i know it has something to do with enzymes but i cant really figure it out.. please help!

good question.
i’m guessing because the big question everyone has for a veg. is “Why dont you eat meat?”
Everyone wants to know why you decided on that.

Taking dietary supplements will ensure that you get all of the nutrients you need to stay healthy. But are natural supplements better than synthetic supplements?

Natural dietary supplements are made from natural ingredients that have not been chemically or falsely enhanced in any way. The natural ingredients can come from nutrient sources, plant/herbal sources, or animal sources. Natural dietary supplements contain no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, coatings or fillers.

Synthetic dietary supplements are made from artificial ingredients that have been created in a laboratory. The artificial ingredients copy natural ingredients, that is, they have a similar or identical molecular structure to natural ingredients.

There is limited scientific research on whether natural supplements are better than synthetic supplements, so doctors, nutritionists, and other health experts have varying opinions on this issue.

Some feel that synthetic products are less effective than natural products because the artificial ingredients they contain are not assimilated by the body as well as natural ingredients. Some feel that synthetic products are just as effective as natural products because the artificial ingredients they contain have similar or identical molecular structure to natural ingredients. Some feel that natural products are safer to use because your body can more easily get rid of any excess. Some feel that with synthetic products, all you get is the “chemical” that has been synthesized, but with natural products, you get additional nutrients.

Even with these differing opinions, scientific data has provided us with conclusive facts about three particular supplements – vitamin E, beta carotene, and folic acid.

Studies have shown that the natural forms of vitamin E and beta carotene are superior to the synthetic forms. Natural vitamin E is better retained and more biologically active than synthetic vitamin E. Beta-carotene is a natural form of vitamin A that is safer than synthetic vitamin A because any excess beta-carotene is easily flushed from the body so that it can’t build up to toxic levels. Not so with synthetic
vitamin A that can become toxic in high doses. With regard to folic acid, the synthetic form is absorbed better than the natural form is.

The bottom line with regard to natural versus synthetic is that until more scientific research is conducted, you have to use your own judgment when selecting all but the above three supplements. If you do decide to go the natural supplement route, be aware that just because a product is natural doesn’t mean it is high quality. The dietary supplement industry is full of companies that produce inferior products, even natural ones, so you should only purchase supplements from a reputable company that has a track record of producing safe, effective, top quality products.

Most of the time vegetable juice has added ingredients and sometimes may be sweetened if you check the label .However it is still as healthy , but if I were you I would instead eat the vegetables . If you dont like eating vegetables than just drink the juice instead .By the way most of the time the vegetables lose fiber .

Processing green tea differs from the way black tea is processed. Antioxidants in the tea leaves are nearly exhausted after black tea is processed whereas in green tea, almost all of its antioxidants are left in the leaves after processing.

Antioxidants in an apple

Antioxidants are active when an apple is sliced. You must have noticed that after slicing an apple, its flesh slowly turns into brown. That is because the apple’s flesh is reacting to oxygen when it is exposed to air. This reaction produces free radicals and could create a chain reaction.

All fruits have antioxidants. Different types of fruits have different types of antioxidants. This is nature’s defense for the fruit from oxidizing.

Let’s get back to the apple. When free radicals are formed in the exposed flesh, the antioxidants in the apple quenches these free radicals to prevent a chain reaction. All of the exposed area of the flesh reacts to oxygen and therefore all these areas forms free radicals which are then quenched by the apple’s antioxidants. Chain reaction cannot continue to the inside flesh as antioxidants quench these free radicals.

The discoloration you see in the exposed flesh are the result of molecules which reacted to oxygen. Scrape off that layer and you will see what the antioxidants in the apple has accomplished. It stopped the oxidation from going further inside the flesh.

Black Tea Processing

The following are the basic processing of black tea.

1. Harvesting

2. Withering – the leaves are spread and left to dry.

3. Rolling – the leaves are twisted and rolled either by hand or machinery. This process breaks or cracks the surface of the leaves exposing it to oxygen.

4. Oxidation or fermentation – the leaves are left to dry for several hours until it is about 80% dry.

5. Drying – the leaves further dried by applying heat without burning the leaves. This stops the oxidation process.

Just like the apple when the membranes of the leaves cracked in the rolling process, it exposed the insides of the leaves to oxygen. The free radicals produced are quenched by the antioxidants inside the tea leaves. Therefore those antioxidants that quenched the free radicals are already spent and will not be available in the finished product.

Green Tea Processing

This process differs a little bit from the way black tea is processed.

1. Harvesting

2. Withering

3. Drying

As you can see, the steps that can oxidize the leaves, rolling and oxidation, are omitted leaving the antioxidant content of the leaves almost intact.

Which do you prefer?

Now that you have seen the difference in processing and the final outcome of antioxidant content, what do you prefer? Tea with more antioxidant content? Others prefer the stronger taste of black tea against the milder taste of green tea. Others prefer green tea because of its healthful benefits.

How to get more antioxidants from tea

Our body can absorb only a small percentage of the antioxidants in tea. By combining it with citrus juices or vitamin c, our body’s absorption of the antioxidants in tea can multiply more than 5 times.

Is ADHD medication using psychostimulants more effective than natural supplements? Some of the natural supplements consist of herbal and homeopathic solutions which can be easily administered. They have no side effects so no worrying about ‘crashing’ – ie when the child is subject to a ‘downer’ as the effect of the medication wears off.

Combined therapy seems to be the best bet using behavioural therapy, diet, medication and sensible parenting techniques. Sometimes the latter can mean that doses of ADHD medicine can actually be reduced. This medication has received a barrage of criticism over the years and now parents will no longer accept that psychostimulants are the answer. The side effects are frightening and there is a risk that the children will become addicted to these drugs and become substance users.

What are the natural supplements for ADHD? Children who were given L- acetylcarnitine had a marked reduction in hyperactivity and a general improvement in social behaviour. Carnitine was also effective among boys and their overall behaviour improved. Other natural supplements for ADHD used with some success were :- Ginseng together with ginkgo biloba and St. John’s Wort were also found to be effective. More research needs to be done but so far the results have been more than encouraging.

How can a parent find natural supplements for ADHD without the risk of buying unsafe ADHD supplements and which have no guarantees.? They will want to know what ingredients were chosen. And why and who chose them. Many of the ingredients in natural supplements for ADHD are homeopathic ones and the company below has qualified professional homeopaths who are working to government standards. The FDA controls certain facilities and the company below follows the standard homeopathic guidelines set down by the federal authorities. You will also need to know what kind of processing goes into these remedies. Thousands of parents are turning to natural supplements for ADHD as they cannot tolerate the ever growing scandal of dangerous side effects from ADHD psychostimulants. Obviously natural supplements should not be used in combination with the ADHD conventional drugs. Click on the link below to decide if this sort of treatment is the answer to your child’s ADHD.