Monday, March 9, 2015
Everything You Need to Know about Multi Vitamins
Over the Christmas and new year break Im sure many of you have thought about making 2012 a healthier year. An easy change many tend to adopt is taking a multivitamin. This can be very useful. However, it is important to make sure you are choosing a multivitamin which is going to be benefiting you.
Is it a one-a-day multivitamin?
If it is, then youre pretty much guaranteed its not great. This is because companies have to squeeze and bind many nutrients together in one tablet or capsule. To do so they tend to use forms of vitamins and minerals that are poorly absorbed.
Is it Enteric Coated?
Vitamins in tablet form must be enteric coated in order to be absorbed in the body correctly and therefore work most effectively. Usually vitamins will indicate on the packet whether they are enteric coated or not. If not, a simple test can be carried out at home where you can suspend your multivitamin in a solution of vinegar and water. If the tablet breaks apart it is NOT enteric coated. Most capsules are enteric coated.
Is it a liquid, tablet or capsule?
Tablets are generally more difficult to break apart in your stomach because they contain binders that hold them together. These pills can go right through you without being dissolved or absorbed. While not all tablets have this problem, it would be extremely difficult for the general consumer to know if any one tablet is good or not. Capsules dont have this problem.
Liquid Forms can also be more bioavaiable than non-enteric coated tablets. However, because they lack the stabilizers, do have a shorter shelf-life. and can lose efficacy, due to the fact that many ingredients cannot effectively be dissolved or suspended in water. Furthermore, they generally have artificial flavouring added to help mask the taste.
Does it contain highly-absorbable nutrients?
Companies use poorly absorbed nutrients because they are less expensive. They also know that they can get away with it because most consumers shop purely based on price. They dont understand that most of what theyre buying is likely not being absorbed.
Once again if it is a once-daily tablet then the product likely contains nutrients that cant be absorbed. Simply look at the Supplements Facts label on the bottle. This is where each ingredient is listed in detail. Find magnesium, calcium, zinc and copper.
If calcium is calcium carbonate, or if any of the other minerals are "oxides" (e.g., magnesium oxide, copper oxide), then its a poor quality formula and not worth your money.
The oxide forms of these minerals are poorly absorbed. In fact, you can only absorb about two percent of magnesium when its in the oxide form. So if the bottle lists one hundred milligrams magnesium (as magnesium oxide), then youre actually only absorbing about two milligrams. The remaining ninety eight milligrams just pass right through you.
Instead, the most absorbable form of minerals are the amino acid chelated forms. A chelate is a mineral combined with an amino acid such as citrate, malate, asporotate or aspartate. Amino acid chelated minerals are easier for the body to absorb and can increase absorption to 75%. If you really want your money’s worth, only buy products that contain all their minerals as amino acid chelates (eg, magnesium -citrate).
Calcium, found in all multivitamins and calcium supplements, is a little different. It doesnt come in an oxide form. Instead, most products contain calcium carbonate (this includes coral calcium). Its a large molecule with a lot of elemental calcium.
Stomach acid is required to absorb calcium carbonate. But as people age they tend to produce less stomach acid. Just when people need the calcium most as they age and take osteoporosis supplements to protect their bones theyre absorbing less and less of this essential mineral.
In contrast, calcium citrate or malate is smaller, easier to absorb and doesnt require stomach acid. The most absorbable forms of minerals are listed as an "amino acid chelate," or as citrate, malate, aspartate. Only buy supplements that contain these forms of minerals.
The dietary supplement aisle is confusing for most people, and manufacturers know this. Thats why people largely shop just on price. They buy the least expensive bottle possible. In doing so theyre flushing their money down the toilet. Be a savvy consumer. Look at your dietary supplement and ask these questions.
1) Is it once a day multi?
2) Is it Enteric coated?
3) What form of Vitamins/Minerals does it contain?
Russell Nassim (APD)
References:
http://www.nbihealth.com/t-buyer-beware.aspx
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