In the past 20-30 years, the dietary supplement market has become a large, diverse, and perhaps confusing arena. Governments and individuals have been trying to understand the products and benefits as well as to apply some sort of regulations to enforce consistency and promote clarity to consumers. In 1994, the US government passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act which helped to define what a true supplement is and how it differs from drugs and food, but this proved woefully insufficient.
As vitamins and supplements evolved, some manufacturers have focused on potency and purity while others have sacrificed quality to compete on price. There is also a group of profiteers who make grandiose claims that their products never live up to. With the barrage of products that the average consumer is bombarded with, it’s no wonder that many of us have given up.
However, supplementing our diets has become a necessity in modern society. The western tendency to consume fatty foods, refined sugars, red meat, dairy products, preservatives, and chemicals is very detrimental to our bodies. Even with the best intentions, many of us are simply not able to acquire all of the materials that we need from food alone. This can be partially attributed to contemporary farming methods, pesticides, and the pollution of our environment. We are facing more damaging factors than ever before and the western “quick fix” ideology is coming up short.
In a perfect, pristine world, we would all consume the proper foods at each meal to keep us running at peak efficiency and health. Dietary supplements would be obsolete and we would live longer, richer lives as a result. In reality, this simply isn’t possible today. We have fast-paced schedules with many responsibilities and there isn’t always time to plan for perfect nutrition. Even if we could, the true raw materials that we need are just not available in desirable forms. …and who wants to give up the foods we love!
The key is to select the right supplements.
Vitamin products typically fall into one of two groups: isolated chemicals or whole food. Most products on the market fall into the first group. They are actually chemicals produced in a factory. Did you know that the process of isolating calcium can start with shaving limestone? People were not meant to eat rock. While these vitamins are not without some merit, scientists have recently discovered that the human body is just not designed to utilize these chemicals effectively. That is why most every one of them has “Take with food” printed on the label. Aside from attempting to alleviate possible nausea and indigestion, the manufacturers are hoping that the food will help to increase absorption and utilization of something that they know is foreign to our systems. In reality, we would need to be eating foods with the exact cofactors and proportions required by the supplements for them to be even half as effective as they claim – and that’s just not possible. And when these chemicals are not completely absorbed and utilized, they create imbalances and other health issues.
The solution is a simple one. Human beings need FOOD! With that philosophy, several enlightened growers and producers have begun creating supplements from real food. Processes vary from brand to brand, but the goal is to find the most naturally potent source of each nutrient, modify it as little as possible, and put it in a form that people can consume easily without losing any of its original value. The procedure is much more sensitive and complex than its counterpart, but it is well worth the extra expense. Food-based vitamins can be taken any time of day – even on an empty stomach. They do not cause any gastrointestinal distress and they are absorbed and utilized almost entirely because your body recognizes them as food.
When researching whole food vitamins, it’s important to understand the common differences from isolates. Since the nutrients are packaged with all of their food cofactors intact, you may have to take a higher quantity to get the desired result. This may mean a slightly larger pill or extra doses. Whole food tablets are brittle and can be broken or crushed if needed. Due to natural pigment, food-based pills are usually brown, green, or multi-colored all the way through. Beware of imitations that only have a colored outer coating to appear natural.
In addition, do not be misled by the nutrition facts on product labels. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US requires all consumable products to have a standardized label indicating ingredients and potency. What is not taken into account here is effectiveness. For example, let’s analyze two fictional products containing vitamin C. Product I contains 1000mg of ascorbic acid, a chemical isolate for vitamin C. Product W has a label that indicates 200mg of vitamin C, but it is made from whole food orange peel extract. It is known that the human body can only absorb a maximum of 250mg of vitamin C at any one time – in the best possible case. Therefore, let’s assume that 250mg vitamin C makes it into the bloodstream from Product I (even though it is unlikely). Since Product W contains 100% whole food, it’s entire 200mg Vitamin C is absorbed. Product I is missing the necessary cofactors so only about half of what’s left (100mg) may be utilized. Product W can be fully utilized. We can’t forget about the remaining 750mg of ascorbic acid from Product I that couldn’t be absorbed. It will proceed through the digestive system causing discomfort and diarrhea. Clearly, the best choice is the whole food Product W.
When deciding on a supplement for yourself, the most important thing is effectiveness. You want to find a product with the maximum positive result and minimal side effects. Whole food vitamins may be the wave of the future, but there are still many good isolate products available. If a whole food solution is not in your budget, make sure that your isolate of choice includes mechanisms to address the issues of potency, absorption, and side effects. Making sure your body has all the necessary raw materials will help to ensure your healthy future.