Blog

You may ask yourself, “why do I need a multi-vitamin?” The media consistently points out how depleted our food supply is of vitamins and minerals. This is because of pesticides, over-and improper farming, not rotating crops, not putting the nutrients back in the soil, bio-engineering, and GMO’s (Genetically modified organisms).

Unfortunately, if you are eating everyday grocery food and/or junk food, you will not get the nutrients you should. A place many people start to remedy this is by taking a multi-vitamin. Besides, many doctors recommend a basic multi-vitamin for their patients.

For many people, this can be not very clear because there are so many choices. Hopefully, this can help clarify a few things for you before you go shopping.

The first thing I look at on a multi-vitamin bottle is what form the vitamins are in. By this, I mean, are vitamins in a natural or synthetic form? There is a difference in how our bodies utilize the nutrients.

Natural vitamins are recognized and absorbed. Whereas the synthetic, although scientifically, technically, and chemically may appear to be the same thing, the body actually can tell the difference. This is most likely why there are such mixed results in the studies on vitamins.

How to tell the difference

A simple way to see what forms vitamins are is by looking at the ingredients on the bottle. For example, Vitamin E; if you see d-alpha tocopherol or mixed tocopherols — these are natural forms of Vitamin E. If you see dl-alpha tocopherol — this is synthetic Vitamin E, and I wouldn’t give that to my dog. If the bottle says Vitamin E and does not show what kind — I would assume it is synthetic and put it back on the shelf.

Remember, Vitamin E is a commodity just like everything else on our planet. There are only a few factories in the world that make Vitamin E. So, supplement companies that sell vitamins go to the manufactures that make the vitamins and get a price list of the different types of vitamins. They have a choice to purchase the most expensive Vitamin E for their products, or the cheapest, or something in between. Every supplement company is different.

Vitamin C can also be made in different ways — synthetically (using bleach, nickel, and the chemical toluene). It can be made from a biosynthesized source, or it can come from a plant source naturally. The majority of what you are going to see in your average multi-vitamin is synthetically made.

The only way to find out if it is from a natural source is to call the company (many bottles list the companies names on the bottle with their contact information) unless it actually says on the bottle that it contains natural vitamin C from a plant source. Most people benefit from taking Camu Camu which is a fruit from South America that is very high in vitamin C, gentle and easy for the body to absorb.

B Vitamins work better together

Your multi-vitamin must have the whole gamut of B Vitamins. B Vitamins are “synergistic.” This means that they work better together than by themselves. There are 14 + B Vitamins — so you want to make sure that your multi-vitamin has them all. Be aware that most of the B Vitamins on the market today are made from things you may be trying to avoid in your eating regime, such as wheat germ, yeast, dairy, or meat products.

Again, check the bottle for the source or call the company. It is essential if you are vegan or vegetarian that you get a source of Vitamin B-12 because when you take animal products out of your diet, you also eliminate consumption of Vitamin B-12.

Minerals

The next item I look for is minerals and again what form they are in. Some forms are absorbed better than others, while others can be used to help with specific problems in the body. But if you are just starting, an assumption can be made that you want the most absorbable mineral. The most absorbable mineral forms by the body are amino acid chelates.

So, when you see the mineral listed — like Calcium, it will list what kind it is; either calcium amino acid chelate, calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium phosphate, etc. This does not mean the other forms are useless; as I said, they can be useful as tools for other health issues.

But if you want a mineral specifically for nutritional purposes — amino acid chelate is the most absorbable form. When they hit the hydrochloric acid in our stomach, all the other forms turn the calcium into calcium chloride, which is a harsh mineral salt, which can cause stomach upset or constipation for some people.

Freshness

Another thing that is important to look at is the product’s expiration date. If the product is fresh, how long will it continue to be so before it goes bad or rancid/toxic?

If a multi-vitamin is natural, it will go bad at some point. Be sure that you are getting one that will not expire for as long as possible, which helps to guarantee its potency and freshness.

Fillers, binders and preservatives

The final and probably more important thing is to look at the “Other ingredients.” What is this, you say? Isn’t there just vitamins and minerals in a multi? No, no, no, no…. Most of the multi-vitamins you will find have fillers, binders, and preservatives. If you can avoid these, that is best.

Taking more preservatives and chemicals is not the idea here. We get enough of that in our regular food. Other bad ingredients are sugar, corn starch, artificial food colorings, and the list goes on. Look at the labels next time you are shopping; you might be surprised what you are taking.

Other ingredients can be also be something good like vegetables, broccoli, oranges, or other actual foods. These beneficial ingredients mean this company is putting in the standard vitamins and minerals and adding in whole foods, which is the latest trend in multi-vitamins. This allows you to get the nutrients you would get if you ate broccoli without eating it. These whole food supplements are a much better choice than just extracted, isolated or synthetic vitamins.

On my desk, I have a piece of paper that lists everything that is in an apple. There are over 400 items listed on that handout. Every time you eat an apple, you get all those nutrients. Each vegetable/fruit has a plethora of nutrients, just like what is listed for this apple. When you take the usual vitamins sold in the grocery store, they contain isolates. An isolated form of Vitamin B extracted from a source and then put together with other isolated vitamins.

Many people feel that getting the whole apple is a better choice than taking isolated sources, especially since it is found in nature. Multiple vitamins that add fruits and vegetables provide the whole source, instead of just isolated manufactured ones.

Taking something the way it is made by nature is usually always a better idea. All the additional supplementing nutrients are provided for your body to use with the main nutrients.

I think it is important to know the company you are purchasing products from. Where they are made, who is making them, and what they are making them from. I am very picky about what I give my family. If you are taking junk vitamins, you most likely will not get the results you are looking for; in fact, they could be making you sick.

Liquid vs. capsules vs. tablet

There is a debate in the industry about what is better — Liquid vs. capsules vs. tablet multi-vitamins? The debate comes from the fact that many multi-vitamin tablets have fillers and go right through our bodies without being digested.

These are often called “out-house pills” because they are found in the bottom of out-houses when they clean them out. The person’s body did not dissolve them or called “x-ray pills,” as many chiropractors have stated they can see them in people when they do x-rays.

For many of the multi’s on the market, I am sure this is true. But there are high-quality capsules and tablets on the market that can be digested easily by our bodies. It has to do with the company and the ingredients they choose to use.

Finally, when starting on a new quality multi-vitamin, be prepared to get healthier and pay attention to what is happening to your body with the new regime you are using. Are you noticing a difference? More energy, feeling better, or sleeping better?

Please reach out if questions, truhealthbykasara@outlook.com.

About the Author

Kasara is educated as a Mental Health Therapist, Master Herbalist, Traditional Naturopath and Energy Worker with over 35 years of helping thousands of clients find alternative health options that work. She writes articles on Medium, and on her website http://truhealth.com. You may subscribe to her Medium account or her newsletter to stay connected.