Increase your tomorrows by taking multi's today

Better Nutrition, March, 1997 by James F. Scheer

While most multivitamin/mineral formulas differ, as do the people who take them, there are certain components that we should look for in the majority of products: vitamin A/beta-carotene, B-complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, iron -- and others.

Orthodox doctors find it increasingly difficult to sell the idea that all the nutrients needed for good health are in a "well-balanced diet."

Once upon a time, the "well-balanced diet" fairy story was believable. Today however, most people are better-read and more sophisticated in nutrition matters and realize that only by magic -- or by their food being grown organically (although the amounts needed. in some cases, would choke a horse) -- can present-day foods contain all the vitamins and minerals necessary to sustain life and promote good health.

Many realize that, due to decades of over-cultivating, the nation's soils are depleted because commercial fertilizers return to the earth only a fraction of the nutrients removed by growing things.

Various experts indicate that most soils lack some of the 60 trace elements essential to plant nutrition, 24 of which are needed for the health of animals and human beings. World-famous soil expert, the late Dr. William Albrecht, revealed that many plant, animal, and human diseases are caused by a deficiency of these trace minerals in our soils.

Why diet alone is not enough

It is impossible to derive a balanced diet from nutritionally imbalanced fruits, vegetables, grains, and seeds. And that's just a part of the story. This, coupled with the fact that the USDA has consistently reported that most Americans fail to consume the recommended number of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains daily -- despite reported benefits -- makes getting all the nutrients we need from diet alone that much more impossible.

Most people no longer personally harvest organically-grown produce from their backyard garden and eat it fresh. Foods are often transported for clays before ending up in supermarkets. suffering heavy losses of nutrients from long exposure to light, air, and warmth.

Processing -- milling. preserving, canning, and packaging -- strips out much of the vitamins and minerals from food; additives and overcooking complete the job of compromising the nutritional integrity of our foods.

Making it even more difficult to get a balanced diet from foods alone are the following "silent-nutrient stealers": prescription and over-the-counter drugs: oral contraceptives: smoking; over-indulgence in alcohol and coffee; pollution in air, water, and food: and every kind of stress. This is where nutrient supplementation comes in.

Studies show that another good reason to take multivitamins/minerals daily may be to boost one's immunity. The editors of the book, Healing with Vitamins, cite two studies supporting this benefit.

One of the year-long studies, carried out on 100 elderly Canadians -- one-half of whom took daily multivitamin/mineral supplements with extra vitamin E and beta-carotene, and the other half of whom took placebos daily -- showed that the group taking supplements had only half as many colds, flus, and other infection-related illnesses as did the group taking placebos. In addition, when they did get sick, the supplement takers recovered, on average, in half the time.

The other study, also a year long, used skin tests to measure immune responses to proteins from bacteria and fungi; it showed that the supplement takers had significantly stronger immune systems than those who took placebos.

Various surveys are almost unanimous in disclosing that most people take a multivitamin/mineral supplement, rather than individual nutrients. This is probably because most people don't feel knowledgeable enough about nutrition to formulate a program of vitamins and minerals on their own.

Most multivitamin/mineral formulas differ -- as do the people who take them. However, certain nutrients (and other compounds) are in the majority of them. What follows is a list of the most common ones and what they do for us. Also included in the descriptions of these nutrients and compounds (where available) are approximate total recommended daily dosages -- obtained from food sources and supplements as advised in the book, Prescription for Nutritional [leafing by James F. Balch, M.D. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.

Here's a list of the primary vitamins and minerals to include in your multi formula:

Vitamin A. The first vitamin discovered, vitamin A, a main nutrient in eggs and whole milk, contributes to a strong immune system, good health of eyes, hair, skin, and mucous membranes, and -- along with zinc -- to accelerated wound healing. Daily dosage is 10,000 International Units (I.U.). Taking higher doses of this vitamin can cause side effects, and, in pregnant women, can damage the fetus. Beta-carotene, on the other hand, a precursor to vitamin A, is without known side effects, since the body converts to vitamin A only as much beta-carotene as it needs.

Vitamin B-Complex.

Vitamin B-1 (thiamin). Found in beans, Brazil nuts, brown rice, peas, sunflower seeds, and whole grains, vitamin B-1 is required for a healthy heart, nervous system and brain, a good appetite, and efficient use of carbohydrates and fats. It also contributes to a good memory. Antacids and alcohol interfere with thiamin function. Daily dosage: 50 mg.