Multi-vitamin supplements differ in effectiveness, quality, and product safety

According to USDA studies, fewer than 3% of Americans eat a balanced diet. Fewer than 1 in 50,000 achieve therecommended daily allowance (RDA) of ten essential vitamins and minerals. As a result, top medical associations and health organizations now recommend supplements as “prudent” for complete nutrition.

Food supplements are not regulated or standardized by the Food and Drug Administration. This means virtually any product can be sold. As a result, assuming two brands of product are the same is a big mistake. Choosing the wrong product can have strong negative effects on health.

Labels can lie

Two products that appear to have the same nutrients may not have the same health effect on the body. For example, a recent study revealed synthetic vitamin E

(dl-alpha tocopherol) was found to be less absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted more rapidly from the body than natural vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol). Notice the only difference is one has the letter “l” and the natural version does not.

Buyer beware!

Since 1993, the FDA has received more than 7,000 reports of people suffering adverse reactions as a result of using supplements. Many dietary supplements contain compounds other than those on the label, at different dosages or contaminated with potentially dangerous substances such as pesticides, bacteria, and even lead and glass.

Many vitamin products are even coated with shellac which is nearly totally resistant to the penetration of stomach fluids!

Classifying vitamins

There are three different classifications of vitamin products.

Synthetic sources are characterized as man-made, contain no enzymes, are generally imbalanced and contain many harsh binders and fillers.

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