Foundational Five: Multi-Vitamins
Disclaimer: The following information has not been approved by the FDA. This information should not be interpreted as medical advice and is not a substitute for a visit with a medical care professional. Always speak to your doctor about any health concerns.
Who is in charge of your health care?
Did you name a doctor? I hope that you said, “I am!” Unfortunately most of us rely on others to advise, prescribe, and treat our health care problems.
What if you built a foundation of wellness that supported great health? Many of us only become concerned with our health when we lose it. Isn’t this is backwards thinking?
The Healthy Place is passionate about the foundations that create the base of your health. We believe that everyone will benefit from taking the five power-packed nutrients that make up the Foundational Five…multi-vitamins, probiotics, omega-3 oils, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatories.
What Is A Multi-Vitamin?
Multi-vitamins are dietary supplements in the form of tablets, capsules, powders, and liquids that provide vitamins, dietary minerals and other nutritional elements.
Who Needs Them?
We believe that everyone can use some nutritional help, but the following are some specific reasons for multi-vitamin use:
- Not eating a healthy, balanced diet
- A lifestyle that is hectic and stressed
- Taking prescription drugs. Many interfere with absorption of nutrients or with digestion.
- Pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant
- Breast feeding
- Alcohol consumption that is more than occasional
- Smoking
- Illness or chronic medical conditions
- You are interested in the cheap “insurance” a multi-vitamin provides in filling in nutritional deficiencies and supporting a well functioning body
What Are the Health Benefits?
- Increased energy
- Ability to handle stress
- Improved immune function
- Protection against “hereditary” tendencies
- Increased concentration and memory
- Better quality sleep
Isn’t Food A Better Source?
Is it better to get your nutrients from a vitamin or a food source? This is a tricky question. The answer would be a resounding yes, in a perfect world. It isn’t a perfect world and, although we have an abundance of food, the quality of that food isn’t what it used to be.
- Soil Deficiencies: Modern agricultural methods have decreased the nutrients available in the soil. Studies have found that the vitamin and mineral content of produce has been dropping since the 1930s. One study found that we would have to eat eight oranges to receive the same amount of Vitamin A as our grandparents.
- Hybridization: Agri-corporations have strived to develop crops that produce larger yields, have increased pest resistance, are easier to harvest and have the ability to adapt to a variety of climates. Unfortunately these crops are showing “reliable declines” in nutritional content says an article published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (December 2004).
- GMOs: A genetically modified organism has undergone genetic engineering that altered or modified its DNA. Typically this DNA comes from a different organism…a plant, virus, bacterium, or animal. How safe is this? We don’t know! But consider that more than 60 developed nations have significant restrictions or outright bans on production and sale of GMOs.
- Organic: Despite the growing awareness that is fueling the organic movement only 40% of Americans said that they would try to include more organic food in the future. Organic foods lessen the toxic burden placed on our bodies from herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, hormones and antibiotics that are saturating much of our food supply.
- Low Quality Diet: One in four Americans eat some type of fast food every day. They also consume 31% more packaged foods than fresh foods. What’s your diet like? Really?
- Disease: Did you know that nutrient deficiency disease is on the rise? Scurvy is caused by a vitamin C deficiency and rickets is caused by a Vitamin D and calcium deficiency. Scurvy increased almost 54% in the UK over the 2002-2004 time period.
Diet is important! Multi-vitamins aren’t meant to replace a healthy diet. They should be used to “fill in the gaps” to support a healthy body.
What To Look For In A Multi-Vitamin
- Pharmaceutical Grade: Multi-vitamins bearing this label are of the highest quality. This means that the purity, dissolution and absorption meet the highest regulatory standard. This standard should be verified by a third party.
- Certificate of Analysis: This information should be available on every lot of every nutrient contained in the multi-vitamin. This ensures that the quality and purity of the product.
- Nutrient Form: The form that the nutrients are in are what determines how well a vitamin works. Natural forms of nutrients are better absorbed, or bioavailable, and more active than their synthetic counterparts. Synthetic vitamins are typically used in lesser quality vitamins because they are cheaper and take up less room in the in the capsule or tablet.
You might say that the old axiom “you get what you pay for” applies very well to supplements. Drugstore and discount store brands of supplements are generally synthetic, highly compressed tablets that can pass through the body completely whole and unabsorbed. Investing in a high quality multi-vitamin is an investment in your health.
Obviously multi-vitamins are beneficial to excellent health. You can see that they have earned their place in the Foundational Five. To learn what multi-vitamin would be best for you, contact us or stop into our store and talk to one of our nutrition experts. We offer their expertise as a resource on your journey to “Find Your Healthy Place”.
This is written as an informational guide and is not meant to replace professional medical care.
Sources
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vitamins/
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-and-nutrition-loss/
https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-american-eating-habits
*Disclaimer: All information and recommendations given on this site, in email correspondence, newsletters or other materials provided by The Healthy Place is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice nor be viewed as a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a healthcare provider. Consult a licensed healthcare practitioner before modifying, stopping, or starting the use of any medications, health programs, diets, and/or supplements, as well as regarding any health concerns you may have. Our statements and information have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. As with any health-related program, product, or service, your risks and results may vary. We expressly disclaim responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information provided to you here.”
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