Health supplements are a hotly contested subject in the medical community. While some doctors and research studies report that various brands of health supplements are ineffective, different doctors, studies, and brands are reported to be highly beneficial. With so much conflicting data it can be difficult to decide whether you need a multivitamin or not.
Why you might need it:
Consuming a balanced diet that meets the recommended servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, essential fatty acids, and lean sources of protein still may not ensure ample nutrient intake due to changes in our food supply. A recent comparison study evaluated potential changes in the average nutrient content of 43 fruits and vegetables between 1950 and 1999 and found the following results:
- 6% decrease in protein
- 16% decrease in calcium
- 9% decrease in phosphorus
- 15% decrease in iron
- 38% decrease in riboflavin
- 20% decrease in ascorbic acid
Food quality changes are the result of multiple factors, and for these reasons you should be taking a multivitamin. Supplementing your diet with a multivitamin is a great way to support a healthy lifestyle, and it takes so little effort. Your body will thank you for it!
Not all brands are created equal
Taking a ‘bad’ multivitamin, or taking them at the wrong time or frequency will dramatically effect your results. Like all products, when it comes to vitamins some brands are better than others. Look for a brand that promotes high bioavailability, this is your bodies ability to absorb the nutrients in the pill. Some brands claim to have large amounts of nutrients in them but because your body cannot digest them fully, you are not absorbing the numbers on the label. In general, pills that are encased rather than compressed are easier to digest.
Follow the dosing instructions. If the bottle says to take one pill with breakfast, lunch, and dinner it might be a pain, but you’ll see better results. Our bodies can only absorb so much at once, so trying to take a triple dose is less effective, since what can’t be immediately absorbed will be flushed out of your system. Some nutrients also need the support of others to be fully digested. This is often why it is necessary to eat food when taking health supplements.
If you don’t want to go to the trouble of finding the right brand and pill than the Reflex team can customize a supplement program to protect your joints and aid in pain relief. Call our office at (503) 719-6783 to schedule an appointment.