Posts Tagged ‘absorption’

Where Can I Find a Dietitian Who is Smart About Vitamin Supplements?

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009

Vitamin Supplements

The majority of mineral supplements are made from chemicals rather than natural substances which is a kind of contradictory approach to the whole issue. This however, does not seem to have deterred many people from taking a lot of them. The debate is whether chemicals being ingested on a daily basis are beneficial or a source of harm.

The truth of the matter is that the body cannot easily absorb supplements that are chemical mineral vitamins. The industry is working hard to manufacture products which can be processed by the body easily and therefore will be more beneficial. Industry constantly innovates and produces new ‘more bio-available’ forms of minerals and vitamins. In order to overcome this, there have been large quantities of vitamins and minerals that have been developed which includes other elements which give them the ability to be easily absorbed by the body. One of the supplements iron, is converted to form iron gluconate to make it easy for the body to absorb the iron.

The amount of a nutrient in a mineral vitamin supplement needs to be far greater than it would be in a more natural form for the body to be able to absorb the amount that is required. However, this could also result in larger quantities of the mineral being absorbed than is needed resulting in toxic levels. This is why it is better to be prudent and not take everything that you see advertised or hear about from others, but be advised by a health professional. The mineral vitamin supplement industry is constantly improving and developing forming new combinations that will really work.

To aid absorption, manufacturers have developed a method where the raw material is cultured through yeast cells. This kind of supplements, referred to as ‘food state’, is four times easier to be absorbed by the body as the yeast is biological and can be fully digested.

The vitamin supplement needs are based purely on individual requirements. There isn’t any doubt that this is a lot more preferable for an individual to obtain all of the nutrients that they require from the food that they eat instead of taking the supplements whenever they find it possible. Sometimes, it may be found necessary for the individual to take some type of mineral vitamin supplement on a temporary basis however, it is not recommended for long term use for several of the supplements that are available currently.