We do not believe that optimal health comes solely from a bottle of vitamins; it takes a multi-faceted approach to maximize ones health. Regular exercise, the best possible diet, stress management, and other factors need to be employed as well. And while we adamantly do not believe that taking a handful of supplements ever takes the place of the consumption of the highest quality diet possible, we remain convinced that supplementation is a necessity for three primary reasons: A growing body of research shows that food alone does not supply all of the micronutrients we need to prevent deficiency, let alone achieve optimal health. Even if we could obtain all the nutrients we need from our diet, most people do not consume a healthy diet, eating highly processed foods instead. Additionally, numerous studies have shown that the soil crops are now grown in has become depleted in nutrients, resulting in less nutritious produce. Also, much of what we eat comes from foods grown far away, picked when unripe. Nutritional content is thus further depleted. That being said, we have to remember that we can't view taking supplements as an insurance policy for good health while eating unhealthy and processed foods.