Say YES to Multivitamins

A common objection to taking vitamins and supplements is that you get everything you need from a healthy, balanced diet. This is simply not true. The answer to “Should I be taking vitamins?” is an emphatic yes. Even if you do everything right - eat right, exercise, get adequate sleep, and keep stress levels down - you still need vitamins and supplements for health.
And remember that sugar, alcohol or stimulants like caffeine (in tea, coffee or energy drinks) deplete the body of more nutrients.

Why Vitamins are Necessary

1. Poor Food Choices

We have greater access to affordable food than at any time in human history, and we’re eating more than ever. Yet the quality of that food is, to say the least, lacking. According to the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the foods that contribute the most calories in the American diet are: grain-based desserts, breads, soda, pizza, alcohol, etc.

With a diet like this, it’s no wonder that only a third of the people in this country get enough calcium or Vitamin D, and nearly half have an inadequate intake of magnesium (including more than two-thirds of teenagers and adults older than 70).

Taking vitamins and supplements should never be thought of as a substitute for a healthy diet. But it is extremely difficult to get optimal levels of key nutrients from diet alone, which is why you need vitamins and supplements for health. 

2. Food Production and Preparation

Even if you try to eat good food, it’s likely been stripped of many beneficial nutrients. Here are some of the contributing factors:

• Soil quality. The nutritional profile of any plant food is linked to the quality of the soil in which it is grown. For example the soils in the United States have been depleted of 85% of their minerals in the last century. Fertilizers may add back minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but trace minerals are not necessarily replaced. This has led to a consistent decline in food quality.
• Processing and storage. No matter how fresh it may look, the truth is that supermarket produce may be months old. Nutrient losses begin as soon as fruits and vegetables are picked and continue through processing and storage. Freezing allows produce to retain the most nutritional punch, but temperature fluctuations during storage also can affect nutritional quality.
• Cooking. Nutrient losses are extremely common during food preparation, and the most vulnerable are heat-sensitive and water-soluble vitamins. The majority of Vitamin C and B vitamins, are lost during boiling/cooking, and even steaming wastes nutrients. Unless you’re a raw foods enthusiast, count on some nutrient deterioration during cooking.

Bottom line, don’t make the mistake of assuming that you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need from the food you eat. Taking  vitamins and supplements for health is the best way to make up for any shortfalls. 

3.  Age and Lifestyle

As you get older, your nutritional needs increase and your ability to absorb crucial nutrients decreases, which makes taking vitamins and supplements  for health - particularly a high-quality multivitamin - more important than ever. 

Let’s take vitamin B12, for example. No matter how good their diets may be, older people are likely to be deficient in this nutrient. Why? This vitamin’s absorption depends on hydrochloric acid, pepsin (an enzyme that breaks the bonds that bind B12 to protein) and intrinsic factor (a substance also required for B12 absorption). Production of all three declines dramatically with age.

The problem isn’t limited to vitamin B12, either. Studies have found well-fed, independent older people to be deficient in all B-complex vitamins, calcium, zinc, coenzyme Q10, and vitamins A, D, and E.

4.  Medications

Many prescription drugs also increase your risk of nutritional deficiency. For example, ACE inhibitors (for elevated blood pressure) - which are commonly prescribed for cardiovascular disease - deplete the body of zinc and sodium. Diabetes drugs (such as Glucophage and Avandia), reduce levels of vitamins B12 and B6, folic acid, coenzyme Q10, sodium, zinc, magnesium and potassium. 

Antacids (acid reflux medication) may provide temporary relief by neutralizing the bacterial acids, as well as already low stomach acids, but in the long run they might lead to dangerous consequences by further diminishing stomach acid levels. Stomach acid is necessary not only for the utilization of protein, but also for the absorption of minerals, especially zinc and magnesium; and vitamin B12.

If you are on the birth control pill, you should know that some of the vitamins and minerals are depleted by the pill: vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, Folic Acid (B9), vitamin C, Magnesium and Zinc. Also if you are on any statin lowering drugs (Cholesterol lowering meds) you want to make sure you are supplementing with CoQ10 which is depleted by these type of drugs and important for heart function.

Vitamins for Women and Men

• Nervous system ‐ B group vitamins, magnesium and zinc are essential for the health of our nervous system and may be beneficial during times of stress.
• Energy ‐ Magnesium and iron are very important for energy levels. Women with heavy blood loss during menstruation may be low in iron. Potassium is an essential body electrolyte that also plays a role in the production of energy. The B group vitamins are also essential for the production of energy.
• Antioxidants ‐ Antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and beta‐carotene help to protect against cell damage and cell aging caused by free radicals. Vitamin C is also essential for the production of collagen which is a component of our skin, blood vessels and bones.
• Immunity ‐ Nutrients essential for supporting a healthy immune system include vitamins A, C and E and the minerals zinc and selenium.
• Heart health and circulation ‐ Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps to maintain a healthy heart, assists with blood circulation and can help to alleviate cold hands and feet.
• Healthy weight ‐ The mineral chromium has a role in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism in the body and can assist in regulating blood sugar levels in healthy people. Iodine is a trace nutrient important for thyroid function. The thyroid gland produces hormones that affect our metabolic rate, body temperature, and protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Adequate iodine intake may help to regulate body weight via its affect on metabolic rate.
• Bone health ‐ Calcium, magnesium, boron and vitamin D are all important nutrients essential for bone health and are important to help achieve and maintain bone density.

Never forget about omega‐3 !

Multivitamins may not only contain all of those essential vitamins and minerals required for good health but also other beneficial ingredients such as the essential fat, omega‐3. Super important for both men and women, the omega‐3 (found in adequate quantities in fish and fish oil) is essential for our body function and general well-being and is also beneficial for health conditions such as arthritis. Omega‐3 helps to promote good heart health and helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels in healthy individuals. Omega‐3 also helps to reduce joint inflammation associated with arthritis and is important for brain function such as learning ability, concentration and memory. The body and brain are incredibly sensitive to inflammation, not the type you can always feel but the type of inflammation that is below the perception of pain - the cellular inflammation (which can further lead to inflammation-related problems/diseases like: depression, arthritis, anxiety, type II diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, etc). This means you have to have a constant supply in the blood stream to keep inflammation under control.

So definitely a top ingredient to have in your daily multivitamin!

20 Reasons To Take a Daily Multivitamin

1. Support healthy aging. As you get older, your body has a harder time absorbing nutrients from food. At the same time, your nutritional needs increase.
2. Correct nutritional deficiencies caused by prescription drugs and surgery and nutritionally wasting health conditions such as diabetes. Along with aging, there are several other factors that can make you more susceptible to nutritional deficiencies, including these common culprits.
3. Improve short-term memory. According to a meta-analysis of 10 randomized, placebo-controlled trials, taking a daily multivitamin can result in improvements in short-term memory.
4. Boost energy levels. Several studies have demonstrated that taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement is associated with increased energy levels.
5. Detoxify your body. The robust levels of minerals, antioxidants and B-complex vitamins present in a high-quality daily multivitamin help clear toxins from the body, facilitate enzymatic reactions required for detoxification, and keep the liver and other organs in tip-top shape.
6. Maintain muscle strength. Many of the problems with muscle aging are associated with free radical damage, and an antioxidant-rich daily multivitamin can help keep free radicals in check. Vitamin D has also been shown to improve muscle strength in older people.
7. Prevent falls. Numerous studies have found that a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement - particularly one with therapeutic dosages of vitamin D (at least 1,000 IU) and calcium (1,000 mg)-can improve balance and reduce risk of falls.
8. Restore sense of smell. Anosmia, the inability to detect odors, can be caused by a deficiency of zinc. Low levels of vitamins B12 and A along with copper are also associated with changes in sense of smell (and taste).
9. Protect against hearing loss. Several studies have found a correlation between hearing loss and deficiencies in B-complex vitamins. A more recent study also found that people with elevated homocysteine levels had a 64 percent increased risk of hearing loss, and the best way to lower homocysteine levels is with B-complex vitamins. More than this, high levels of homocysteine are associated with cardiovascular disease and mental health problems like dementia, Alzheimer, and memory decline.
10. Improve your skin. Research has shown that beta-carotene and vitamins C and E are important for maintaining healthy, younger-looking skin.
11. Prevent asthma and allergies. People with asthma and those prone to allergies often have depleted levels of vitamin C, zinc, selenium and magnesium.
12. Prevent diabetes complications. As I mentioned earlier, diabetes is a nutritionally-wasting condition, putting those who have it at dramatically increased risk of other problems (or complications) - especially ones that affect the eyes, nerves, blood vessels, kidneys and extremities. The best way to prevent these complications is by taking a potent, daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.
13. Boost mood. Many studies have found that a daily multivitamin has positive effects on mood and emotional well-being.
14. Manage Stress. Along with boosting mood, research has shown that a daily multivitamin-particularly one containing therapeutic dosages of B-complex vitamins-can help reduce stress and anxiety.
15. Enhance weight loss. A randomized, double-blind study of obese women found that those taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement lost an average of 7.9 pounds, compared to 2 pounds for those taking calcium and half a pound in the placebo group.
16. Improve sexual function. The organs and glands that are responsive to sexual hormones are particularly vulnerable to free radical damage, so taking an antioxidant-rich daily multivitamin can help ensure peak performance and function.
17. Prevent dry eyes. Most people know that vitamins, especially antioxidants, are essential for maintaining overall vision. But by the time you reach age 65, a lifetime of free radical damage has taken its toll, and our eyes produce (on average) 40% less lubrication. That’s why shoring up on these crucial nutrients can help correct or prevent the problem from developing in the first place.
18. Stop telomere erosion. Chromosomes are tightly coiled, rod-like structures made up of proteins and one double-helix–shaped molecule of DNA encoded with your genome: the blueprints for your growth, development and physiological function. And at the tips of every chromosome are protective “caps” called telomeres, which naturally get shorter as we age. Research has found that taking a daily multivitamin can help slow and even reverse this erosion.
19. Reduce cravings for alcohol. Research suggests that people who have problems with alcohol can often gain better control over their drinking by making sure they have adequate levels of B-complex vitamins, calcium and magnesium.
20. Prevent dental problems. Vitamin C plays a key role in the prevention of gum disease, as it helps maintain the integrity of the supporting structures of the oral tissues. Other antioxidants, including vitamins A and E as well as selenium, have also been shown to improve the health of the gums. Perhaps even more important is zinc. This mineral stabilizes cellular membranes and inhibits plaque growth. Deficiencies in both zinc and vitamin A are also common in patients with periodontal disease. 

Are all Multivitamins Created Equal?

A multivitamin easily serves as one of the critical foundation products for optimal health. But NOT all multivitamins are the same; certain aspects should be considered when choosing a product. Many products in the form of tablets and capsules exist on the market today, but do these provide the most effects? When you take a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement you WILL feel the difference. Whether it’s 2 weeks or 2 months, you will feel better – more energy, increased sex drive, clearer skin, better sleep, weight loss and so on.

Throw out any vitamins with “non-medicinal” ingredients you can’t pronounce and do your research to know what you are buying (NOT great choices include: Centrum, Kirkland brand (Costco), One A Day, Life brand etc). Every supplement will have some degree of preservatives and additives, but if you make an informed choice, then you won’t be throwing your money in the garbage by purchasing a product with nutrients you cannot absorb, full of preservatives and bulking agents. Spend the extra 10 or 20 dollars for better quality. Remember that a good multivitamin will only have just a few extra ingredients, and these should only be stuff like bioflavonoids (natural compounds that occur in nature and enhance the absorption and efficacy of vitamins), amino acids or fillers such as vegetable cellulose. Avoid vitamins that contain colorings or forms of sugar.

Most supplements require binders to hold tablets together or fillers such as cellulose or magnesium stearate for encapsulation. They may also contain silicon dioxide and other “glidants” to facilitate the manufacturing process. These substances are present in minute amounts and are harmless. However, some manufacturers use more additives than they need to - and these unnecessary additives may take the place of vital nutrients. 

So even if you pay a little bit more, stick with the good quality vitamins (bioavailable, natural) instead of the cheap ones (mostly synthetic and not absorbable).

Happy Vitamin Shopping!

Source: www.drwhitaker.com ,  www.cenovis.com.au , www.joyoushealth.com