How to choose the right Vitamins for you
I remembered the commercials: Multi-vitamins targeted for people over 50? people over 60? Women? Men? For your eyes, for your skin, for your hair? Advertised by athletes, celebrities, movie stars? At pharmacies, Target, Walmart, Costco; Rows after rows of vitamins, supplements, herbal remedies and everything in between. All claiming to help your body for something. Who knew we have so many problems? Better question is? How do you choose? Some people go for the ‘Name Brands’ – the GNCs, One-A-Day, Centrum, etc. Some go for the most expensive one Some go for the least expensive ones, Some choose the biggest bottles, so they don’t have to keep buying it, or maybe it seems to be a better value? Some choose the ones that’s easiest to swallow (this used to be my problem too!) And then there’s the other question: What do I need to take? What should I take? Am I so broken that I have to take EVERYTHING? Isn’t that what Multi-Vitamins mean? I’m no scientist, but having been through brand after brand of useless supplements and thousands of dollars down the drain, I can definitely share my experience with you.
#1: Price does not always matter. However, the cheapest ones, the largest bottles, are almost never any good. They are either diluted, does not contain what it claims (there’s no regulation around supplements), or worse yet, it contains toxic stuff that they don’t have to put on the label (such as preservatives).
#2: Name brands don’t mean anything. One of the major brands are know to be the ‘Bed-Pan Bullet’ – sounds disgusting huh? Nurses made that up because the vitamin comes out the same way it came in. Meaning? It is not bio-degradable, so it does not get absorbed into your body at all.
#3: Advertised by celebrities? Athletes? Advertising and marketing is about making money, not what’s best for you. Even athletes. If they gets paid for the advertising, don’t trust it. It’s just business.
So what then? How do you choose?
#1: Rely on third party validation. There are valid sites, such as ConsumerLab.com, that have real scientists analyzing the contents using ‘Scientific Methods’. Don’t just go to any free site and look for other people’s Opinions. There’s also a book on Amazon called the ‘Nutrisearch Comparative Guide to Nutrition’, done by a team of scientists in Canada where they analyze all the supplements on the market based on Purity, Absorbability, and other criteria.You can find the book on Amazon here:
Not looking to do research yourself? Watch this clip from Dr. Oz: http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/oz-files-solving-medical-mysteries-you-will-never-forget?video_id=4722369271001
#2: You don’t know what your body needs. Your brain doesn’t know. Your gut feelings always lie to you. Therefore, I do take multi-vitamins and minerals. First of all, you need BOTH VITAMINS AND MINERALS. They work hand in hand. For example, taking Calcium without Vitamin D won’t help your bones whatsoever.
#3: For those who wants to see things for themselves: Do the Apple test. It’s easy. All you need is 2 Jars. Water. Organic Apples (non-organic apples will not rot. It’s scary). And the Vitamin. Cut out a slice of the apple. Throw in the vitamin. Fill the jar with water and cover it up. As a control, put another slice of apple into the other jar and fill with water. Gentle shake it. Good vitamins will dissolve. Bad ones won’t. Let them sit for a few days. Good vitamins should keep the apple from rotting. Bad ones will make the apple rot quicker. You can also search for Apple test in Youtube. You’ll get tons of them.
What do I take? I take the Health Pak, because it gives me infinite energy that lasts through the day, BiOmega to keep inflammation at bay and my brain healthy, Proflavanol for the collagen and helps with my breathing problems, and Probiotics to keep my digestion system health.
