WomanPlace . . .

  Choosing the right multivitamin is vital but it can be confusing. There are conflicting claims about nutrients and dosages. Because of weak regulations, the labels on products are incomplete and misleading. Science in this area is rapidly evolving but not fast enough. The number of choices at the vitamin store can be overwhelming. How do you decide what is right for you? Here's our guide to finding the best nutritional supplements.
 

Understanding the essential nutrients your body needs

   There’s a danger to you in the way nutritional supplements are marketed. Too many patients come to us taking dozens of supplements and herbs, sometimes in extreme doses, and not really understanding what their body truly needs. This is a great concern to us and we have an easy solution. Your body will naturally seek to balance itself if you give it the right foundation of nutritional support. That’s why we make sure every patient at our practice is on a sound foundation of a pharmaceutical-grade multivitamin, multi-mineral, and essential fatty acids (EFA’s). This approach is based on how our bodies really work. Every day our bodies need certain raw materials to support the vast biological mechanisms that fuel our physical and mental activity, support our immune defenses, and regenerate skin, muscle, blood, tissue, and bone. This fuel comes in the form of macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — and micronutrients: vitamins and minerals (which fall into four more categories, water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins, major minerals, and trace minerals).  Some of these nutrients are familiar from the labels on food and vitamin packages. Fat-soluble vitamins like A and D have the capacity to be stored in our bodies. Others, like vitamin C and some of the Bs, are water-soluble, which means they are eliminated in our urine and sweat and must be replenished regularly. We also require essential fatty acids, which are often overlooked.

   Our bodies need a ready supply of all these nutrients on hand to function properly. They serve as anti-oxidants, chelating heavy metals and attracting free radicals to detoxify our systems. Some help fight infection, clot blood, heal wounds, and strengthen bones. Others contribute to hormone production, convert food into energy and support healthy cell regeneration. Adequate levels of EFA's help prevent inflammation and contribute to stable cholesterol levels which affect hormonal balance.

   Every essential nutrient has a vital task in our bodies. Moreover, each one usually works in concert with one or several others. For example, vitamin E works more efficiently in the presence of vitamin C. Calcium has a much higher absorption rate when taken with magnesium. Zinc may assist a variety of other nutrients to bolster the immune system. It's impossible to isolate the effect of each vitamin — just as it's impossible to isolate a single vitamin deficiency as the cause of any given symptom. For example, vitamin B deficiency can result in symptoms resembling vitamin D deficiency, and so on. That’s why the best vitamin supplements are well-rounded — to ensure that we benefit from the synergistic effect of all the nutrients working together.

Bioavailability: the acid test of a multivitamin

A basic problem is getting past the digestive system. In a pharmaceutical-grade vitamin supplement, many of the nutrients are chelated, or tied to another molecule, which acts as an escort until it reaches the bloodstream. Both universities and private companies have developed and patented such chelated compounds. Because they are relatively expensive to license they are rarely seen in ordinary multivitamins.

A second problem is processing methods. Many ordinary multivitamins use inexpensive processes and rely on additives. These processes can destroy the nutritional value of the supplements or render them unrecognizable to the body.  These are the reasons why the half of Americans that take multivitamins are not noticeably healthier than the half that doesn't. Many of them are taking ordinary vitamins that lack the range of nutrients their bodies need or low-price or discount vitamins that are less effective due to their processing methods and the limited bioavailability of their nutrients.

   At WomanPlace and Natural Health Solutions, we are very concerned that the labeling regulations are very misleading for consumers. Bioavailability is a relatively new area of nutritional science that is evolving rapidly, and we don’t expect to see standardized measurements of bioavailability of nutritional supplements for many years. In the meantime, you have to rely on the quality of the research and the manufacturing methods that are behind your vitamin supplements when choosing a multivitamin.
 

The controversy over RDA’s and vitamin dosages

   Unfortunately the RDA’s are not a good guide for consumers who want to use nutritional supplements to support optimal health and prevent disease.  RDA’s were meant to be bare minimums, not optimal dosages. While nutritional science has made stunning progress in the last 60 years, there is no consensus yet about optimal dosages for multivitamins or multi-minerals. A good example is the new information surfacing about vitamin D. Not only is it important for calcium absorption, it also appears to help in weight loss, strengthen bone and protect against cancer and depression. Our bodies seem designed for large amounts of vitamin D, as we create 20,000 IU’s (international units) of vitamin D in just 20 minutes of sun exposure. Yet the RDA for vitamin D is only one-tenth of that — 200 IU's for a woman age 31-50.

What we do know today is that significantly higher doses of vitamins and minerals are needed for optimal health than are recommended in the RDA’s. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, for example, established therapeutic dosages many times higher than the RDA’s. What’s needed is long-term study of the effects of different dosages, plus a better understanding of how nutritional supplements might be personalized to each individual’s needs. In the meantime, our approach is to recommend a conservative but therapeutic dose based on the latest nutritional science. The Institute of Medicine, which advises the FDA, has undertaken a complete revision of RDA's based on the latest findings. These new Daily Reference Intakes (DRI’s) will be based on RDA’s but reflect our changing need for nutrients as we age and provide for a broader range of dosages. We hope it will rectify some of the larger gaps left in our nutrition by the current guidelines. It will use updated RDA’s as minimums and over time establish upper limits on what is recommended. Of course, that process will take many years.

What is the best multivitamin?

   We have strong views about the qualities of the best multivitamin for men and women. Here is how we would describe the perfect formulation:

• Complete. Based on the latest nutritional science, women need at least 30 vitamins and minerals, plus a rich essential fatty acid formula (i.e. omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids).
• Bioavailable. The nutrient forms must be the most bioavailable. There are six patented chelated formulas we recommend be included. And of course it must meet USP standards for solubility.
• Natural. No artificial preservatives, dyes, allergens or other contaminants. The fatty acid formula (derived from marine lipids) must be certified to be free of mercury and lead.
• Reliable. We’ve been waiting over 10 years for the FDA to issue manufacturing standards for nutritional supplements. In the meantime, there are several sets of standards that have earned international recognition. The manufacturer must meet at least one of these recognized standards.
• Laboratory tested. As is true for pharmaceutical drugs, every production batch of a nutritional supplement must be tested in a laboratory (i.e. “standardized”) to ensure that it contains exactly what is on its label.
• Makes a difference. You are the final test. If the nutritional supplement doesn’t make you feel better within the first 30 days, try another formula. It may not resolve all your symptoms in that time, but you should feel a real improvement.

   NutraMetrix products are nutritional supplements we can trust. They provide an exceptionally good foundation for all, and it has all the qualities outlined above. We have visited the manufacturer, talked with their scientists and reviewed their processes and controls. We also take the products ourselves. There are only a few companies in America capable of producing a nutritional supplement of this quality, but we do not want you to think we claim to have the only one. You may find another multivitamin that suits you as well or even better. Just be sure the nutritional supplement you choose has the qualities listed above.