Are all Vitamins Created Equal?

The answer is NO!  Just because it says multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin C, etc. does not mean it is has to be quality or even good for you.  A lot of places (the cheaper vitamins) get their ingredients from unnatural sources.  They are purely synthetic (man made) and not easily absorbable by the body.  Yes you are taking the 100% of the recommended daily value of the vitamin, however that does not mean you are actually absorbing it (meaning you are simply peeing or pooping it out).  On top of that many vitamins and supplements have fillers.  They are things that give the supplement more weight but actually do nothing for you.  This is why I use the 2 companies I do, Standard Process and Nature Sunshine.  Standard Process is a whole food supplement company (whole food meaning it comes from food sources making it easily absorbable).  Nature Sunshine is a premier herbal company with extremely strict standards.  They were the first company to encapsulate herbs... the first one was capsicum (to heal stomach ulcers)!

I was at a Nature Sunshine conference and they are notorious for having extremely high standards.  Their quality control is very strict and they have multiple checks on the different herbs coming in before they are encapsulated for use.  He said that companies will bring the herbs to Nature Sunshine and if they do not pass their quality control checks it is not a problem.  This is because the herbal suppliers will easily take their 'lower quality' herbs and sell them to other companies with lower quality standards at a cheaper price.

Now on to fish oil.  This is becoming an extremely popular supplement- but do you know the quality or source where the fish is from?  Is is wild or farm raised?  Was it exposed to a lot of heavy metals (particularly aluminium or mercury)?  Are you getting some of those toxins when you are taking it everyday?  Just something to think about when you see a 300 capsule fish oil bottle for $8 (or cheaper... eeeek!).  Chances are it is not a good quality. 

Secondly just because it is a vitamin does not mean it is good for you.  Below I have a picture of a children's multi-vitamin from Target.  (I love Target too... but not their vitamins!)  Some of the ingredients are food dyes!!, aspartame!!, and vegetable oils!!  This makes me so mad because people are taking these thinking they are being healthy and little do they know they are ingesting a neurotoxin (aspartame), a popular ingredient for triggering ADD/ADHD  (food dyes), as well as other poor quality ingredients into their body.  This is not helping to keep people and children well at all.  It is honestly better not to take it especially when there are other ingredients that are harmful for your health. 

So please please check your vitamins and other supplements you are taking.  It is is worth spending the extra little money to get good quality supplements/vitamins/minerals.  At the office we have a supplement exchange where you can bring in any of your old, synthetic (even toxic if they have aspartame and food dyes!) and trade them in for good quality, whole food/easily absorbable vitamins/herbal supplements for 20% off.  Just bring in your old stuff and drop it in our jar to keep in the office!

Children's Multi-vitamin from Target

Aspartame, Sorbitol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils, Food Colorings, etc.

 
Supplement Swap!

Bring in old/synthetic/poor quality supplements and exchange them for
easily absorbable whole food vitamins for 20% off!