Re: How much of toxic Pandora can we get back in the box?

I wholeheartedly agree that if someone is taking supplements they should try to take those derived from whole foods.  In general, I think that larger amounts of supplements, including herbal ones, should be taken over a short term to address deficiencies and health issues (such as cancer, for example) with the goal of eventually relying on natural diet and lifestyle for proper nutrition and health support.  Of course, "short term" can be relative when using nature to address root causes and cure.  Unlike mainstream drugs which act quickly to force the body to function unnaturally (and with all the pitfalls and future illness that often causes), nature often works slowly, yet effectively to reverse deficiencies and disease and restore the body to normal healthy function.

In some instances, it may be wise to continue supplementation for preventive as well as supportive reasons,  for the most part people should not become dependent upon supplements any more than they should become dependent on mainstream drugs.  Myself, I alternatve taking superfoods powder, sea vegetables, and that great organic nutritional product intraMAX.  I figure that pretty well has me covered.  I'd do it from diet alone if possible, but I don't see how that can be done given today's mineral depleted soils and food choices, without having the land and devoting a significant portion of my time to growing, raising and processing food.

One other note: supplementation is about the only way possible for someone to have too much magnesium.  Most of us (variously estimated from 70% to as high as 95%) are deficient in magnesium.  Without enough magnesium, a whole host of things don't work right - including proper assimilation and utilization of other important minerals and nutrients.