Not everyone gets all of the vitamins and minerals they need each day. In fact, the majority of Americans do not even eat the five servings of fruit and vegetables recommended by the FDA. When people do eat "good" foods such as vegetables and fruit, they are usually not 'fresh', coming either from a can, a frozen bag, or the freshness has been lost through heating and cooking. To the surprise of many, although they are eating their fruit and veggies, they are still lacking in vitamins and minerals. This can be attributed to several factors, one of the most important being that many foods are cooked or heated to a high temperature. This is done in many cases to preserve the foods as they sit on the grocery store shelf waiting for you to buy them. This processing of foods kills the "bad" bacteria that may be lurking in the foods, but it also eliminates many of the essential nutrients found in fresh, raw vegetables.

Another factor contributing to the loss of vitamins and minerals in foods and therefore in our bodies is the loss of minerals and vitamins in the soil where the fruits and vegetables are grown. Our vegetables and fruits therefore have fewer vitamins and minerals in them.