Nutritional supplement companies have done a brisk business over the years because of the general
concern that modern food processing and lifestyles preferences may be having a detrimental impact on our nutritional intake.
The message consumers are receiving from supplement companies is that there’s no need to worry if you’re not eating enough fruit, fiber and protein as supplements can help to make up for the vitamin deficiencies in your diet. The key point that consumers need to be aware of is that not all supplements are created equal. For some reason it never “clicked” in my mind that MOST of these vitamins and supplements, even the ones for children, are synthetic. The vitamin C is not real Vitamin C from a source like oranges…instead it is created in a lab from heaven knows what. Researchers are now finding that most vitamins do zip or worse because they’re synthetic.
Synthetic vitamins offer you much less than you think are receiving. Some studies have shown that certain synthetic vitamins give only 50% or less of the biological activity as compared to whole vitamins (vitamins that come directly from vegetables). Why do companies choose to use synthetic vitamins if they are not as effective as whole vitamins? Many argue they do so because synthetic vitamins cost far less to manufacture. I would have to agree. The vitamin business is a racket.
One synthetic vitamin causing much controversy is synthetic vitamin C. Some argue that this form of vitamin C can contribute to the thickening of the arterial walls of the heart by as much as 2.5 times. This is potentially very harmful. In another study, 22,000 pregnant women were given synthetic Vitamin A. The study was halted because birth defects increased 400% according to the New England Journal of Medicine, 1995.
In stores, ascorbic acid is often sold as vitamin C but it is actually only a chemically derived fraction of the whole food vitamin. In food, vitamin C is a complete complex made up of ascorbic acid plus rutin, bioflavonoids, K factor and J factors along with other substances.
The body is able to absorb and use this vitamin only when all parts of the complex is present. So when the chemically derived “fraction” of vitamin C is taken the body must first supply the other parts of the whole food complex. If the pill is taken on its own it will then be necessary for the body to complete the complex by taking the missing elements its own collagen tissue to complete the fractionated complex you supplied. This is the same reason why I am such a proponent of raw foods…raw foods have the required enzymes to digest and process the food, it is a package deal…when we cook the food the enzymes are killed and our bodies must scrape together what it can to get the job done. It stresses our bodies to have to do all this extra work to digest foods that should have come packaged with their own handy dandy enzymes. Vitamins too should come with all they need for absorption. It is no wonder we age so fast.
This whole process of robbing stores within the body to complete the complex can cause even greater deficiencies in the body.
Studies have shown that vitamin C from citrus extract was absorbed 35 percent more than ascorbic acid. Other vitamins have been shown to be more effective in their whole food form. For example the Medical Science Research publication reported that whole food vitamin E and vitamin A are more bioavailable than isolated, synthetic forms of these vitamins. The examination of vitamin A showed the food base product was retained 9.4 times more than the synthetic form.
Whole food vitamins do not cause deficiencies in areas of the body but instead supply the individual cells with the nutrients they need for vitality.
How can you tell a synthetic vitamin from a whole food vitamin? Look at the label. Instead of seeing a long list of chemicals you should find the names of foods listed as the vitamin source. A vitamin or mineral is synthetic if only its chemical and/or popular name appears, with no plant source. For instance if a label reads like this: Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide….then you know it is synthetic. These vitamins and supplements also commonly have added sugars, preservatives, and dyes. If it is a natural, whole food vitamin it will list the foods, herbs, or spices used like strawberries, carrot, alfalfa, etc.
So if you are ready to stop wasting money on synthetic vitamins that will provide minimal nutrition and maybe even a harmful side effect or two there are a couple whole foods supplements I like for children.
EveryKid Children’s Multi-Vitamin – This very eco-friendly company out of Vermont believes that nature
got it right the first time. EveryKid is the first organic, whole food children’s multi-vitamin, without the aluminum dyes, artificial preservatives and flavors, or chemical residuals found in many current alternatives. They are powder pouches that you can just give to your kids as is. My kids really like the Brilliant Berries flavor. You would think I was giving them powdered sugar. Of course I had to try to…for research purposes and yes…quite yummy.
They are easy to digest, gluten free, vegetarian, and contain no artificial colors or flavors. Some of the food “sources” include strawberries, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries…all organic of course. My kids give them a big thumbs up.
Nutri Stars Multivitamin and Multimineral Children’s Chewable from a Rainbow Light. Besides all the regular vitamins and minerals you would expect to find in a chewable vitamin it has some bonuses like veggie concentrates from carrots, spinach, grean beans, broccoli, and beets. It also has organic spirulina and wheat sprouts. It is 100% natural with no artifical colors, flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, or other additives that are often found in other vitamin products. And here is the most important thing….kids like them.
Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bears – This is a good whole food vitamin inside tasty gummy bears, so of course it won’t be hard to get kids to eat these. My kids always ask for these when we go to Whole Foods. Does not contain yeast, wheat, milk, egg, soy, glutens, salt, artificial colors, artificial flavors, salicylates or preservatives. Kids can have up to three bears per day.
And a good one for adults:
Green Pops and Purple Pops – A supplement whose ingredients are real foods minus the water and fiber. Vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices that contain all the nutrients in the real food – not just a blend of vitamins and minerals. The green pops are provide nutrition from veggie and sources and the purple pops are from fruit sources. They both have added antioxidants, digestive enzymes, and probiotics as well.
To your health!
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Welcome! Here you will find the random thoughts and experiences of a mom trying to live a more natural and green family life since 2004. Enjoy! Feel free to 
