December 7, 2001 – Vitamin and multimineral supplements are recognized, among other things, to help maintain the proper functioning of the immune system, heart, joints and red blood cells as well as to reduce the risk of cancer. Did you know, however, that they can also cause weakening of the immune system, depression and increased risk of certain cancers? Hence the importance of choosing them well.
The basic criteria
A good supplement should ideally contain the usual recommended daily intakes.1.2 for each of the vitamins and minerals in it, but in reality, no supplement has 100% of the recommended intake for all of its ingredients. The choice of a supplement must be made according to the sex, age, state of health and lifestyle of each. You can set your own needs by looking at the Recommended Daily Allowance first and then adjusting it to your personal condition. Thus, you can choose the supplement that is most suitable, supplementing, if necessary, with additional doses of vitamins or minerals that your condition would require.
Some examples and tips
- The recommended intake of vitamin C is 60 mg per day. However, if you are a smoker, you should double the amount without exceeding the maximum limit of 2000 mg. In addition, you should also be careful with excess beta-carotene which can increase the risk of lung cancer.
- A person over the age of 70 needs to take an extra amount of vitamin D.
- Menopausal women and men need less iron than is usually recommended. An overdose of iron can also lead to gastrointestinal problems or constipation.
- Zinc and copper are assimilated in the body according to the same mechanism; if the two are contained in a complex, but do not disintegrate as well, this will lead to a deficit of the less readily assimilable component.
- Folic acid reduces the risk of birth defects in an adequate dose, but in overdose, it can mask anemia related to vitamin B12 deficiency, especially in the elderly.
- The amount of calcium, magnesium and potassium is never exceeded in the complexes. You should also know that the amount indicated on the label does not always reflect the actual amount contained.
- Some would be tempted to take more than the recommended dose. It’s not a good idea. It is better to stay below the dose limits. Taking more could be dangerous and cause unwanted effects.
A good supplement dissolves quickly and well
Other elements should also be considered in choosing a supplement. Its disintegration, for example, must be done quickly and completely. To check the disintegration of your supplement: soak it in a cup of vinegar and stir lightly. After 20 minutes, it should have dissolved completely. Avoid copper oxide as a type of copper because its high density makes it poorly soluble. Cut out modified-release supplements that gradually deliver nutrients and thus do not allow effective absorption.
ConsumerLab.com tests
The tests carried out by ConsumerLab.com, an independent American agency specializing in the analysis of health and nutrition products, confirms the difficulty of choosing the right supplements.3 Twenty-seven complexes were tested according to the following criteria: the amount of the ingredients present in comparison to that labeled and the recommended daily allowance, the breakdown of the components and the lead content. The tests focused on the composition of vitamin A (beta-carotene and retinol), folic acid and calcium. The results obtained created some surprises since nine complexes failed the test, ie one third.4 Two products were eliminated because of their excess or deficiency in vitamin A compared to the recommended daily allowance. Five complexes were failed for B vitamins. In addition, the labeled quantity was not respected for four products concerning vitamin A, three folic acid and one calcium. A product did not completely break down, suggesting that the body could not absorb it completely. Finally, no complex exceeded the recommended lead limit.
Élisabeth Mercader – PasseportSanté.net
From Prevention, December 2001.
1. Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Nutritional value claims (or nutrition claims). [Consulté le 7 décembre 2001] http://www.inspection.gc.ca/francais/bureau/labeti/guide/6-2-6e.shtml
2. Prevention. www.prevention.com How to pick a perfect multi. [Consulté le 30 novembre 2001]. http://www.prevention.com/cda/feature/1,1204,2332,00.html
3. ConsumerLab.com Product Review: Multivitamins / multiminerals. [Consulté le 30 novembre 2001]. http://www.consumerlab.com
4. The list of tested US products is available for a fee on the ConsumerLab.com site.
