug.  We do not treat, cure or prevent illness or disease - we try to help people learn how to do so themselves