Tag Archive for: Supplements. Vitamins

When To Take Your Vitamins

time-to-take-supplements-350x286Some vitamins and supplements can interfere with certain medications resulting in serious side effects. Some of these medications include blood pressure medications, antidepressants, and certain cancer therapies.  If you are taking any medications, check with your physician before taking any supplements.

Everything from bottled water to breakfast cereals seems to have added vitamins and minerals in it.  Remember that if you eat a fortified cereal at breakfast, grab an energy bar for a lunch, and eat enriched pasta for dinner, and take a daily supplement, you could easily be over the recommended daily intake for vitmains and minerals.

If you opt to take multivitamins, choose one that provides no more than 100 percent of the daily value of each nutrient.

Vitamins come in two varieties: water soluble ( Vitamins B and C) and fat soluble (Vitamins such as A, D, E and K). Vitamins are grouped according to how they are dissolved and stored in your body.  Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in your body’s fatty tissue and liver and are used as needed by your body,  while water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and are not stored in your body.

Here are a few rules on taking vitamins:

  • Calcium should be taken at night; as it acts as a natural muscle relaxant, promoting quality sleep.
  •  Magnesium has a calming effect, and is best taken in the evening and with food, which aids in absorption.
  • Some vitamins can enhance the absorption of other nutrients. Vitamin C, helps enhance iron absorption.
  • Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are more easily absorbed when taken with a meal that contains fats.
  • Zinc is best taken 1 – 2 hours  either before or after a meal.
  • Iron is best absorbed if taken on an empty stomach and should not be taken with calcium, zinc, or vitamin E, which may interfere with proper absorption.
  • Fish oil is best consumed alongside other fat-soluble vitamins, and with a meal, where the fat content aids in absorption.  Fish oil should never be taken prior to physical activity
  • As a general rule, supplements should be taken with water, and never taken with coffee and tea.  The caffeine or tannin content may interfere with nutrient absorption.

Be aware that vitamins and minerals can affect the absorption and effectiveness of many medications, so always check with your doctor or health care provider.

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Why Do My Natural Vitamins Have Synthetic Ingredients?

imagesWhen people think of vitamins, most of us think about healthy and natural, but vitamin supplements can be artificial, and in fact, many vitamin supplements produced today are artificial.

There are six categories of nutrients used in the manufacturing of vitamin supplements today.

  • Natural source – the nutrients come from vegetable, animal or mineral sources. however, the vitamin still undergo processing and refining.  
  • Nature-identical synthetic – These nutrients  are manufactured in a lab with the molecular structure identical to the same nutrients in nature.  This process is preferred because of the cost and scarcity of natural resources. Most standard vitamin supplements on the market today are this type.
  •  Strictly synthetic – These nutrients are manufactured in a lab , Synthetic vitamins can have the same chemical constituents, but still have a different shape (optical activity). This is important because some of the enzymes in the human body only work properly with a vitamin of the correct shape. When we give the body concentrated forms of synthetic nutrients, it doesn’t always appear to have an appropriate delivery system.
  • Food cultured –  Raw material are  grown in yeast or algae; and through the process of culturing – it creates new nutrients.
  • Food based extracts which come from whole food sources. This is not a popular method as the nutrients have unstable levels and a limited shelf life.
  • Bacterial fermentation –These nutrients are produced by genetically altering bacteria which can produce nutrient by-products.

Supplement manufacturers often add fillers to their vitamins during manufacturing to make the pills or capsules more appealing, and easier to swallow.  Just like processed foods being loaded with additives and fillers, the same goes for vitamins.

Manufacturers put additives into your vitamin tablets for many different reasons:

  • Fillers – to add volume to tablets and capsules 
  • Bulking agents – to top up the content of the pills or capsules 
  • Binders – used to stick ingredients together in a tablet 
  • Anti-caking agents – to stop the ingredients clogging up machines 
  • Coatings – to make swallowing easy 
  • Preservatives – to save ingredients from spoiling 
  • Emulsifiers – to bind water to fats 
  • Colours – to look more appealing to the consumer 
  • Flavours – to alter the taste, even in tablets that are swallowed whole 
  • Sweeteners – to make flavour more palatable, again, even for tablets  

Here are a few of the non-essential ingredients that can be added to your vitamins:

Artificial Colors  – These artificial colors are added to compensate for color loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions.  Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3, Red No. 40,  Yellow No. 5,  Yellow No. 6  

Hydrogenated Oils –  are used as fillers, particularly hydrogenated soybean oil. Unless soy is organic, it will be genetically modified.

Magnesium Stearate – This is used as a lubricant so that the vitamins don’t stick together.  One study links this compound to creating a suppressed immune system, by creating a biofilm in the intestines. This biofilm blocks the body from absorbing any nutrients.

Titanium dioxide – this colourant is used to make tablets bright white. It is not an ingredient found in any natural food.

Sodium selenite and selenite – toxic, inorganic chemical sources of selenium.

Always read the ingredients of your vitamin or supplements, and know what you are taking.

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Expiration Dates – How long is too long?

multivitamin-tabletsWe all have expired vitamin bottles in our medicine cabinets. Some we take daily, while others are taken on a more infrequent basis.  So what happens if your vitamins expire… are they still good?

Vitamins in general should be stable for up to five years if stored properly: however, there are some exceptions.  Water-soluble substances (vitamin C, B-complex vitamins) are susceptible to a process called deliquescence, in which humidity causes some compounds to break down.

As vitamins begin to degraded – whether from oxidation, exposure to humidity, light, air, or heat, they are safe to consume but will have lost their effectiveness.  Some manufacturers may increase the vitamins strength by adding up to 40% more than what’s stated on the label, so that the vitamins are at 100 per cent strength at the time of expiration.

Signs of vitamins past their expiry dates vary: look for changes in color, physical appearance, taste, or smell.

So how should we store vitamins to maximize their potency over time? Keep your vitamins in a cool, dry place, away from heat and light, and make sure they are sealed in an air-tight container, and always follow storage directions on the label.  Also, don’t remove the little silica gel packet, it helps remove moisture from inside the bottle.

 Do not keep your vitamins in your bathrooms and kitchens, because of the humidity and temperature changes.

Refrigerators, can be a good option for those vitamins that you consume once in a while; however, vitamins that you consume on a daily schedule will breakdown quickly because of the frequent opening and closing  of the container; which can cause condensation and expose the vitamins to moisture.

Pressed tablets, such as aspirin, are more porous and allow a greater influx of oxygen once the bottle has been opened and will alter the supplements chemistry, limiting their effectiveness. Try purchasing encapsulated or coated vitamins.

The biggest factor that determines shelf life is product quality.  Look for supplements that have high amounts of essential material and low levels of nonessential material. The supplements must be packaged in opaque and secure containers in a sterile, dust-free, dehumidified environment.

Products if stored properly in unopened bottles should last at least two years before any loss of potency occurs.

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Purchasing Vitamins On-Line

Purchasing Vitamins On-LineWhen you make a purchase on-line, you save time and money; but is purchasing vitamins the same as purchasing items like books or clothing.

Here’s what you need to know to when shopping on line for vitamins.

Always make sure the on-line store you will be shopping from uses SSL (secure sockets layer) which means that they encrypt sensitive information. Look for the locked padlock icon at the bottom of your browser window.

When shopping on line a little research goes along way. Learn about the merchants and look for reviews from other shoppers.  Ask if they have a representative that you can discuss issues such as the quantity and quality of ingredients, what type of “fillers” are being used, and what the correct dosage is.

Before you make any purchase ask questions: What is the return policy? How do they ship the item? How do they keep the temperature stable? Think of the questions that you would ask any sales associate when shopping at your favourite health food store.

When your item arrives, keep all the documentation and the original packaging. Make sure you check the expiration date, and that the seal is secure.  If you are not satisfied with your purchase, many companies require that the item is shipped back in the original packaging.

If you find a website that seems too good to be true, offering extremely low prices or large quantities …STOP… these are red flags that you need to investigate this company further. There are numerous rogue websites selling counterfeit over-the-counter and prescription drugs that look like regular store websites.

Make sure that you know what dosage is save for your health concerns, especially if you are already taking additional supplements or medicine!  For example:

~Too much calcium. High levels of calcium in the blood can cause inflammation of the blood vessels

~Too much copper – Can have a pro-oxidant effect, damaging your tissues and cells.

~ High levels of manganese – Many formulas contain too much manganese, which can cause insomnia.

Before taking any new supplement, contact your health care practitioner to discuss the effects and benefits of your new regime.

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