| “Food should be our medicine and medicine should | | | | recognised by the RDA list but have been shown to |
| be our food,” said Hippocrates many centuries | | | | be vital for optimum health. These means substances |
| ago. He was right, and the concept of eating right for | | | | like Molybdenum, an important anti-oxidant, and |
| optimum health has not changed since then; the only | | | | others like Lutein and Xeaxanthin, which help to |
| thing that has changed since is everything else. | | | | maintain the state of your eyes. |
| The world population has since increased sixfold, and | | | | It is worth mentioning that single-substance |
| in this time the industrialisation of farming has had a | | | | supplementation is quite inept. Although a magazine |
| major effect on the type of food we eat. Whilst | | | | may have singled out a particular substance as their |
| technology and mass transport have made the world | | | | fad of the week, on its own it will be a waste of |
| smaller, they have also enabled obscene changes to | | | | time and money. All vitamins depend on other |
| the natural path of food from field to mouth. When | | | | vitamins, minerals or co-enzymes for proper |
| was the last time you bought locally-grown fruit from | | | | absorption. Who would have thought a Thiamin |
| a market stall? | | | | deficiency could cause deficiencies in Zinc, responsible |
| These accelerated changes are not without | | | | for over 100 different biological reactions in the |
| consequence. Pesticide use, prevalent in the last | | | | body? Zinc requires copper to be absorbed, but |
| half-century, has seen a massive degradation of the | | | | copper is influenced by the amount of iron, the |
| soil in which we grow crops; this means a lower | | | | absorption of which is regulated by vitamin C, which |
| nutrient content in every type of grain we eat. | | | | needs pyridoxine and cobalamin, themselves |
| Selenium, one of the most important minerals to | | | | dependent on other substances such as Thiamin and |
| combat oxidant damage, is deficient in most people in | | | | B complex co-enzymes. A good multivitamin will give |
| the UK. Oranges from the supermarket are often | | | | you a full range of substances. |
| more than a year old by the time you eat them | | | | Of course, regardless of how good your supplement |
| – chemicals injected into them slow the ripening | | | | is, there is no reason to cut back on good food. |
| process but leave them bereft of vitamins. It is not | | | | Whilst the ‘healthy eating pyramid’ has been |
| unusual for an orange on a supermarket shelf to | | | | repeatedly exposed as a sham, a varied diet in |
| have zero Vitamin C. | | | | accordance with nature’s intentions is still vital. |
| Add to this the busy parents who, with no time to | | | | This means a good balance between the |
| cook and fooled by the derisory ‘healthy | | | | macronutrients (proteins, carbs and fats) and as |
| balance’ labels on the front of the package, | | | | many micronutrients (minerals and vitamins) as |
| serve up microwave meals to their children on a daily | | | | possible from a variety of sources like fruits and veg, |
| basis and the problem becomes very evident – | | | | but also other sources, including grains and meats. |
| top trainer Cain Leathem summed it up best when he | | | | Whilst relying on food sources alone leads to a |
| coined the phrase Overfed and Undernourished. If | | | | shortfall for optimum health, the closer your daily |
| you ever want to see the evidence of this, take one | | | | activity and dietary intake is to that experienced by |
| look at a class of 10-year-olds; you may well be | | | | our healthy caveman ancestors, the more immune |
| shocked. This problem has two solutions – one | | | | you will be to 21st century disorders like back pain, |
| would be to move to a less advanced part of the | | | | obesity, diabetes, etc. To summarise, vitamins |
| world and live of the fat of the land. Most people, | | | | supplements should be used as just that, not to |
| finding the first option impossible, overcome the | | | | replace sensible dietary choices. |
| problem with the more realistic second option; vitamin | | | | This is the flagship argument of those that oppose |
| supplementation. | | | | vitamins supplementation in the diet; this group can |
| Correct vitamin supplementation is a very predictable, | | | | be split into two camps. One is the worried politicians, |
| extremely cost-effective way of restoring optimum | | | | who are keen not to upset the applecart and mulishly |
| health. Overcoming vitamin deficiency gives rise to | | | | stand squarely behind the three-meals-a-day |
| many beneficial changes within the body, including | | | | five-portions-of-fruit-n-veg, (but will still take vitamins |
| increased energy levels, incomparable levels of | | | | themselves in case they are wrong!). These fools |
| immune system resistance and a tangible boost to | | | | worry that, if they were to publicly back |
| the health of the skin and hair. Specific conditions can | | | | supplementation, the public would feel aggrieved that |
| be improved or completely eliminated with targeted | | | | their leaders had allowed their soil to be destroyed |
| supplementation. | | | | and the Daily Mail would accuse them of blaspheming |
| Of course, I said correct vitamin supplementation. | | | | against the hollowed ‘balanced diet’. They |
| Simply going down to the vitamin aisle of your local | | | | should not worry themselves – correct |
| supermarket and choosing a multivit will not make an | | | | supplementation goes hand in hand with eating right |
| impact on your health; although some is better than | | | | (hence the term supplementation rather than |
| none. At the time of writing, no UK supermarket | | | | replacement) and members of the Reagan |
| stocks good quality vitamin supplements; conscious | | | | administration actually admitted many years ago that |
| individuals must take a trip to health shops or order | | | | the nutrient content of soil has diminished 40% due |
| from the internet. | | | | to overfertilisation. |
| So what is the difference between ‘good | | | | The other type is the fanciful idealists, who basically |
| quality’ and ‘poor quality’ multivits? | | | | do not like change and, without a shred of scientific |
| There are two main issues to be aware of: | | | | evidence to hide behind, stubbornly cling to their gut |
| 1. | | | | feeling that a ‘balanced diet’ is all we need |
| Supermarket multivits are generally created with the | | | | to fortify us. To date, not one single person in the |
| one remit of providing all the RDAs (Recommended | | | | anti-supplementation camp has ever been able to |
| Daily Allowances) at the minimum of cost. So it is | | | | create a diet available to Western society that |
| therefore no surprise that they then do this. This is a | | | | contains enough nutrients to meet even the paltry |
| problem because the RDAs are a joke; they were | | | | RDAs. People who sneer at supplementation remind |
| created in the 1930s by the government as a | | | | me very much of the stubborn old man who |
| minimum requirement for sedentary people to avoid | | | | perseveres with his typewriter each day because |
| basic ailments like skirvy and rickets. They bear no | | | | ‘its never let him down and computers are the |
| relation to the optimal requirements of active people | | | | devil’. Unfortunately, the feeling of |
| today. Consuming only the RDAs will leave you quite | | | | self-congratulation at staying strong in the face of |
| deficient. Intelligent companies that produce good | | | | seemingly inevitable change pails in insignificance |
| quality vitamins will always try to match up the | | | | compared to the buzz of optimum health. |
| amounts to the requirement of the customer – | | | | I admit I see the appeal of getting all my necessary |
| this ensures you get far more than the pitiful RDAs; | | | | nutrients from a good diet because it feels more |
| enough to make a real difference. | | | | wholesome (nicer, even). Unfortunately, science does |
| 2. | | | | not back up this viewpoint; whilst it may have been |
| These already-inadequate amounts will not be utilised | | | | possible for our grandparents, we do not have the |
| in the body properly when contained in a | | | | luxury of this choice. Science shows that active |
| supermarket vitamin. This is because they do not | | | | individuals who do not supplement have deficiencies in |
| contain all the ingredients for effective use by the | | | | abundance, yet these are the people that need it |
| body. In nature, most vitamins are found together | | | | most. Overcoming these shortfalls leads to a more |
| with other substances called co-enzymes – these | | | | balanced body. Chromium enables better insulin |
| are required for proper absorption and utilization | | | | response and therefore more stable blood sugar |
| within the body and if these are not present your | | | | levels; Calcium overcomes bone and muscle wastage; |
| supplementation will be inefficient at best. The better | | | | Choline produces a lipotropic effect on the liver, |
| companies spend time and money researching the | | | | causing an increase in the usage of fat for fuel; the |
| importance of these co-enzymes and so ensure that | | | | list goes on, and we have not even covered the Cs! |
| their products contain them. An example of the | | | | Moreover, we start to work as nature intended us |
| difference in quality of products can be found in the | | | | to. |
| Vitamin B complex – whereas a supermarket | | | | Do not be put off supplementing with vitamins for |
| multivitamin will contain small amounts of B1, B2, B3, | | | | the sake of ‘keeping it natural’; the irony is |
| B5, B6, B12 and one co-enzyme, Folic Acid, a good | | | | that, together with a sensible diet dictated by your |
| quality equivalent will have the same substances but | | | | body’s requirements, correct vitamin |
| in much more appropriate quantities, adding a full | | | | supplementation shifts the nutritional climate closer to |
| range of co-enzymes like PABA (para-amino-benzoic | | | | that intended by nature than the Western diet alone |
| acid), choline, biotin and inositol. | | | | ever could. Food should still be our medicine and |
| 3. | | | | medicine should still be our food, only now we would |
| The extra research by the better brands ensures | | | | be wise to take little steps to neutralize the damage |
| you multivit includes other substances yet to be | | | | done by commercial farming. |