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Medical Forum / General / Nutrition / March 2006Quality of Common Multivitamins
Hello, A couple of folks (Who were trying to sell their specific brands of multivitamins) told me that the multivitamins that are most commonly found in supermarkets or drugstores (In my area, Jamieson and others) are of poor quality because most of the vitamins and minerals are artificial. Their argument is that other, more expensive, brands are of better quality as the vitamins and minerals are natural. Hence, even if a common and expensive multivitamin both have, say, the same number of grams of B2, the expensive one might be better as the B2 is "natural". A couple of questions: (i) Is there any basis for the claim that many common multivitamins are of poor quality as most of the vitamins and minerals are not natural? (ii) If so, why? Thanks, Curious About Vitamins Yes there are significant differences between premium brand and suprmarket brand multi-vit-min supplements. On the labels you must read the ingredients list, not just the nutrient %RDA list. The cheap formulations include crap like polyethylene glycol, magnesium stearate and numerous other excipient ingredients. The cheap formulations may state on their labels that they contain 100% RDAs for various minerals. Yes those minerals are there in the amounts stated, but because they are oxides instead of amino acid chelates* the actual intestinal absorption can only be expected to be about 5-10% of the amounts given on the label. * On the label of a premium quality multi-vit-min, an amino acid chelated mineral may be designated as <mineral name> AAC or as <mineral name> methionate or glycinate. The cheap formulations use a synthetic vitamin E named dl-alpha-tocopherol. Beware of the 'l' that follows the 'd', which indicates that it is the synthetic form of E, which has never been shown in any scientificly conducted medical study to show any health benefit. The only effective way to get the benefit of E is to take a separate supplement named 'complete vitamin E complex', which contains the same forms of both tocopherols + tocotrienols that are found in nature. The cheap formulations use the ascorbic acid form of vitamin C, which is OK, but has been rendered obsolete by the superior ester form of C (calcium ascorbate), which has a few nutritional advantages over ascorbic acid. Beware of significant amounts of calcium carbonate being formulated into a cheap multi-vit-min pill, which is improper and counterproductive with regards to absorption of not only the calcium, but of the other minerals in the pill. Calcium should best be supplemented separately, preferably just before bedtime, because there are so many antagonistic nutrients that interfere with it. The premium form of calcium is calcium citrate, which most published articles state as providing the greatest absorption. Also its citrate provides a side-benefit of helping to prevent some types of kidney stones. You will rarely find vitamin K in any multi-vit-min pill, but if you do it will be K1 (phylloquinone, phytonadione), which has lower bioavailability than K2 (menaquinone, menatetrenone). Best to take a separate premium K2 supplement. The only premium quality multi-vit-min pill that I have ever seen in a supermarket was Atkins Basic 3. Those are probably unavailable now because Atkins is slowly fading out of existence. > Hello, > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Thanks, > Curious About Vitamins Hi Knack, Thanks for taking the time to post this information. Curious > Calcium should best be supplemented separately, preferably just before > bedtime, because there are so many antagonistic nutrients that interfere > with it. The premium form of calcium is calcium citrate, which most > published articles state as providing the greatest absorption. Also its > citrate provides a side-benefit of helping to prevent some types of kidney > stones. Hey Knack, would you happen to have a link to any of the articles you mentioned here on calcium citrate? I'd like to read them, as I had always thought calcium lactate was the most beneficial because it had fewer conversion to go through before arriving at calcium bicarbonate, the form of calcium our bodies use. Thanks, Max. >> Calcium should best be supplemented separately, preferably just before >> bedtime, because there are so many antagonistic nutrients that interfere [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > fewer conversion to go through before arriving at calcium bicarbonate, > the form of calcium our bodies use. Max, not all info sources state that calcium citrate absorption is greater than other forms of calcium. However, *most* articles do state that. I tend to give a greater weight to the information that is most often coroborrated. On the other hand, I'm aware of paradigms such as the one "saturated fat is unhealthy". If my memory serves me correctly, I have only read claims of superiority about the lactate form from the web sites of calcium lactate manufacturers. Seeing how kidney stones typically contain quite a bit of calcium, it makes sense to me to be taking a calcium supplement that can actually reduce the incidence of stone formation rather than exacerbate such a malady. BTW, calcium supplements also vary in their constipating side-effect. The citrate form is claimed to be best in that regard (important in preventing colon cancer and diverticulitis). Each of us judges the evidence, coming to our own conclusions. Start here http://www.greatvistachemicals.com/industrial_and_specialty_chemicals/calcium_ci trate.html http://www.glycoscience.com/glycoscience/pdf/H034A.pdf Most of the knowledge I have gained regarding calcium citrate was gleaned from general articles about calcium nutrition. Those articles were found at the following web sites over the past 19 months. Some of the following links may be dead now. Time saving tip: for each web page in your browser's menu bar, Edit > Find in this page > Find what: calcium citrate > Find next. http://www.raysahelian.com/calcium.html http://www.healthylivingintl.com/calcium/ http://www.enzymestuff.com/calcium.htm http://www.best-calcium.com/?Supplmt-Coralcalcium http://store.omnivit.com/00204.html http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/cal_0052.shtml http://calciumrx.com/absorption.html http://www.northmemorial.com/healthencyclopedia/content/1878.asp http://www.acu-cell.com/acn.html http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/ds/dsCalcium.php http://www.nutrition-guide.net/vitamin-article.html http://www.power-surge.com/issue28.htm http://dexascan.tripod.com/calcium.html http://www.naturalways.com/calciumResearch.htm http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/?id=CALCI.NUT http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/?id=CALCIUM3.MIS http://www.peacefulmind.com/articlescd.htm http://lowcarbdietchefs.safeshopper.com/4/21.htm?236 http://www.drdonnica.com/faqs/00007547.htm http://www.fpnotebook.com/PHA60.htm http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/Handouts/calcium/calcium.html Some of the points made are highly debatable. This article mentions that the citrate form may be absorbed but is useless; but no references to support that claim though. No author's name appears with this article either. Remember, it's the Internet ;-) http://www.icakusa.com/healthcaps/nutrition/calcium.html Caffeine from coffee excerbates formation of calcium type kidney stones http://www.raysahelian.com/kidneystones.html Nothing following about calcium citrate, but will open your eyes about calcium supplementation http://www.womens-health-and-calcium.com/html/calcium-absorption.php3 http://www.warrenking.com/DitCalP.html Wow! Thanks, Knack. That's a lot to look through. I'll have a go at it and get back to you with my impressions / questions. Max. > Wow! Thanks, Knack. That's a lot to look through. I'll have a go at > it and get back to you with my impressions / questions. I'm glad you asked, because it caused me to take another look at calcium citrate. Here is another calcium citrate brief that I found today http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_citrate The important bit of info from the wikipedia brief is that inoccuous statement at the bottom "Calcium citrate is used as a water softener because the citrate chelates unwanted metal ions." How does the citrate ion know which of our body's metal ions are wanted (such as iron, magnesium) and which ones are unwanted (such as mercury, aluminum, chromium)? I once worked in an aluminum casting foundry, where we used citric acid in water in order to rinse corrosive alkali off the castings as part of the cleaning operation. The express purpose of the citric acid was as a chelator, which inhibited corrosion during the rinse process by forming a protective chelated microfilm on the surfaces of the parts. Somehow over the years I had forgotten until today that citrates are weak chelators, but that's how they are applied, whether it is in the metals industries, water treatment, or nutritional supplements. In medium quality multi-vit-min pills, citrates are sometimes used as the mineral chelators. But what happens to the citrated minerals after they have been absorbed? Can the body metabolize and use them, or do they just put a burden on the kidneys? Suppose the body can crack these citrated chelates to liberate the supplemented metal ion from the citrate ion. Then what happens to the citrate ion? It would just scavenge some other metal ion indescriminately; maybe doing something beneficial like grabbing a mercury, or... maybe robbing the body of a needed iron. This must be the reasoning behind the unexplained remark about calcium citrate that I referred to in my previous post; the remark about calcium citrate's uselessness at http://www.icakusa.com/healthcaps/nutrition/calcium.html One more additional calcium citrate brief at http://foodsupplements.homestead.com/CALCIUMCITRATE.html "Deficiency results in kidney stones, osteoporosis, leg cramps, bleeding gums, peeling nails, and hypertension. Reduces incidence of colorectal cancer, platelet clumping, aids hypoglycemics, improves memory, lowers cholesterol, and is a chelator." These are interesting claims, and certainly a few of them are true enough to lend a false sense of credibility to the entire statement. But the brief does not support these claims solidly with scientific references. >Max, not all info sources state that calcium citrate absorption is greater >than other forms of calcium. However, *most* articles do state that. Only in a fasting state. Most people take calcium with food. The nominal difference evaporates. The outrageous price of other forms of calcium renders it a foolish luxury. Calcium carbonate is fine, outside of other vegetable or dairy sources. George M. Carter > Only in a fasting state. Most people take calcium with food. The > nominal difference evaporates. The outrageous price of other forms of > calcium renders it a foolish luxury. I tend to disagee. When I buy a supplement I want to know that it was once a food, or at least that it could be a food. That's why most of what I buy is made by Standard Process. All of their supplements are food-based. Most calcium carbonate supplements are made from limestone or oyster shells. That's just not something my body was designed to use. Max. >> Only in a fasting state. Most people take calcium with food. The >> nominal difference evaporates. The outrageous price of other forms of [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >or oyster shells. That's just not something my body was designed to >use. Your body honestly doesn't mind. But if you feel more comfortable with calcium citrate, go for it. Doesn't make any difference in terms of absorption. However, I don't know what you mean by "Standard Process" and am not certain where calcium citrate is sourced. (Let alone that boondoggle of MLM nonsense, "coral calcium.") George M. Carter > However, I don't know what you mean by "Standard Process" and am not > certain where calcium citrate is sourced. (Let alone that boondoggle > of MLM nonsense, "coral calcium.") Oh man, don't even get me started on that! ;) Standard Process is the name of a food-based supplement company. It was started in 1929 by Dr. Royal Lee. To my knowledge there are no other supplements on the planet produced with the attention to preserving the natural benefits of food as Standard Process supplements. It's certainly not MLM. In fact, you can ONLY buy S.P. supplements through a licensed health care practitioner. You can look them up if you like. www.standardprocess.com Max. OK. I think I'm starting to see the picture here. It would appear that there's more elemental calcium in the calcium citrate (and even in the calcium carbonate) than in the average calcium lactate supplement. However, I didn't see anything that said that that means that more calcium is converted into calcium bicarbonate. In fact, I couldn't really find anything addressing that specific issue when I tried to google it. I do have a document from Standard Process where company rep John Courtney discusses their Calcium Lactate product: "CALCIUM LACTATE tablets each contain five grains of calcium lactate and one grain of magnesium citrate. This makes the pH of the total product 5.2, which is on the acid side. Seven is neutral, which straight calcium lactate would be. So our CALCIUM LACTATE will often be assimilated where other calcium lactate products wouldn't be -- people with an alkaline gastrointestinal tract just can't assimilate calcium well. So we have considered a lot of these things in building our products, even though this information isn't on the label. We know how to formulate products which the body can use. CALCIUM LACTATE is probably our best-selling product. When we mix it with a parathyroid base we call it CAL-MA PLUS. It contains calcium lactate and magnesium citrate. The essential point is that it is a very easily ionized form of calcium -- probably more easily ionized than any other kind. The only kind of calcium you can ionize in your blood stream is calcium bicarbonate. Calcium lactate changes to calcium bicarbonate in just one step. Whereas limestone goes through about a dozen changes to become calcium bicarbonate. Don't confuse calcium bicarbonate with calcium carbonate. Calcium bicarbonate is the form of calcium that you find in spring water. If you take that spring water and heat it in a tea kettle, the soft organic calcium bicarbonate changes to the hard inorganic calcium carbonate, which is insoluble. It precipitates to the bottom of the tea kettle. That is limestone. But calcium bicarbonate is ionized in the blood-stream. To ionize is to give an electrical charge to the item being ionized. The ionization of minerals makes them functional in our body in the tissues. If calcium is not ionized, for example, it stays in the fluid. The ionization of minerals is achieved through our body's enzyme system. Getting back to calcium bicarbonate -- you can't make calcium bicarbonate tablets because as soon as you start drying the bicarbonate it changes to calcium carbonate. So the closest that we can come to calcium bicarbonate is calcium lactate." If you have never heard of Dr. Royal Lee, the founder of Standard Process, his life is a very interesting read. He has often been called the Einstein of nutrition. He had over 70 patents to his name, many directly related to nutrition. I've listened to dozens of hours of his lectures and am convinced that to this day there's no one person that has ever amassed as much nutritional information as him. So at this point I think I'm more confused than I was yesterday. Most calcium citrate supplements start out as calcium carbonate. The cc is introfuced into a citric acid medium to turn it into calcium citrate, but I don't know the implications of this process. Does that mean it is now just calcium carbonate chelated to a citrate medium? Would that mean that it still has to go through the dozen or so changes to get to calcium bicarbonate as mentioned in the paragraph above? Max. |
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