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Why use supplements?
It would be nice if we could get all the nutrition we need from our food, but unfortunately for most of us, it is no longer possible. Mass-produced foods have left our soils depleted of minerals. Magnesium, once as prevalent as calcium, is almost gone from our diet, as is chromium.
Tomatoes picked ripe off the vine are rich in vitamin C, but two hours after they are picked half of that vitamin C is gone. Two hours after that, half of what remained is gone. And so on. Tomatoes in our supermarkets, picked green in California, travel by truck to Indiana. The vitamin C that remains in a tomato when we take it home is minimal at best. Even if we try to eat healthfully, the cards are stacked against us.
The fact of the matter is that most of us lead busy lives–working, raising kids, doing the household chores, as well as preparing meals. It is common that fast food restaurants and pre-packaged foods account for one or two of our daily meals. Instant, processed and sweetened foods make the most convenient meals prepared at home. Essential fatty acids, the "good" fat, necessary for cell function in every organ in the body, are consciously eliminated by food producers because they spoil too quickly. As I said before, getting the nutrition we need from food alone is nearly impossible for many of us.
Next we will look at the single most important supplement you can take: the multiple vitamin.
The multiple vitamin: size and form
For most of us, the most important dietary supplement we can take each day is the multiple vitamin. A good "multi" contains a rich mixture of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and co-enzymes that we need on a daily basis. Usually these nutrients will take the space of 4 to 6 tablets or capsules. There simply isn't enough room for them in a candy-coated pill half the size of an M&M. A good multi might contain 1200 mg--or 1.2 grams--of calcium, vital to replace calcium in our bones. The definition of a gram is the mass of water contained in a cubic centimeter. Picture something just smaller than a cube of sugar. Many supermarket multis are a third that size.
Some people feel that 4 tablets is just too many to take each day. For these people, there are single tablets that one can take. These single tablets are definite compromises, but if the manufacturer is conscientious, they are much better than nothing.
As a rule of thumb, the loose powder in capsules is absorbed more easily than tablets, which are compressed with binders. But you will have to take more of the capsules, because the nutrients in six capsules can be packed into four tablets. Even better, one company makes a highly-absorbable loose powder multi that can be mixed with juice, milk or a protein shake.
Multis can be specially formulated for different groups of people. Men's formulas may include ginseng for stamina and saw palmetto for supporting prostate function. Women's formulas may have calcium delivery systems or add damiana or dong quai to smooth the monthly cycles. Children's formulas must taste good, or no child will take them. Seniors' formulas may add ginkgo biloba for memory support or bilberry and lutein to support vision.
The multiple vitamin: cost and quality
All multiple vitamins are not created equal–even if the RDA percentages read the same on the label. There is a reason why some cost as much as $50 for a month's supply, while other bargain brands cost only a few dollars. What is most important is the quantity of the nutrients that are actually used by your body. What good is a vitamin if it passes in one end and out the other without being absorbed? For example, two vitamins may each list a calcium content of 1000 mg. If the calcium is in the form of calcium citrate, and other supporting nutrients such as magnesium and vitamin D are available in usable form and quantity, the calcium will be absorbed and used by the body. If, however, the calcium is from oyster shells and not supported with other nutrients, even though the bottle legally reads 1000 mg of calcium, you may not get the results you are expecting. What you pay for in a quality vitamin is not only better ingredients, but the research and development that goes into creating an efficient delivery system.
One approach is to put the vitamins in "food form." That is, to deliver the nutrients to the body as if they come naturally from our food. This approach is both costly and effective. Don't be surprised when the label reads a lower content than other multis. The amount that is used by the body is what counts.
Multis also differ depending upon the nutritional philosophy of their creators: the nutritionists and biochemists who design the supplement. Some experts think that in our overly toxic environment, added support should be given to the liver, which is the organ mostly responsible for eliminating toxins. Other multis stress brain function. Likewise, there are specialty multis that support eyesight function, menopause, or the heart. Be careful of multis that tout an increase in energy. If that multi contains guarana, the energy lift is actually a caffeine buzz.
Next we will talk about vitamin C.
Copyright 2001 by Chip Engelmann
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