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Dietary Supplements

Vitamins and Minerals


View information on antioxidants and amino acids.

What Are Vitamins?

Vitamins are organic substances which are found in many different foods. Without them, the body cannot function correctly which can, in turn, cause the immune system to be compromised and and make us more susceptible to health conditions.

There are are total of 13 vitamins, all of which were discovered during the 20th century. Out of these 13 vitamins, there are a subset of 8 vitamins which are classed as "B" vitamins:

B Vitamins

Vitamin B1 (Thaimine)

Vitmain B2 (Riboflavin)

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Vitamin B12 (Co Balamin)

Biotin (Vitamin H, D-Biotin)

Folate (Folic Acid, Folacin, Vitamin B9)

Niacin (Vitamin B3)

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)

Other Vitamins

Vitamin A (Retinol)

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin D (Calciferol)

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)

Vitamin K (Phytonadione, Menadiol)

The B-Vitamins
The B-vitamins are commonly taken together as a "B-Complex" as they work synergistically together to improve the functioning and/or absorption of eachother. They are essential for the breakdown of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates (converting carbohydrates into energy), and for the formation of red blood cells. They are also important in maintaining skin, muscle tissue, to boost the immune system, and for help with stress, depression, and anxiety.

Research has also shown that several of the B-vitamins can help prevent numerous illnesses such as heart disease and stroke by lowering the amount of homocysteine in the body. Homocysteine is an amino acid which can build up and cause the clogging of blood vessels.

Water-Soluble Versus Fat-Soluble
Vitamins are classed as either water-soluble or fat-soluble:

Water-soluble vitamins travel through the bloodstream, and any excess that the body does not use is simply eliminated in the urine. Because of this, they are are needed by the body on a regular basis. Vitamin C and all of the B-vitamins are classed as Water Soluble.

Vitamins A, E, D, and K are all fat-soluble. Because they dissolve in fat, they can remain in the fat stores of the body for long periods of time (sometimes many months!). They are transported throughout the body whenever they are needed.

What Are Minerals?

Minerals are inorganic chemical elements that come from rocks and metal ores. They enter the food chain by leaching into the soil where plants are grown. We absorb minerals from either the plants or the animals that eat these plants. As the quantity of minerals in the soil varies from region to region, some soils can become very depleted in minerals due agriculture. Many experts believe that this depletion in turn causes a depletion in the plants, and recommend supplements which contain minerals to ensure we do not become deficient.

Minerals are needed by the body in small amounts (all together, they total approximately 4% of body weight). They are essential for the functioning of many systems within the body, including digestion and metabolism, making hormones and enzymes, and bone formation. Minerals work closely with vitamins to perform many bodily functions such as building strong bones and teeth, heart function, and digestion. The use of several minerals has been linked to the prevention of diseases such as heart failure, cancers, osteoporosis, and arthritis.

Macrominerals and Microminerals
Like vitamins, minerals are needed in small quantities. The body contains over 60 minerals but only 22 are considered essential. These 22 minerals are classed as either "macrominerals" or "microminerals" (also known as "trace minerals" or "trace elements"). The difference between the two is the daily amount that your body needs. If you need over 100 mg of a particular element it is considered a macromineral. Anything under 100 mg is considered a micromineral.

Macrominerals

Calcium

Chromium

Magnesium

Phosphorus

Potassium

Sodium

Sulfur

Microminerals (Trace Elements)
Boron	Manganese
Chloride	Molybdenum
Cobalt	Nickel
Copper	Selenium
Fluorine	Silicon
Geranium	Vanadium
Iodine	Zinc
Iron

Who Should Take Vitamin and Minerals Supplements?

Those who eat a diet of fresh and organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and organic protein sources rarely suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Unfortunately, not only can these often be difficult to come by, but organic foods can be more costly than foods which are processed and frozen. Other factors such as environmental pollutants, pesticides, and other chemicals in food, smoking, medications, excess alcohol, and stress can also wreak havoc on our bodies and cause vitamins to become either depleted or their absorption inhibited.

The following conditions, illnesses, and lifestyle factors can cause us to be nutrient deficient:

- Illnesses (especially cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases)
- Vegetarianism and other special diets
- Diabetics
- Pregnancy
- Unhealthy diet
- Stress/Anxiety
- Post Menopause/Menopause
- Seniors
- Smoking
- Medications
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Athletes

As we age, our ability to absorb nutrients from food decreases which can lead to bone loss and lower immunity.

Certain vitamins and minerals require the presence of other vitamins and minerals for optimal absorption.

When our diet, living conditions, and stress level are not optimal, aking a daily multivitamin helps to ensure we provide our body with nutrients we may be lacking.

Which Vitamins and Minerals Do I Need and in What Amount?

Trying to determine which vitamins and/or minerals to take, and in what quantity, can seem like a very overwhelming task. The government has established official guidelines to assist in determining the optimum level of vitamins and macrominerals required by individuals in different age groups (microminerals do not have an established recommended amount). Dosage recommendations are based on the result of findings of hundreds of research studies, clinical trials, and based upon the experience of medical professionals who have treated thousands of patients with supplements.

RDA (Recommended Daily Allowances)
Determined by the Food And Drug Administration (FDA), the recommended daily allowance indicates the basic amount of each vitamin required on a daily basis for optimal health. The RDA can be listed on both food and supplements.

DRI (Daily Reference Intakes)
A new standard is now being used by the FDA which will replace RDA. Dietary Reference Intakes represent an average of four different measures:

1) RDA
2) Basic Minimum Requirement
3) Tolerable Upper Level
4) Average Intake

Some doctors and nutritionists feel that in order to achieve optimal health, intake should be set at higher levels, however this is an open debate which health professionals have not fully agreed upon. Some nutritionists are opposed to taking most vitamins if the diet is healthy and filled with nutrient-rich foods. During pregnancy, however, many doctors and nutritionists recommend Folate which can help prevent birth defects of the spine (including spina bifida). As most of our Vitamin D is formed beneath the skin when we are exposed to sunlight, individuals who live in the northern latitudes, or those who receive very little sunlight during winter months, may benefit from Vitamin D supplementation.

Whether supplements are needed and in what dosage varies from person to person, depending on many factors including lifestyle, diet, medications, and health conditions.

Choosing A Brand
There are so many brands of vitamin and mineral manufacturers on the market that trying to decide which one is best can extremely confusing. Some manufacturers have established reputations for having rigorous quality control. Wherever possible, choose a brand which uses organic sources for their ingredients. Also, some manufacturers to not test their products on animals and often clearly state this on their labels.

Don't hesitate to contact the supplement manufacturer directly if you have any questions about their products or their manufacuring process.

If a manufacturer is making a claim that seems highly unlikely or even unrealistc, use caution and common sense!

Overdosing
More is not always better when it comes to vitamins. Significantly overdosing many vitamins can cause serious side effects from toxicity, including reduced/magnified effects of prescription medications. Overdosing on minerals is much rarer, with toxicity unknown/undetermined for most.

Reading A Supplement Label

Serving Size
The "serving size" or "amount per serving" is the amount (e. g. number of pills or tablets) which would have to be taken to equal the supplement amount listed on the label.

The serving size is especially important to note. For example, the label may say that only 1 serving is needed per day, however 3 pills are required to equal 1 serving. This would mean that a bottle containing 90 pills would actually last only 30 days.

% Daily Value
Implemented in 1994 by the FDA, the "% Daily Value" (DV) was created based on the established RDI, and is the % of the daily requirement which is contained in each serving.

Supplements with an * indicate that the RDI has not yet been established.

Other Ingredients
These are the inactive ingredients found in each serving (see below).

Directions
The directions indicate how many servings should be taken and how often. It may also indicate if the supplement should be taken with or without food and the best time of day for optimal absorption.

Other Information
Labels may indicate any negative side effects that can be experienced if the supplement is taken with certain herbs, medications, or by individuals with specific health conditions or allergies (some supplements contain products such as yeast, wheat, or corn which are known allergens to some people).

The expiration date indicates the date by which the supplement will have become less effective/weakened. The "LOT" number states what batch the supplements came from during their manufacture. This is useful in the unlikely event that there is a recall by the manufacturer of supplements made in that specific batch.

Information can also be given regarding how the supplement should be stored (e.g. some may require refridgeration after opening.

Supplement Preparations

Vitamins and minerals come in a variety of different forms, including:

Tablets	Lozenges
Capsules	Creams
Liquid	Gels
Powder	Infusions
Chewable	Tinctures

Inactive Ingredients

Many vitamin and mineral supplements contain other inactive substances which are used in the process of creating them:

- Fillers are used to increase the size of the supplement (for example, the amount of the vitamin may be so miniscule that it would be almost invisible to the eye, therefore it is created with other inactive ingredients).

- Binders are a type of cement that binds the supplements together into a form that can be easily taken (e.g. without binders, tablets would crumble apart).

- Disintegrants may be used with some vitamins and minerals to help them be easily dissolved and absorbed in the digestive tract

- Lubricants, flavoring, coloring, sweetners, starch, yeast, and preservatives may also be used during vitamin preparation.

Some supplements are manufactured in gelatin capsules, which can be either vegetarian-based or animal-based.

Timed-Release

Also known as sustained release and continuous release, these are vitamins and minerals which are gradually released into the body over a period of hours.


View information on antioxidants and amino acids.