Vitamins: Waste of Money or Nutritional Asset?
Are Vitamins Really a Waste of Money?
An editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine say that yes, they in fact are a waste. The editorial is titled, “Enough is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamins and Supplements.” This bold declaration is based on 3 studies that they believe “prove” that vitamins and supplements have no health benefits and do not prevent disease or death. In these studies, multivitamins were administered and studies were performed based on their ability to:
- Prevent cancer and/or cardiovascular disease
- Prevent a secondary heart attack
- Increase cognitive function
First of all, I want to make it clear that I am not a fan of blanket statements. Frankly, I find this editorial to be one gigantic blanket statement that is chock full of holes. Who is saying that a simple multivitamin to going to magically prevent chronic diseases like cancer or heart disease, or increase mental performance? Outside of bold marketing schemes, anyone versed in nutrition knows that it is much more complicated than swallowing a daily vitamin.
The government itself has repeatedly made statements that the typical American diet lacks critical nutrients. Even the public school system has been forced to make dietary changes to their meals in hopes of increasing nutrient consumption in children. In a society starved of vitamins and minerals, claiming multivitamins are useless is nothing short of absurd!
Vitamins: Not a Magic Pill
If anyone is tired of the “magic pill” scheme, then it is I. Nothing in the health industry irks me more than companies that push pills with promises of miraculous results.
Believing a pill will fix a problem is truly the lazy man’s path. It NEVER produces significant results and the results you may get don’t last. Only a change in diet and exercise combined with the needed supplements can produce real lasting results!
Even in my distaste of the “magic pill” scheme, I’m a huge proponent of the use of safe supplements, including multivitamins! I believe the average person does not and more accurately cannot get adequate nutrition from diet alone. The only exception may be a person who eats natural, nutrient dense foods 99% of the time. And honestly, that person is in a teeny-tiny minority. Eating “perfect” is not practical or easy for most of us. I believe a quality multivitamin is a fantastic addition to a daily regime. Multivitamins help to fill in the gaps where the foods we eat are lacking.
I’m not advocating an “Eat whatever you want… just take a multivitamin” lifestyle. I believe that is ridiculous. Healthy food choices are the absolute foundation to health and wellness. However, even if you make healthy food choices, you could be lacking essential vitamins and minerals.
It’s not necessarily your fault that diet alone cannot provide all the necessary nutrition. Most all food is now processed, pasteurized, or cooked leaving it lacking in nutrients. Even declines in the nutrition of fresh fruits and vegetables have occurred due to depleted soil and genetically modified seeds.
This is the sad reality in the food industry today. Choosing organic, non-GMO, or locally sourced foods are great ways to consume higher nutrient levels.
Not All Vitamins are Created Equal
I always recommend a quality multivitamin for everyone as a foundational part of maintaining health and wellness. As I mentioned earlier, it is just too difficult to get everything you need from diet alone. However, I do NOT believe that all vitamins are created equal.
The supplement industry is not a regulated industry. The FDA and other organizations do not have jurisdiction over the natural products industry. This, in reality, is a good thing as it is highly likely that if the FDA did have precedence over the supplement industry that most products would be pulled from the shelves and you would have to have prescriptions to purchase them. Having the freedom to consume herbs, vitamins, minerals, and supplements of your choosing is a beautiful thing.
However, this leaves the integrity of the product up to the company that produces it. And unfortunately, there are companies who are just out to make money, not to produce quality products. Navigating through the hundreds of choices can be overwhelming! If the label says Vitamin C, then knowing that it might not contain much or any vitamin C can be scary…and frankly quite frustrating! So, how do you know that what you are buying is the real deal?
Visit a Health Food Store
If you haven’t already, then it’s time to take a trip to your nearest health food store. If you do not have a health food store nearby, then Home Cures That Work has an Amazon store full of products endorsed by the writers of this magazine.
I’m in no way trying to encourage a snobbish attitude towards vitamins carried by your local pharmacy or retailer chain. However, I have worked at several health food stores and also as a sales rep for several different supplement companies over the years. These positions have given me insight into the companies that produce the supplements carried by most health food stores. I believe, without a doubt, that these companies are far superior and worth the time and investment. The employees of most health food stores are trained and passionate about the products in their store. They can answer your questions and help point you towards a vitamin that fits your needs and budget!
Working in the health industry has allowed me to be trained in the production, quality standards, and differing formulas put out by many of these companies. I can say, without hesitation, that their quality is above the standard of the mass produced cheap vitamins you’ll find almost anywhere. Most of these companies refuse to put their products in big box chains or pharmacies. They are serious about what they produce and pride themselves in creating supplements that give real results. Results don’t come from fillers or contaminated materials. Results come from supplements that:
- Dissolve in the digestive tract
- Are recognized and absorbed by the body
- Are free from contaminants and harmful materials
The At-Home Disintegration Test
Most likely, if you buy a quality supplement, then it has already underwent a disintegration test performed by the company. However, you may still be questioning whether or not the pill you’re swallowing is going to pass right through you or dissolve like it’s supposed to. This at-home test is not full proof, but can give you a pretty good idea if your vitamin or supplement is dissolving.
- Begin by placing your pill in water that is heated to body temperature (around 99 degrees).
- Stir while maintaining a near constant temperature of the water.
- If the pill doesn’t dissolve within 30 minutes, it is likely not dissolving in your stomach as well.
I challenge you to try this with your current multivitamin. Many of the cheap, mass-produced vitamins do not dissolve efficiently and are a complete waste of money!
Another tip is to buy supplements contained in capsules rather than tablets. Capsules always disintegrate easier and faster than tablets. Liquid or chewables supplements are also good choices. If you have stomach acid or digestive issues, then this could be even more important for you to find products that break down easily.
Absorbing Your Vitamins
Unfortunately, a vitamin can completely disintegrate, but that does not guarantee that your body is going to absorb what is now dissolved. Many low caliber supplement companies use cheap raw materials that are full of fillers. You may be swallowing a pill that states 400 IU of vitamin D, but in reality it may contain only 200 IU. This is the importance of choosing a company you can trust that you know monitors and tests their products; you want your body to reap the benefits of what you choose to buy.
Another problem is the use of synthetic or chemical sourced vitamins. Chemically manufactured vitamins can cause vitamin toxicities and are often not recognized or properly utilized by the body. There are varying degrees within this group of vitamins, and they aren’t all necessarily evil. However, taking vitamins that are made from food-sourced vitamins are much safer, easier on the stomach, and are absorbed much better.
Not all food source vitamins are created equal. Many vitamins will state “Whole Food” on the label, but they are nothing more than synthetic vitamins mixed with foods. This can improve digestion and absorption of the vitamins. However, there are TRUE whole food vitamins on the market that are a much higher quality and in my opinion, offer the best absorption and utilization in the body. Taking these vitamins is the closest thing to getting them from real food!
There are 3 companies that I am currently aware of that manufacture these types of whole food supplements. I currently use many several supplements from these companies. My favorite benefit has to be that I can take their vitamins on an empty stomach with absolutely NO nausea! This is a testimony to the quality of their vitamins.
You don’t have to buy these brands. There are many quality supplement companies that produce great products. However, I believe these companies are essentially the Gold Standard of vitamins, the Cadillac in a store full of Hondas, if you will.
Quality, whole food, supplements and products can be purchased from:
1. Garden of Life
The now famed health expert, Jordan Rubin, designed the Garden of Life product line. This line of supplements contains probiotics and enzymes designed to be gentle on even the most sensitive digestive tracts. Jordan once suffered from Cohn’s disease, so most of his products are designed to digest easily and efficiently.
2. Megafood
Megafood is a lesser-known company that actually uses local farmers for their food-sourced vitamins! Their vitamins are made without the use of heat, which preserves the vitamin and mineral content. They also make mini-tabs, which are great for children or those with difficulty swallowing.
3. New Chapter
New Chapter is the pioneer of food-sourced vitamins and the first to use the fermentation method to produce their vitamins. I discovered just how wonderful they truly are when I was pregnant. Their prenatal is a Godsend to pregnant women battling morning sickness! I currently have several of their supplements in my cabinet and recommend their products often.
Contaminant-Free Vitamins
I’m not trying to use fear tactics, but as I have stated, you do have to be careful about your vitamins. This is again why I’m so adamant about where and from what companies you purchase your supplements.
Most gigantic supplement companies that sell to large retailers source their raw materials from China and do not test them before manufacture. This doesn’t mean you’re necessarily ingesting toxic material; they are more likely fillers. However, the possibility still exists that contaminants can be in your supplements.
The products that give me the most concern though, are fish oils. I vehemently push ONLY buying fish oil products that have been third party tested and are free of PCBs and metals. The more fat the fish, the higher the contaminant level. Therefore, their oil can be a prime source of toxic chemicals! Don’t let untested fish oil even touch your lips! Read the labels and find a company that cares enough to test their oil for purity.
Filling in the Void
No, vitamins are not a magic bullet and should never be a replacement for food. However, they are a great way to fill the voids in our daily diets. They are not a waste of money and they are definitely not useless. However…
Using wisdom by purchasing quality supplement that breakdown, absorb into our system, and are free of toxic contaminants is important! So, make a trip to your local health food store and try a quality vitamin today. Fill those nutritional gaps and feel the difference!
Do you take a multivitamin? Do you feel like it makes a difference in your health?
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