How to pick a multi-vitamin

You may ask yourself “why do I need a multi-vitamin?” The answer to that question is easy.  If you have read any major newspaper or popular magazine such as Time or Newsweek, in the past year there have been numerous articles on how depleted our food is of vitamins and minerals that are supposed to be there. Because of pesticides, over-and improper farming, not rotating crops, not putting the nutrients back in the soil, and bio-engineering, and GMO’s (Genetically modified organisms) it has been proven over and over again that if you are eating everyday grocery food – you are not getting the nutrients you should be.  A place many people start is by taking a multi-vitamin.

For many people, this can be very confusing 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 the forms natural or synthetic?  There is a difference in how your body will actually use the nutrients and how the natural vitamins are actually utilized, and whereas the synthetic, although scientifically, technically, and chemically may appear to be the same thing, the body actually can tell the difference and looks at these synthetics as toxins.  This is most likely why there are such mixed results in the recent studies on vitamins.  There are many other differences in vitamins and minerals – too much to get into here – but this is considered some basic information for the new consumer.

A simple way to see what forms vitamins are in 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 just says Vitamin E and doesn’t 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 actually make Vitamin E.  So if you are a company that sells vitamins, you go to these companies that make the vitamins, and you ask for a price list. Do you want to purchase the most expensive Vitamin E for your products, or the cheapest, or something in between?  Every 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 or not is to call the company (most 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.

It is important that your multi-vitamin 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 that you may be trying to avoid in your diet such as wheat germ, yeast, dairy or meat products.  It is very important if you are vegan or vegetarian that you do get a source of Vitamin B-12 because when you take animal products out of your diet, you also eliminate sources of Vitamin B-12.

The next item I look for are the forms the minerals are in, which can be many. Some forms are absorbed better than others, while others can be used as tools to help with specific problems in the body such as balancing pH, flushing acid out of the body, etc.  But if you are just starting out, 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 for example – it will list what kind it is; either calcium amino acid chelate, calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium phosphate, etc.  This doesn’t 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 – this is the most absorbable form.  All the other forms, when they hit the hydrochloric acid in our stomachs, turn the calcium into calcium chloride, which is a harsh mineral salt, which can cause stomach upset, or constipation for many people.

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

Another important thing to look for on the label is the “Other ingredients.”  What is this you say?  Isn’t it just vitamins and minerals?  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 ingredients can actually include something good like foods, broccoli, oranges, etc.  These are good added ingredients and mean that this company is not only putting in the standard vitamins and minerals but also putting in whole foods, which is latest trend in multi-vitamins.  What this means is putting in foods that are high in these nutrients so your body gets what it would get if you ate broccoli, but without the water, fiber, etc.  These whole food supplements are a much better choice than just extracted, isolated or synthetic vitamins.

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 what I give my family.  If you are taking junk vitamins, you might as well go out and eat junk foods as they are both toxic.

There is a debate in my industry as to what is better - Liquid vs. capsules vs. tablet multi-vitamins?  The debate is that the tablets have fillers, and go right through our bodies without being digested.  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 broken down easily. 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 also know that you may go through a body cleanse.  This is a good thing.  This means your body is getting the good stuff it needs, so now it can let go of things it doesn’t need anymore.

Some of the best whole food multi-vitamins I recommend are Alfalfa, Chlorella, Spirulina and Juice Plus other “green” products that provide the natural balance of vitamins and minerals the way that nature made them from the plants.