{"id":635,"date":"2014-01-04T07:14:56","date_gmt":"2014-01-03T19:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/?p=635"},"modified":"2014-01-25T04:30:07","modified_gmt":"2014-01-24T16:30:07","slug":"the-multi-vitamin-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/the-multi-vitamin-controversy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Multi-Vitamin Controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"jan2011_itn_03\"<\/a>Over the past few years I\u2019ve been traveling around the country extolling the virtue of vitamins like the Bs, C, D, E etc, as essential elements in a brain healthy diet. \u00a0However, in mid December an editorial from the Annals of Internal Medicine cited 3 studies which suggested that multivitamin supplements did no good and were basically \u201ca waste of money.\u201d So who\u2019s right here? Me or them? \u2026Well me of course! : )<\/b><\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not just my opinion. Dr. Gladys Block, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the University of California Berkeley, points out that none<\/b> of the studies noted in the editorial accurately represented the American population. There is lots of good evidence for the importance and efficacy of good vitamin supplements. And the supplements used in these studies may not have been the best.<\/p>\n

That brings us to the nasty reality that many popular multivitamins sold in grocery stores, like Centrum Silver\u00ae, contain artificial vitamins, minerals and other ingredients that are hard to absorb. \u00a0Even though they are called \u201cnatural.\u201d \u00a0Some of these vitamins are synthesized from petroleum and coal tar, some of the minerals from rocks. The FDA just requires that they’re made from something with a hexane ring (molecule shape) which is in anything that was once living – including petroleum and coal tar. Yuck!\u00a0 They appear to be the same but the body treats them differently. For example:<\/p>\n

Natural vitamin E (d-alpha or gama tocopherol) has been shown to be helpful as an antioxidant in protecting cells, while dl<\/b>-alpha tocopherol, the synthetic form is much less effective and may even cause oxidation or other cellular damage.<\/p>\n

Natural vitamin E is distributed through the body much better than the synthetic form. The reason is that specific\u00a0carrier proteins<\/em>\u00a0in the liver selectively bind to\u00a0natural<\/strong>\u00a0vitamin E and transport it through the blood to cells throughout the body. These carrier proteins only recognize a portion of synthetic vitamin E and ignore the remainder. As a result when Japanese researchers gave\u00a0natural<\/em>\u00a0or synthetic vitamin E to young women to measure how much vitamin E actually made it into their blood. It took only\u00a0100 mg<\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0natural<\/strong>\u00a0vitamin E to produce blood levels that required\u00a0300 mg<\/strong>\u00a0of synthetic vitamin E. (See references here)<\/a><\/p>\n

While natural vitamin E has been shown to inhibit oxidation, some cancers, and reduce\u00a0 cerebral and cardiovascular risk, synthetic forms of vitamins A & E may shorten one\u2019s life.
\n(See studies here)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Seniors who care about their brain may also want to avoid supplements containing extra iron or copper (common in senior formulas) as these may increase risk for oxidation and cognitive decline. (If researchers want to give mice dementia they feed them iron.) \u00a0Other potential toxins commonly used in vitamins include:\u00a0<\/span>aluminum,\u00a0 selenite, selenate, selenium dioxide, Titanium dioxide, and hydrogenated oils. If your supplement contains synthetic vitamin E or any of these best buy something else. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We do know good nutrition is essential to human health and malnutrition is a primary cause of aging, both of the body and brain. As we age we often don\u2019t eat as well. Many don\u2019t digest or assimilate their food as well. As a result our protective enzymes, antioxidants, and antibodies decrease, as free radicals, oxidation, inflammation and various diseases increase \u2013 ultimately leading to our demise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Supplementation with natural vitamins and minerals, however, have been shown in numerous studies to be very helpful in overcoming these deficits and improving health.<\/p>\n

You may recall the Cache Senior study at Utah State University in the 90\u2019s, where they found those seniors who supplemented with healthy forms of vitamins C & E were more than 75% less likely to develop dementia than those who lacked these nutrients in their diet.(1) The Oxford Study showed a simple pill containing folic acid, B-6 and B-12 was (30-50% more) effective in staving off brain shrinkage and preserving memory then placebo. (2) Vitamin D has been shown in numerous studies to boost the immune system and promote brain health.(3) And various minerals like magnesium, selenium and zinc have also proven helpful in arresting and in some cases even reversing cognitive decline.(4)<\/p>\n

Unfortunately it\u2019s become increasingly apparent that those who write such editorials are more than just biased. Dr. Edgar Miller, professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins and co-author of the editorial.claims: \u201cThe (vitamin and supplement) industry is based on anecdote, people saying \u2018I take this, and it makes me feel better\u2026 But when you put it to the test, there\u2019s no evidence of benefit in the long term.\u201d To come to such a conclusion based on 3 flawed studies alone, while ignoring many more suggests an agenda \u2013 likely driven by other financial interests. For an annotated rebuttal to such bullony click here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Literally thousands of university studies \u2013 primarily from biology departments, have proven vitamin and mineral supplements help reduce oxidation, inflammation and related deterioration in the body and brain. For example a 2010 study published in the <\/span>American Journal of Clinical Nutrition <\/i>found that multivitamins can keep you younger, longer. It showed people who take a good daily multivitamin had longer telomeres (a predictor of long life) and younger DNA. For a more comprehensive listing of studies showing the value of supplements in reducing risk for more than 100 common ailments go to: <\/span>http:\/\/www.lef.org\/protocols\/index.htm<\/a> and pick a disorder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Choosing a Multi-Nutrient Formula<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0the market is flooded with multi-nutrient formulas, few stand up to a careful analysis of purity and potency. \u00a0Many formulas contain only the US government\u2019s recommended dietary allowance (RDA). While the RDA may be sufficient to prevent diseases such as scurvy, extensive studies have demonstrated that promoting optimal health requires nutrients in form and amounts that far exceed the RDA, especially as we age.<\/p>\n

Research <\/b>also shows, as noted above, that the body more readily uses certain forms of vitamins and minerals than others. Many vitamin combinations on the market today use the cheapest available forms. \u00a0These, typified by synthetic vitamin E, are difficult for the body to absorb and use, and thus provide only marginal nutritional support, if any. And may even do harm. When choosing a multi-vitamin product, it is advisable to seek not only adequate potencies of nutrients, but also formulations designed for optimal absorption and use by\u00a0the body.\u00a0
\n
\n<\/span><\/b>There are some very good multi-vitamin supplements on the market that meet this criteria. One of the best is called \u201cTwo-Per-Day\u201d Go to https:\/\/www.levitamins.com\/16942\/Home<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 and click on it to see the comparison with Centrum Silver\u00ae (which uses synthetic vitamin E). Two-Per-Day contains\u00a0up to 50 times greater potency\u00a0with\u00a0more nutrients\u00a0for a comparable price (just $16.50 for a 2 month supply), plus some of the best antioxidants like alpha lipoic acid, to keep your body young and healthy. If you\u2019d like something even better, with even more plant based ingredients (although it costs a bit more) check out the Life Extension Mix on that page. (Note if you buy online from that site you pay only $5 shipping no matter how much you buy, and of course you don\u2019t pay tax. Plus a small portion of each sale will go to help support this site.)<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re ever in a quandary wondering if the supplements you are taking are the best for you give me a call at <\/span>801 529-8238.<\/strong> As my new years gift to you my readers I will review your regimen for free! \u00a0And help you find the best values available to meet your unique needs. This simple review could save you thousands, not only on supplements, but medications and other health care costs down the road. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And if you\u2019d like to preserve or improve your memory, it\u2019s hard to beat the combination in Perceptiv<\/a>. If you know someone with more serious memory issues consider Memoryze<\/a>, or give me a call as there are several things you must consider, and that usually requires some personal tweeking.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to feel and think better this year, why not conduct a little experiment of your own, and give a truly \u201cgood\u201d natural supplement a try for a change. Give it just 3 months and see if it doesn\u2019t make a real difference for you. \u00a0After all, aren’t you and your health the real bottom line in this discussion.<\/span><\/p>\n

References:<\/p>\n

1. Zandi PP, Anthony JC, KhachaturianAS, et al. Reduced risk of Alzheimer disease in users of antioxidant vitamin supplements: the Cache County Study. Arch Neurol. 2004 Jan;61(1):82-8.<\/span><\/p>\n

2 . Smith, AD, Smith, SM, de Jager, CA, Whitbread, P, Johnston, C, et al. 2010 Homocysteine-Lowering by B Vitamins Slows the Rate of Accelerated Brain Atrophy in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.\u00a0PLoS ONE\u00a0<\/i>5(9): e12244. doi:10.1371\/journal.pone.0012244<\/p>\n

3. Grant, William B. Does Vitamin D Reduce the Risk of Dementia?\u00a0Journal of Alzheimer\u2019s Disease<\/i>, Volume 17, Number 1, May 2009,\u00a0<\/b>151-159.
\n<\/i>http:\/\/www.j-alz.com\/issues\/contents.html<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0http:\/\/www.lef.org\/magazine\/mag2012\/jan2012_Reversing-Brain-Decay_01.htm<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Over the past few years I\u2019ve been traveling around the country extolling the virtue of vitamins like the Bs, C, D, E etc, as essential elements in a brain healthy diet. \u00a0However, in mid December an editorial from the Annals of Internal Medicine cited 3 studies which suggested that multivitamin supplements did no good […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-prevention-strategies-diet-and-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=635"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":666,"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635\/revisions\/666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4abettermemory.com\/memory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}