5 Sure-Fire Ways To:
Choose A Good Vitamin Supplement
Choosing a good vitamin supplement can be a frustrating ordeal.
There are 1000's of supplements to choose from - some are good,
but many are total rip-offs.
Many vitamin companies depend on the average consumer not being
very well informed and they'll take billions of dollars from them
this year.
In this article, you'll learn vital facts 90% of vitamin buyers
do not know. Plus - 5 sure-fire ways you can use to judge every
new vitamin supplement that comes along. Once you're armed with
the information revealed here, you'll be "bullet-proof" against
vitamin supplement hype.
HOW DOES THE SUPPLEMENT DISSOLVE IN THE STOMACH?
Not too long ago a TV news program showed a couple vitamin
supplements found in hospital bed-pans. They were completely
whole. You could even see the brand name on one of them. It was
one of the most popular drug store vitamin supplements sold in
America today. The hospital staff finds these often and call
them "bed-pan bullets".
There are basically 3 types of supplement delivery systems.
-
Liquid
-
Tablets
-
Capsules
Liquid, of course, is ready to go but there's not currently many
choices. Liquid supplements are a bit inconvenient and taste
like cough syrup. But, they're perfect for those having trouble
swallowing pills - and for youngsters.
Tablets are the most common vitamin supplement. They are formed
by mixing in an organic or inorganic cement and compressing into
shape. To dissolve properly, an organic cement should be used -
but it's more costly for the company. Also, there are coated
tablets, as mentioned above, that look like little candy-coated
M&M's. These are quite common with the one or two per day cheap
drug store vitamins.
Capsules are loosely packed gelatin containers that dissolve
quickly. Because they're not compressed like tablets, you will
usually have to take two of these to equal one tablet.
HOW WELL ARE THE VITAMINS AND MINERALS ABSORBED?
Fact is - studies have shown individual vitamin isolates in
supplements are about 10% absorbed. Compare this to vitamins
directly from a fresh plant source which are 77% to 93% absorbed.
Minerals in a supplement are even worse - 1% to 5%. But, from a
plant source like raw broccoli, the minerals are 63% to 78%
absorbable.
The reason for this difference is, in nature, each vitamin and
mineral molecule is attached to a protein molecule.
Dr. Gunter Blobel, in 1999, received a Nobel Prize for proving
this attached protein molecule acted as a "chaperone". It's the
chaperone that tells the body the vitamin or mineral is food, not
just another chemical. He discovered this was the KEY to getting
the vitamin or mineral into the blood-stream - and, most
importantly, into the cells.
Vitamins in supplements are the very basic isolated form of each
vitamin - completely stripped of any proteins. Like a tree with all
the limbs cut off.
That's why vitamin supplements MUST be taken with meals - unless
stated otherwise on the label.
In the digestion process, only about 10% of the vitamin and
mineral molecules, with the aid of enzymes, will attach to
protein molecules in your food. This allows them to be absorbed
and used by the cells. Without these protein chaperones, the
body sees the vitamin isolates as foreign chemicals. The body
actually will absorb some of these too, but they're quickly
filtered out through the kidneys.
Have you noticed a bright yellow urine soon after taking a
vitamin supplement? Excess riboflavin causes the yellow color
and it shows the body is getting rid of what it feels are foreign
chemicals.
HERE ARE 5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A SUPPLEMENT THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU!
1. Does the supplement provide sufficient quantities of each
vitamin? For example - 50mg. to 100mg. of the B vitamins, 500mg. of vitamin C, 1000mg. of
calcium. Remember, 100mg. of a B vitamin is needed to provide your body with about 10mg. of
actual, useable nutrition. This is usually plenty. Use the 10%
rule to know exactly what you're getting. The one or two per day
supplements only start with about 3mg. or less of the B vitamins.
10% of this amount is like taking nothing at all.
2. Look for the USP (United States Pharmacopoeia) or BP (British Pharmacopoeia) designation on
the label. This means that the vitamin isolates are the highest quality you can buy, and are
the most easily dissolved in the digestion process. Each vitamin that is USP or BP will have those
initials next to that vitamin.
3. Look for "chelate" or "chelated" in relation to the minerals.
This means the minerals are attached to protein before they are
added to the supplement. This increases absorption both in the
bloodstream and cells by an amazing 400% to 800%.
4. Look for enzymes in the formulation. These are, among other
things, essential for attaching protein molecules to the vitamins
in digestion. Cooking food destroys these enzymes.
5. Look for a supplement that has a "food base". A food base is
concentrated plant material to which the vitamins and minerals
are added. These will contain the enzymes and nutrients to
greatly boost the absorption and utilization of the vitamins and
minerals. This makes a GREAT supplement package. But it does
make them more bulky. Expect larger tablets, and more quantity
needed per day.
All in all, keep in mind that nutritional supplements are not
food and do not take the place of real food. They only provide
an additional boost to our current food choices.
Most importantly, listen to your body! What's right for others
may not be right for you. You definitely should FEEL a
measurable difference in your health and energy within a few days
with the right supplement. If you don't, try a different vitamin
supplement. Next article: FAT: The
Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Recommended Supplement: Total Balance
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