Bio-Available Forms of Supplements
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Buying supplements/vitamins can seem bewildering for people without an organic
chemistry degree.
How do you know that you are getting high quality for your hard earned dollars?
Which vitamins and minerals are needed for optimal health?
I suggest you ask your health care provider before your next purchase.
Naturopathic Doctors have in-depth training in nutrition, supplements and herbs to
bring to their patients health care questions.
Perhaps all you need to feel your best is a good diet but for the rest of us, a
multivitamin/mineral is needed.
What I do in my office is the grocery bag evaluation. I ask each patient to bring
all of the supplements and medications that they take in a grocery bag to their
first or second visit. I go bottle by bottle through the ingredients evaluating for
quality.
Rarely do I find high quality vitamins. Why? I find most of the vitamins I review
contain:
Minerals that are not bio-available ie: highly absorbable.
Cheap fillers that pose as available vitamin/minerals
Inexpensive forms of vitamins/minerals
Synthetic forms of Vitamins instead of naturally occurring forms
This is my checklist:
1. Is it in tabular or capsular form? Capsules always break down in the typical
digestive tract. Tablets have an inconsistent breakdown, they are formed with
compression which makes it difficult to break up. If there is too little stomach
acid, you may have your vitamin pass through your body almost whole. Tablets
also have to have a coating- usually labeled as pharmaceutical glaze or some other
benign phrase. Most of these are actually a derivative of corn, one of the most
typical allergens.
2. Is the supplement hypoallergenic? High quality supplements don’t contain
corn, wheat, milk, milk byproducts like lactose or casein, citrus, potato starch,
eggs, yeast or soy.
3. Does the supplement contain excipients, flowing agents or fillers? Typical
flowing (waxy) agents are magnesium stearate, calcium stearate or sometimes
ascorbyl palmitate. These allow the manufacturers to quickly produce the
supplement by moving it through machinery well but in turn they prevent the
vitamin/mineral content from being absorbed in the body due to their waxy
coating of the ingredients.
If your vitamin doesn’t contain these waxes, you are more likely to actually absorb
the minerals and vitamins for which you are paying.
4. Does the supplement contain dyes, artificial ingredients (sucralose),
preservatives or sugars? No supplement needs these to be useful in your body.
Instead they are used to mask off tastes and odors. Skip any vitamin that contains
these.
5. Do the mineral and vitamins come in the most bio-available forms?
Minerals are best absorbed in the citrate/malate or aspartate forms. Vitamin E
should be in the d-alpha form. This could be a column all by itself. Please see my
website www.drjeanlayton.com for more information.
6. Is the company proud of its claims? Does it back them up with
independent chemical assays for purity, quality and quantity of vitamins/minerals
in the final product? I search for the GMP’s (Good Manufacturing Practices) of the
company. Typically if the product makes it this far in my assessment, it is a fairly
good product.
Rarely do I find high quality vitamins. Why? I find most of the vitamins I review
contain:
Minerals that are not bio-available ie: highly absorbable.
Excipients that can prevent absorbability. Check out this industry web site.
Cheap fillers that pose as available vitamin/minerals
Inexpensive forms of vitamins/minerals instead of optimal forms.
Synthetic forms of Vitamins instead of naturally occurring forms
Please use the resources of your health care provider skilled in evaluating before
you spend your next supplement dollars. High quality vitamins can cost a bit more
per bottle than the ones from the big box stores, but your body will thank you.
Alpha-tocopherol (α-tocopherol) is the name of the most active form of vitamin E
in humans. It is also a powerful biological antioxidant. Vitamin E in supplements is
usually sold as alpha-tocopheryl acetate, a form that protects its ability to function
as an antioxidant. The synthetic form is labeled "D, L" while the natural form is
labeled "D". The synthetic form is only half as active as the natural form.
Magnesium stearate, oxide
Sulfate
Maltodextrin
Sucralose
Vitamin A forms
Other Ingredients: Sorbitol Polyethylene Glycol, Sucralose, Mineral Oil.
Mineral oil can decrease dietary calcium absorption.
Calcium carbonate is the most common because it is inexpensive. One advantage
of calcium citrate over calcium carbonate is better absorption in those individuals
who have decreased stomach acid. Calcium malate is also well absorbed.
Magnesium stearate is a neutral magnesium soap with special hydrophobic
specification. Its is a compound of magnesium with variable proportions of stearic
and palmitic acids. It can act as a hydrophobic agent in fire-fighting and wax and
grease industries. It can be used as anti-static agent in textile and dry-cleaning
industries and as lubricant in graphic pen production.
Regarding quality control and quality assurance of natural products. It is
up to the clinicians to ask suppliers to prove their quality. If we assume
quality and lack of contamination we may be fooled and never know it. Or
worse, contaminate the very people we are trying to help. Trust is not
enough. As clinicians we don't assume we know what is wrong with our
patients. More often than not we seek a great deal of objective evidence
and then treat accordingly. Ask suppliers for evidence and proof that they
assure quality and lack of contamination. If they can't, you have to
wonder. A manufacturer buying from an extremely reputable raw material
supplier and trusting that quality with no verification is insufficient.
Great suppliers also make mistakes, hide weakness and cover up with slight of
hand. I've seen it many times. 40% of the natural products tested by
ConsumerLab.com failed assay for label claim potency. Ask for proof, trust is nice
but verification is necessary and required.
Manufacturers must independently prove the information on a raw material
Certificate of Analysis by doing the following:
1.Do they independently laboratory test raw materials for microbiological
contamination?
2.Do they independently laboratory test raw materials for potency and
authenticity?
3.Do they independently laboratory test herbal raw materials for heavy
metals?
4.Do they independently laboratory test raw materials for chemical solvent
residue?
5.Do they independently laboratory test herbal raw materials for pesticide and
herbicide residue?
6.Are oil softgels assayed for rancidity, potency, PCB's, Mercury, Dioxins & Dioxin
Like Compounds?
Manufacturers must independently prove potency and cleanliness of finished
product.
7. Are finished products assayed to verify potency label claims?
7a. Are finished products checked for lack of contamination after
manufacturing?
8. Are finished products stability tested to verify potency through out the
expiration date period?
8a. Are finished products tested to verify lack of microbial contamination
through out the expiration date period?
chemistry degree.
How do you know that you are getting high quality for your hard earned dollars?
Which vitamins and minerals are needed for optimal health?
I suggest you ask your health care provider before your next purchase.
Naturopathic Doctors have in-depth training in nutrition, supplements and herbs to
bring to their patients health care questions.
Perhaps all you need to feel your best is a good diet but for the rest of us, a
multivitamin/mineral is needed.
What I do in my office is the grocery bag evaluation. I ask each patient to bring
all of the supplements and medications that they take in a grocery bag to their
first or second visit. I go bottle by bottle through the ingredients evaluating for
quality.
Rarely do I find high quality vitamins. Why? I find most of the vitamins I review
contain:
Minerals that are not bio-available ie: highly absorbable.
Cheap fillers that pose as available vitamin/minerals
Inexpensive forms of vitamins/minerals
Synthetic forms of Vitamins instead of naturally occurring forms
This is my checklist:
1. Is it in tabular or capsular form? Capsules always break down in the typical
digestive tract. Tablets have an inconsistent breakdown, they are formed with
compression which makes it difficult to break up. If there is too little stomach
acid, you may have your vitamin pass through your body almost whole. Tablets
also have to have a coating- usually labeled as pharmaceutical glaze or some other
benign phrase. Most of these are actually a derivative of corn, one of the most
typical allergens.
2. Is the supplement hypoallergenic? High quality supplements don’t contain
corn, wheat, milk, milk byproducts like lactose or casein, citrus, potato starch,
eggs, yeast or soy.
3. Does the supplement contain excipients, flowing agents or fillers? Typical
flowing (waxy) agents are magnesium stearate, calcium stearate or sometimes
ascorbyl palmitate. These allow the manufacturers to quickly produce the
supplement by moving it through machinery well but in turn they prevent the
vitamin/mineral content from being absorbed in the body due to their waxy
coating of the ingredients.
If your vitamin doesn’t contain these waxes, you are more likely to actually absorb
the minerals and vitamins for which you are paying.
4. Does the supplement contain dyes, artificial ingredients (sucralose),
preservatives or sugars? No supplement needs these to be useful in your body.
Instead they are used to mask off tastes and odors. Skip any vitamin that contains
these.
5. Do the mineral and vitamins come in the most bio-available forms?
Minerals are best absorbed in the citrate/malate or aspartate forms. Vitamin E
should be in the d-alpha form. This could be a column all by itself. Please see my
website www.drjeanlayton.com for more information.
6. Is the company proud of its claims? Does it back them up with
independent chemical assays for purity, quality and quantity of vitamins/minerals
in the final product? I search for the GMP’s (Good Manufacturing Practices) of the
company. Typically if the product makes it this far in my assessment, it is a fairly
good product.
Rarely do I find high quality vitamins. Why? I find most of the vitamins I review
contain:
Minerals that are not bio-available ie: highly absorbable.
Excipients that can prevent absorbability. Check out this industry web site.
Cheap fillers that pose as available vitamin/minerals
Inexpensive forms of vitamins/minerals instead of optimal forms.
Synthetic forms of Vitamins instead of naturally occurring forms
Please use the resources of your health care provider skilled in evaluating before
you spend your next supplement dollars. High quality vitamins can cost a bit more
per bottle than the ones from the big box stores, but your body will thank you.
Alpha-tocopherol (α-tocopherol) is the name of the most active form of vitamin E
in humans. It is also a powerful biological antioxidant. Vitamin E in supplements is
usually sold as alpha-tocopheryl acetate, a form that protects its ability to function
as an antioxidant. The synthetic form is labeled "D, L" while the natural form is
labeled "D". The synthetic form is only half as active as the natural form.
Magnesium stearate, oxide
Sulfate
Maltodextrin
Sucralose
Vitamin A forms
Other Ingredients: Sorbitol Polyethylene Glycol, Sucralose, Mineral Oil.
Mineral oil can decrease dietary calcium absorption.
Calcium carbonate is the most common because it is inexpensive. One advantage
of calcium citrate over calcium carbonate is better absorption in those individuals
who have decreased stomach acid. Calcium malate is also well absorbed.
Magnesium stearate is a neutral magnesium soap with special hydrophobic
specification. Its is a compound of magnesium with variable proportions of stearic
and palmitic acids. It can act as a hydrophobic agent in fire-fighting and wax and
grease industries. It can be used as anti-static agent in textile and dry-cleaning
industries and as lubricant in graphic pen production.
Regarding quality control and quality assurance of natural products. It is
up to the clinicians to ask suppliers to prove their quality. If we assume
quality and lack of contamination we may be fooled and never know it. Or
worse, contaminate the very people we are trying to help. Trust is not
enough. As clinicians we don't assume we know what is wrong with our
patients. More often than not we seek a great deal of objective evidence
and then treat accordingly. Ask suppliers for evidence and proof that they
assure quality and lack of contamination. If they can't, you have to
wonder. A manufacturer buying from an extremely reputable raw material
supplier and trusting that quality with no verification is insufficient.
Great suppliers also make mistakes, hide weakness and cover up with slight of
hand. I've seen it many times. 40% of the natural products tested by
ConsumerLab.com failed assay for label claim potency. Ask for proof, trust is nice
but verification is necessary and required.
Manufacturers must independently prove the information on a raw material
Certificate of Analysis by doing the following:
1.Do they independently laboratory test raw materials for microbiological
contamination?
2.Do they independently laboratory test raw materials for potency and
authenticity?
3.Do they independently laboratory test herbal raw materials for heavy
metals?
4.Do they independently laboratory test raw materials for chemical solvent
residue?
5.Do they independently laboratory test herbal raw materials for pesticide and
herbicide residue?
6.Are oil softgels assayed for rancidity, potency, PCB's, Mercury, Dioxins & Dioxin
Like Compounds?
Manufacturers must independently prove potency and cleanliness of finished
product.
7. Are finished products assayed to verify potency label claims?
7a. Are finished products checked for lack of contamination after
manufacturing?
8. Are finished products stability tested to verify potency through out the
expiration date period?
8a. Are finished products tested to verify lack of microbial contamination
through out the expiration date period?