Are vegetable and fruit extracts contained in supplemental pills as good as the real thing?

Answer 1

in terms of minerals, probably.
in terms of vitamins, probably not because vitamins are sensitive to light and oxygen and can degrade with exposure to either. ( eg a rockmelon will lose 50% of its vitamin C within 24 hours if left uncovered and exposed to light)
the other thing is whole foods contain fibre and water which is essential for your health; by taking supplemental foods you're missing this.
the only reason i would recommend fruit or veg extract is of one particular fruit or veg that contains high doses of a nutrient; eg cherry concentrate for arthritis because its easier than eating a kilo of cherries a day.

Answer 2

Depends on the processing used by the particular company to extract the water. Some are better than others. But those that use the best process do retain a signifcant amount of the nutrients...examples: "Juice Plus" or "Nanogreens".

Of course, fresh produce is always desirable and should not be eliminated from your diet just because you take these supplements. Whole food nutrition supplements don't provide the fiber that fresh does.

But even if you are eating the best possible diet with 8 or more servings of fruit and veggies (and who does that...really), the nutrient levels of produce continues to drop, so supplementation with nutrients from plant products is definitely the way to go.

Answer 3

No, vegetable and fruit extracts are not as good as the real thing. Extractions are fragmented compounds and do not compare in nutritious value to the synergy of a whole fruit.

And No, supplemental pills are not as good as the real thing. First, some people cannot swallow and will never eat pills. And people who do eat pills may not know that these pills - often still with the brand name visible - are clogging the city sewers and are not digested and absorbed properly.

You may check whole fruit juices which may contain the nutritious value of the whole fruit and are more easily digested.

Answer 4

It is good to take supplements because as the others said the ground is mineral deficient and they pick food before it is ripe. Then the processing of canned foods boils the nutrients out as well. You need to pick good brands. Commerical name brands aren't always as good as some. The main thing is the active ingredients. Also, rather than tablets, it is better to get more easily to dissolve forms such as gel caps or liquid whenever possible.
For example, you can buy a green tea like Lipton and it doesn't contain polyphenol. Fuze does contain polyphenol.
Personally I think a bottle of Mineral Rich is the way to go. GNC as well as other places sell it.

Answer 5

It all depends on how the vegetables and fruits are extracted.

The three biggest factors in destroying the healthy benefits of fruits and vegetables are oxygen, heat and ultra violet radiation.

To know for sure; you would have to know how they were extracted.

Answer 6

I largely agree with Dee Cee, with one important caveat - almost all commercially grown food is raised on ground that is now TOTALLY deficient in minerals and vitamins, therefore you cannot possibly eat enough to get all the vitamins and minerals (let alone enzymes, phytonutrients etc) that you need by eating food alone.

Governments were warned about this way back in the 1920s, but have totally ignored it. The result is farmers using more and more chemicals and food containing less and less of what it should.

The ONLY way to go with commercially produced food is to eat organic, which is far better than non-organic, but if you can raise your OWN vegetables, fruit etc, you not only know what went into it, you also get some excellent exercise :-)

More info at the link below
Natural Health Information Centre

Answer 7

All fruits are fruit and vegetables. A "vegetable" is a plant, any part of which is employed for food.

Answer 8

In the superstore, fruits are usually picked out much too soon. Some are rocks, many are bad. Some of the fresh vegetables are generally right (zucchini, onions, garlic, lettuce, greens, and a few others) so I'd have to go with vegetables.