Five Steps to Choosing a Great Vitamin

Five Steps to Choosing a Great Vitamin
Have you ever waltzed into your friendly neighborhood Nutrition Store or frantically surfed the worldwide web searching for that elusive miracle pill, deluding yourself into believing that maybe, just maybe, it would somehow magically transform your so-called body into the next Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie? Or perhaps you want pecks like Arnold. Or the energy to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Or heck, maybe you’d simply settle for enough energy to pry your sleepy little self out of that comfy bed as your annoying alarm clock goes berserk Monday morning, like a runaway freight train on steroids. If so, then you’ve probably encountered a severe mega-dose of chronic overwhelm. Yikes! We are continually bombarded with a never-ending avalanche of pills and potions. Plus, you’d almost need the bank account of Bill Gates or Donald Trump to afford the buffed-up body you’d “really” like to have. Meanwhile, Madison Avenue persistently insists that you won’t be able to live with yourself until you finally succumb to today’s latest nutritional fad.


So what’s the solution?

If you’ve read this far, you are probably convinced that supplementing your diet with vitamins is critically important. You probably already know how depleted our topsoil is. Chances are, you’re also cognoscente of the highly processed state of the foodless foods we consume on a regular basis. Taber's Medical Dictionary concludes that vitamins are indispensable for the maintenance of good health. Likewise, The Journal of American Medical Association concluded that everyone should take a multi-vitamin everyday. 

So it’s not a question of whether or not we should take vitamins. Rather, the question we ought to be asking is, “With so many brands of vitamins on the market, which one is the smartest choice?”

Great question.

However, before we can even begin to answer that question, we have to answer a series of other sub-questions, such as:

1. Are cheap, synthetic vitamins just as good as all-natural vitamins?

2. Which vitamins and minerals do my body need?

3. What dosage should I take?


Let’s narrow the playing field by addressing those questions one at a time.

Are cheap, synthetic vitamins just as good as all-natural vitamins?

First, let’s compare synthetic vitamins with all-natural vitamins. I just completed an article entitled “Vitamin Wars: Natural VS Synthetic.” Putting everything into a nutshell, synthetic vitamins simply cannot measure up to nature’s finest. Over 3,800 different compounds have been identified in foods as having nutritional significance. However, in a laboratory, twenty nutrients are about all that modern science can reproduce and put into a vitamin product.

But even more of a concern than the ineffectiveness of these synthetic vitamins is the harm that they can cause. One of many examples is a recent study on Vitamin C as synthetic ascorbic acid. It was found to thicken the walls of the arteries.

On the other hand, all-natural vitamins made from whole-food sources have many positive benefits that synthetic vitamins just can’t duplicate in a lab. Whole-food vitamins derive their nutrients directly from fruits and vegetables. Unlike synthetic vitamins, whole-food vitamins do not rob precious nutrients from the body. Rather, they supply the individual cells with the nutrients they need to flourish.  For greatest gains in terms of health, take only whole food vitamins.  When evaluating a vitamin supplement, simply read the label.  Rather than multi-syllable, unpronounceable chemical names, you should find the names of foods listed as the vitamin sources. What a concept! This is your way of knowing that you are getting the best possible absorption and retention of your vitamins.

Which vitamins and minerals do my body need?

The short answer is, there are many benefits to all vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin A is important for our vision, while preventing cancer and promoting wellness of bones, eyes, hair, mucous linings, membranes, nails, skin and teeth.

Vitamin B2 promotes healthy skin, nails, and hair.

Vitamin C extends life by enabling protein cells to hold together.

And we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.

Minerals are critical

Minerals are also critical to maintaining good health. Approximately 75% of the people living in the Western World are not ingesting the right amount of Magnesium, approximately 68% are not ingesting enough Calcium, approximately 58% are not ingesting enough Iron, and approximately 40% are not ingesting enough Zinc.

Make sure your minerals are chelated – here’s why:

Most minerals found in synthetic supplements are cheap and not what we would recommend for the body. They are not chelated minerals and therefore it is extremely difficult for the body to absorb and utilize these minerals after ingesting them. Many times they cause problems with the digestive tract and other systems of the body.

What you might not know is that a chelated mineral acts differently within the body. A chelated mineral is a mineral that is bonded with amino acids or malates naturally found within the food in a stable form. Since 95% of amino acids are absorbed through the intestinal tract, it makes it very easy for high quality chelated minerals to be absorbed and utilized by the body.

Don’t forget to take your Probiotics!

You may be asking, “Probi – what – ics”?

The term “probiotics” simply means “pro life.” Their role in maintaining good health is tremendous. In the scientific community, they are known as “friendly bacteria.” Probiotics aid the digestive system and strengthen the immune system. Bottom line, probiotics have such a wide range of positive roles that nearly everybody could improve their health by supplementing their diet with probiotics.


The importance of Enzymes

Like probiotics, enzymes also aid digestion. Proper digestion of food should be your body’s top priority. Why? Because all other bodily functions, including the immune system, energy production and even brain functions, are all put on pause until the body digests its food. When digestion is functioning properly, food is broken down and nutrients are made available by the body itself for repair, metabolism, and healing without undue stress. Many negative factors wreck havoc on our digestive systems: the way our foods are grown and processed, toxins in the environment - even undue stress and anger. As a result, up to 70 million Americans experience a whole range of digestive disorders such as bloating, gas, and stomach cramps.

What dosage should I take?
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)

RDA's are based on scientific research and are set at levels to provide for 98% of all healthy persons living in the US. There is a cushion built in so that if you get 67% of the RDA for a nutrient, you should be getting a minimum amount as an average person. Remember that the RDA's are based on preventing deficiency symptoms specific to each vitamin and mineral. So when choosing a multi-vitamin, check to see if a daily serving contains 100% of the RDA, providing, of course, that a daily value has been established.

So in summary, there are five Steps to Choosing a Great Vitamin:

1. Choose a multi-vitamin made from the highest grade of Whole-Food sources. Do NOT choose a multi-vitamin that contains a concoction of synthetic ingredients that you can’t even pronounce.

2. Choose minerals that are chelated.

3. Choose a multi-vitamin containing Probiotics.

4. Choose a multi-vitamin containing Enzymes derived from vegetables.

5. Choose a multi-vitamin containing 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowances whenever established.

Keeping the above criteria in mind dramatically narrows the playing field.

It’s also a good idea to select a product that gives you a money-back guarantee. Quality multi-vitamins are not as cheap as synthetics, but they are affordable.  

I hope this information has educated you and will help you make smart choices. Remember - you only get one body in this life. Treat it well and stay healthy!