Multivitamin Primer
by Jeremy Likness

To put it bluntly, we are killing ourselves. The statistics are not hard to fathom. Take a quick peek at the Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000 at the Centers for Disease control, and you will find it in the first sentence. "In 2000, the most common actual causes of death in the United States were tobacco (435,000), poor diet and physical inactivity (400,000)..." That's right. Second to smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity are right at the top. Both of these leading causes of death are preventable simply through choices we make in our lives.

The old adage that "you can get what you need from food" is no longer valid. For a long time, this is what the esteemed American Medical Association advised. Our doctors still give us this age old "advice." However, times are changing, and the need has been recognized. This article by the Council for Responsible Nutrition shares how the Journal of the American Medical Association changed their position - Harvard Researchers publish JAMA articles recommending vitamin supplements for all adults.

I am no stranger to this topic. In addition to my certification as a Fitness Trainer through the International Sports Sciences Association, I received my education as a Specialist in Performance Nutrition. One of the key elements of this course was a discussion of the various levels of nutrition. This can be summarized by what is known as the "Three E's" ...

• Essential Nutrition for Survival
• Essential Nutrition for Optimum Health
• Essential Nutrition for Maximum Performance

Most of the general population fits into the first category - survival. For example, people today still believe that the USRDA (United States Recommended Daily Allowance) is an upper or optimal limit for nutrition. This is not true. The USRDA is based upon the minimum amount of a nutrient needed for survival! For example, the USRDA for Vitamin C is 75mg. This amount is actually the minimum amount needed (with a margin for error built in) to avoid scurvy. Scurvy is a disease caused by a deficiency of Vitamin C. And you know what? It's working! How many people do you know suffer from scurvy? The problem is that 75 milligrams is not the optimum amount for good health. While this amount is highly debated, it is more than likely much greater than the USRDA. In fact, there is an established "tolerable upper limit" of 2 grams (that's 2000mg) daily - far higher than the minimum amount for survival. ISSA recommends a performance daily intake (essential nutrition for maximum performance) of up to 3,000mg per day!

There are numerous reasons why a good multivitamin supplement may be needed, and in amounts higher than the minimum for survival. These reasons include

• Poor digestion (we often don't chew well enough and eat too quickly)
• Hot drinks (create inflammation of digestive linings)
• Alcohol (increases the body's demand for B-vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, and minerals zinc, magnesium, and calcium)
• Smoking (increases need for Vitamin C, including second-hand smoke)
• Laxatives (can result in poor absorption of nutrients)
• Fad diets (for example, low-fat diets can be extremely deficient in fat soluble vitamins A, D, and E)
• Overcooking (cooking destroys heat-susceptible vitamins such as B-vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin E)
• Food processing (freezing reduces levels of vitamin E, vitamin B1, and vitamin C)
• Convenience (a diet high in refined carbohydrates, such as the Standard American Diet or SAD, requires additional vitamin B for the body to process the excess glucose)
• Antiobiotics (these fight friendly bacteria in the gut, which normally assist with ingestion of B-vitamins)
• Food allergies (omission of entire food groups can create deficiencies)
• Crop nutrient losses (poor soil management can deplete various nutrients)
• Accidents and illness (these conditions increase the body's demand for nutrients)
• Stress (increases body's need for B-complex vitamins, while stress from air pollution increases need for vitamin E)
• P.M.S. (research demonstrated that up to 60% of women suffering from traditional PMS symptoms can benefit from supplementation of vitamin B6)
• Teen years (growth spurts increase demands for nutrients)
• Pregnancy (it is ironic that such emphasis is placed on prenatal vitamins for proper development of the fetus, without regard to the mother - a few doctors I have associated with inform me that prescription prenatals are nothing more than an expensive multi that doesn't even come close to what higher potency, pharmaceutical grade products can offer)
• Oral contraceptives (decrease absorption of folic acid and increase need for vitamin B6, vitamin C, and zinc)
• Light eating (low calorie diets that aren't based upon vegetables and low-calorie fruits are extremely deficient in many nutrients)
• Aging (the elderly have diminished ability to absorb nutrients and therefore require a higher intake to effectively assimilate the same amounts)
• Lack of sunlight (creates deficiencies in vitamin D)
• Bio-individuality (we are all different, and therefore require a "cushion" to ensure appropriate amounts)
• Low body reserves (even though the body can store, for example, vitamin A, Canadian autopsy data showed that up to 1/3rd of the population had levels so low as to be considered "at risk")
• Athletics (additional food intake introduces free radicals and additional stress, in addition, exercise imposes stress and greater demands for antioxidant protection)

As you can see, there are many reasons why multivitamin supplementation is important. Now, how do you pick the right multivitamin?

The Right Ingredients (Quality)

There is a group of "essential" vitamins and minerals, as defined by the U.S. government and nutrition authorities. These include thirteen organic compounds and nineteen inorganic elements that the body needs for proper cell function. Our bodies cannot create these nutrients - they must come from our diets.

Recent research suggests that even more nutrients are necessary for optimal health. Certain nutrients can be conditionally essential. For example, healthy fats eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are not essential. They can be manufactured from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). However, the issue is that ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid, is extremely sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen. This means that our normal dietary sources of this are destroyed before they reach our system. Therefore, the EPA and DHA cannot be manufactured, so unless we are getting them from a diet of cold-water fish, they become conditionally essential. There are many other nutrients that fall into this category.

Therefore, an optimal multivitamin will go beyond the typical "essential" nutrients, and address those other nutrients that are conditionally essential. It will also contain antioxidants that have been shown to have a positive impact on health. Remember, the goal here is optimum health. We don't want excess because we are not all athletes (i.e. looking for maximum performance). However, we deserve more than minimum survival.

Examples of these nutrients include extract from olive (for the powerful antioxidants that are popularized by the "Mediterranean Diet"), bioflavanoids (compounds from vegetables that have been shown to have a positive impact on overall health), inositol, choline, bromelain (an enzyme that aids with digestion), alpha-lipoic acid (a powerful antioxidant), lutein (shown to impact vision), and coezyme Q10 (CoQ10 - a well-researched nutrient for optimal cardiovascular health). These are examples of nutrients that a quality multivitamin focused on your health will contain.

The Correct Amounts (Potency)

As previously discussed, the USRDA was established as a baseline for survival. A quality multivitamin will be formulated to do more than simply defend against diseases of deficiency such as scurvy or rickets. It will be designed to promote optimal health. This means greater amounts of certain vitamins and minerals than are prescribed by the USRDA while remaining within the tolerable upper limits (UL).

In order to ensure that what is promised on the label is in the bottle, a multivitamin should adhere to pharmaceutical grade Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). To learn more about GMPs, visit the site about Current Good Manufacturing Practices. The supplement industry in the United States is self-regulated and not required to adhere to pharmaceutical grade standards. This means that they can use food-level standards. The difference between food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade is like the difference between pizza and penicillin. There are many shortcuts that food-level manufacturers can take, such as not testing raw batches of ingredients entering the facility or ensuring the potency of the final product. Entrust your health to a product that invests the extra time and commitment to quality to ensure that what is on the label is in the bottle by adhering to pharmaceutical grade practices. A product cannot claim to be pharmaceutical grade unless it follows this standard.

The Precise Balance (Synergy)

Nutrients have a complex interaction with each other. Nutrients must be supplied in balanced doses. For example, the USRDA is based upon single nutrients, and not how nutrients interact with each other. Therefore, a product with exactly 100% of every nutrient hasn't considered the delicate balance that nutrients maintain. Certain vitamins compete with others for absorption, and can actually create deficiences in other areas. On the other hand, some nutrients are toxic in excessive levels. Vitamin C can raise the absorption of iron, which is potentially toxic in supplemental form. All of these factors must be considered.

How do you know your multivitamin was designed based on this balance of nutrients? Make sure the company you are purchasing from is a science-based company. They should have their own staff of scientists who possess a background in biochemistry, immunology, or other credentials that relate to the science of nutrition. Be wary of companies that were started by marketers simply looking for a product to sell, or self-proclaimed "gurus" who do not have the proper background to understand how to design an appropriate multivitamin.

The Optimal Form (Bioavailability)

It is not good enough to simply combine nutrients in a multivitamin. There are various forms that nutrients can be delivered to the body. For example, most minerals are not readily absorbed in their elemental form (i.e. the mineral by itself). They must be bound to an organic compound (chelated) or citric acid in order for the stomach's enzymes to effectively ingest and break down the nutrient. Quite often, a company will simply use the cheapest form of an ingredient when it may not be the optimal form for the body to utilize. Your multivitamin company should make every effort to obtain high-quality ingredients and to test those ingredients for quality and potency. Write to your company and ask them for the results of their latest tests - any company that focuses on this quality step will be more than willing to share this information.

The United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) establishes standards to ensure the quality of health and wellness products. They also provide standards for dissolution, or making certain that the pill or tablet was designed to break down in the digestive tract, rather than pass through. Many cheap, low quality grocery-store brands (and many brands available through supplement stores) are not pharmaceutical grade nor do they conform to standards of dissolution. Therefore, there is no guarantee that they do not simply pass through your system, undigested!

The Comparative Guide

Author, educator, and biochemist, Lyle MaWilliam, conducted scientific investigations focused on the damage caused by radiation to heart cell membranes and the effects of exercise and dietary supplementation with vitamin E. He is a former Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for British Columbia. In 1998, he began research into finding a quality multivitamin supplement. After consulting with seven recognized nutrition authorities, he created a "blended standard" and compared more than 1,000 supplements against that standard. The 500 top products were published in his book, "The Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements" which is a fantastic guide learn more about antioxidants, to review your product, and to discover what the top products in the market are.

To summarize, we can no longer pretend that diet alone is sufficient to supply all of the nutrients that our bodies need and deserve. While a multivitamin is important, the true miracle is the ability that our body has to heal itself when provided with the right nutrients. The USRDA is not a guideline for optimum health, but should be considered a bare minimum for survival. A quality multivitamin will contain the right ingredients, in the right balance, and in the right form to maximize your body's ability to utilize it. It will be science-based and adhere to pharmaceutical-grade GMPs. Take charge of your health and learn what products were designed with your health in mind, so that you can be an informed, value-conscious consumer.

Obviously, choosing a quality multivitamin takes more than picking the least expensive product that covers 100% of the USRDA in your local grocery store. I have spent years researching these products to find one that I would not only feel comfortable taking myself, but also sharing with my family and friends. This product is rated number one in the Comparative Guide. The company that manufacturers this product was recognized as the best "dietary supplement company" in the state of Utah, a state that according to the Utah Natural Products Alliance has over eighty (80) dietary supplement companies with sales of more than $2.5 billion. The founder of this company, Dr. Myron Wentz, is a world-renowned pioneer in cell-culture technology with a strong vision to help rid the world of pain and suffering. You may visit this site to learn more about this multivitamin that I use and share with friends, family, and anyone who is genuinely concerned with optimum health.