June 20,2007

What Your Daily Supplement Should ContainThere are certain essential ingredients that are critical requirements for any excellent multi-vitamin. Use this analysis to see how your multi stacks up. For each ingredient, compare my recommended daily amounts and forms with what you're getting in your daily multi-vitamin.Natural Carotenoids color fruits and vegetables and provide excellent antioxidant protection. Betatene is a natural blend with the beta-carotene being the major component. 5,000 IU is an optimal level. FloraGLO® standardized lutein at 120 mg (providing 6 mg elemental) promotes healthy vision. The most popular mass-market multi contains only ¼ of a mg, which is a low level that has not been shown to provide benefits.Natural vitamin E and tocopherols provide excellent protection from cholesterol oxidation and promote a healthy immune system. Vitamin E may also protect brain and memory health. Natural vitamin E at 400 to 800 IU per day is optimal. The natural form is up to three times more effective than synthetic (most cheap mass-market multis use the synthetic form and provide levels that are grossly inadequate). It's also critical to include the gamma form to eliminate a toxic free radical that the alpha form does not.B-Complex vitamins include folic acid, B1, B2, niacin, B5, B6 and B12. B vitamins are critical for producing energy and maintaining a healthy heart and nervous system. Folic acid, B6 and B12 are believed to lower a toxic compound called homocysteine. People with elevated levels of homocysteine have up to five times greater risk of poor cardiovascular health, compared to elevated cholesterol levels. Levels and forms are critical for the best results. For optimal homocysteine levels, 800 to 1,000 mcg of folic acid, 50 to 100 mg B6 and 500 mcg to 2,000 mcg of B12 are recommended. It's important for the B12 to be in a form called methylcobalamin. This is the active form of B12 and is up to one hundred times more potent when compared to other forms used in most multi-vitamins. Calcium Citrate Malate, Magnesium Taurate/Citrate and Vitamin D provide the nutrients required to maintain healthy bones. Most men do no realize this, but as they age, they also lose bone mass just as women do. There was a large double-blind, placebo study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that showed 500 mg (elemental) of calcium citrate malate and 700 IU of vitamin D actually increased bone mass in the elderly and reduced the fracture rates by 60%1. Magnesium is known for promoting bone and cardiovascular health. Calcium citrate malate is a form of calcium that's up to ten times better absorbed, compared to calcium carbonate (ground-up rock that has the adverse effect of neutralizing stomach acid required to digest your food!). It takes a gross amount of 2,000 mg calcium citrate malate to equal 500 mg elemental. Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) quotes all calcium and magnesium levels as elemental and uses the required gross amount to achieve these levels. Many products on the market quote the gross levels on their labels versus elemental.Selenium and chromium are micronutrient minerals that provide excellent benefits if the right forms and levels are used. Selenium is believed to promote overall cellular health. High levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium also appear to promote healthy vision. Chromium in the form of polynicotinate (ChromeMate®) is vastly superior to other forms. It's several times more effective at assisting insulin utilization. Chromium promotes optimal blood sugar and insulin levels. It's believed to increase lean muscle and reduces body fat. A dose of 200 to 400 mcg per day is optimal.Bioflavonoids and polyphenols are believed be more effective antioxidants when compared to vitamins E and C. The best sources of these are standardized red wine, green tea, grape seed (the Activin® form is the best studied, with many proven benefits), quercetin and citrus. Green tea is believed to protect the brain and promote cellular health. High levels of quercetin (found in apples) promotes cardiovascular and neurological health. It's critical to use standardized forms and look for combined levels of 250 mg to 500 mg in total of these powerful antioxidants.Garlic, Ginkgo, Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) and CoQ10 provide incredible antioxidant benefits for the brain and cardiovascular system. Ginkgo has been shown to promote circulation and provide benefits for memory. ALA recycles other antioxidants and protects the nervous system. Garlic protects the blood vessels from oxidizing and is believed to promote cardiovascular health. The average person receives 1 mg per day of CoQ10, no ginkgo, little garlic and little ALA, What's more, most multis do not even include these ultra-effective and expensive nutrients. A good multi should contain 10 to 60 mg per day of CoQ10, 400 to 900 mg per day of garlic, and 30 to 120 mg per day of ginkgo and ALA.The Ideal Multi-VitaminsIf you'd like to receive superior benefits with the above nutrients and more in the correct forms and levels, use NSI®'s Synergy Multi-Vitamin or Synergy Women's Multi-Vitamin. Compare your current multi and decide if your body deserves the added benefits discussed, at a great value and with the convenience of one supplement.
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