To Your Health
June, 2009 (Vol. 03, Issue 06) |
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Myth: If You Take a Multivitamin, You Can Eat Whatever You Want
Many people believe vitamins can replace whole foods, so they take a daily multivitamin and don't worry about eating nutritious foods.
This is a big mistake. Vitamins cannot function without the energy generated from complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and lean sources of protein. Therefore, it is important to consume a variety of foods that supply energy
and vitamins naturally. If deficiencies exist, additional supplements in the right form and combination can compensate for these deficiencies.
Myth: All Vitamins Are Absorbed Equally, Regardless of When They're Taken and in What Combination
The type of vitamin and its source are crucial to how absorbable the vitamin really is. Many pill- and capsule-form vitamins simply are not absorbed properly due to the processed and compressed nutrients. The Physicians' Desk Reference suggests that only 10 percent to 20 percent of the nutrients in solid vitamins are actually absorbed by the body, whereas liquid vitamins are absorbed at nearly 98 percent. Additionally, nutrients are better absorbed when in the correct proportions. For example, it is essential that vitamins and minerals are taken together, as vitamins cannot fulfill their role in cellular metabolism without minerals. Trace minerals serve as catalysts to vitamins within the cell.
Additionally, some nutrients are more effective depending on when they are taken. As a general rule, vitamins are best taken with meals, since most vitamins and minerals are derived from our food, and typically would be digested and absorbed best in the company of real food.
For example, B vitamins are best consumed at mealtime, as they make some people queasy when taken on an empty stomach. On the other hand, particular calcium supplements, such as calcium carbonate, are best taken immediately after a meal, and iron supplements should be taken on an empty stomach. Fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K require fats for proper absorption, and many vitamins require some protein to be properly digested and utilized.
Myth: Any Vitamin Product Is Good, as Long as You're Taking Something
Not all vitamin supplements are created equally. For the past several decades, the health industry has been promoting thousands of various vitamin brands. However, many vitamin supplements contain petroleum derivatives and/or hydrogenated sugars. According to the Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs and Biologicals (12th Edition), even though they are often labeled as "natural," most nonfood vitamins are isolated substances and crystalline in structure. Vitamins found naturally in real food are not crystalline and are never isolated.
Myth: As Long as It's "Organic," It's OK to Take
According to Webster's dictionary, one definition of organic is "designating or of any chemical compound containing carbon." Vitamin supplements, therefore, may contain misleading information because by its scientific definition, the term organic can mean nothing more than it is a carbon-containing substance. All petroleum derivatives (hydrocarbons) technically can be classified as organic. The Food and Drug Administration's definition of organic is much different: For products to be classified as truly organic, they must contain ingredients that were "grown or created without the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizer, hormones, antibiotics, or artificially-derived chemical additives."
