Why Supplement?

Why Supplement?

There are so many reasons why supplementing your diet with critical nutrients is essential to your health today. For starters, we live in a high-stress, high-toxic, highly-processed, fast-food, over-medicated, over-farmed, nutrient depleted modern world.

Today’s refined high-fat, high-sugar diet alone contributes to major nutrient deficiencies that leads to irritability, stress, lethargy and sleep disorders. In addition, more than 80 million pounds of antibiotics are consumed each year in the U.S. and not just from prescription drugs! Residues of antibiotics are detected in livestock, farm-fed fish and commercial eggs. Antibiotics kill friendly bacteria in our intestines. We need these friendly bacteria help our bodies to absorb nutrients – especially B-vitamins. Such deficiencies can result in a variety of nervous and digestive conditions.

Our nation’s soil is often nutrient depleted from over-farming and poor crop rotation. In one U.S. government survey, levels of essential nutrients in crops have declined up to 68% over a four-year period. And when you consider that over 90% of the population doesn’t eat the way the Food Pyramid Guide suggests, the need to supplement one’s diet with high-quality whole food supplements becomes obvious.

In determining a good nutrition program you’ll want to factor in unique lifestyles and different age groups as everyone faces their own dietary and nutritional challenges. For instance…

• Are you indoors most of the day? Invalids, shift workers and computer “nerds” often need more Vitamin-D. Most fair skinned people need at least 20 minutes of direct sunlight at noon on 25% of your total body surface each day to maintain adequate blood levels of Vitamin D. If you’re mostly indoors, then a high quality multivitamin which contains 100% of the RDA for Vitamin D, as well as 22 other essential vitamins and minerals at clinically proven levels, would be a good choice for you. Find more information on the world’s most complete multivitamin/multimineral.
  
• Are you an athlete or do you do physical labor? Athletes and those with highly physical jobs perspire more, leading to a loss of key minerals and nutrients. Plus, because of their activity levels, some folks need to consume larger amounts of nutrient-rich foods. Additional nutritional supplementation is usually required. Find more information on supplementing for athletes and sports nutrition.
• Are you a teenager? Teenagers experience rapid growth spurts that place high demands on nutritional resources. And the teenage diet, which often consists of fast foods and high-sugar sodas, doesn’t offer the proper nutritional support. Data shows between 30% and 50% of adolescents aged 12 to 16 have dietary intakes below 2/3 of the recommend daily averages for Vitamins A, C, calcium and iron. Find more information on teen health, including recommend supplementation programs for children of different ages.
• Are you a woman of child-bearing age? Women who are pregnant have significantly higher demand for nutrients to ensure the healthy growth of their baby. And in non-pregnant women, research has shown that up to 60% of women suffering from symptoms of PMS such as headaches, bloating, irritability and lethargy can benefit from supplementing with B-Complex, GLA, Alfalfa, Soy Protein, Calcium and Magnesium. Find more information on Women’s Health and how supplements needed change over time.
• Are you over fifty years old? As you age, your body loses its ability to fully absorb nutrients, particularly iron, calcium and zinc. Fiber intake is often lower and chances are, the older you get the more prescription drugs you are taking – all of which highlight the need for additional nutritional supplementation. Shaklee provides Vita-Lea Gold a specially formulated version of Vita-Lea that takes into consideration the nutritional needs of people over 50.
• Do you smoke? Chew tobacco? Drink Alcoholic beverages? Take Oral Contraceptives? Eat meals of microwaved food? All of these lifestyle factors dramatically increases your need for nutrients that diet alone just can’t provide including a greater need for antioxidants. Find a powerful anti-oxidant supplement,
  
• Finally, there is simply YOU and your genetics, your unique lifestyle and environment. Who you are genetically, how you live your life and where you live your life can greatly impact the nutrients your body needs to maintain good health. Wide and significant fluctuations in individual nutrient requirements from the “official” Recommended Daily Allowances are common with each individual. Use the Search Box on this page to get recommendations on different products to consider. Just type in a condition or topic and see what products come up. Then talk to us about helping you put together a personalized nutrition program that’s right for you.

Health Alert: Not All Vitamins Are Created Equal

MSNBC.com recently tested vitamins found on store shelves. Of 21 brands of multivitamins on the market in the United States and Canada selected by ConsumerLab.com and tested by independent laboratories, just 10 met the stated claims on their label or satisfied other quality standards. (Do you know how to pick a quality vitamin? Read the Quality Vitamin Checklist so you know where your money is going.)

Most worrisome, is that one product, The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for Women, was contaminated with lead.

"I was definitely shocked by the amount of lead in this product," ConsumerLab.com's Dr. Tod Cooperman stated. "We've never seen that much lead in a multivitamin before."

Other products contained more or less of a particular vitamin than listed on the label. Some did not dissolve in the correct amount of time, meaning they could pass through the body without being absorbed.

ConsumerLab.com independently evaluates hundreds of health & nutrition products and periodically publishes reviews. In the news report, released to MSNBC.com, the company purchased a selection of the popular multivitamins on the market as well as some smaller brands and sent them, without labels, to two independent laboratories to be tested.

"I think this confirms the advice often given: you are safer choosing a well-known brand of vitamins sold by some company that you have confidence in."

In the reports, tests show that the Vitamin Shoppe women's product contained 15.3 micrograms of lead per daily serving of two tablets. This same product also contained just 54% of the 200 milligrams of Calcium listed on the label.

This amount of lead is more than 10 times the amount permitted without a warning in California. This mineral is stored in the body and could build up over time.

"I would be concerned about a woman taking a multivitamin that contains 15.3 micrograms of lead per daily serving," stated Judy Simon, a dietician at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. "Among other health effects, lead can contribute to high blood pressure."

ConsumerLab.com also found that Hero Nutritional Yummi Bears, a multivitamin for children, had an extra 216% of the labeled amount of vitamin A, delivering 5,400 International Units in a daily serving. That's substantially more than the tolerable level of 2,000 IU for kids ages 1-3 and 3,000 for kids 4-8.

"Because too much vitamin A can cause bone weakening and liver abnormalities, the Yummi Bears could be doing more harm than good. Vitamin A is one of those vitamins you don't want to get too much of," Dr.Cooperman noted.

The lead and Vitamin A findings are worrisome because vitamins are generally taken every day, potentially building up to toxic levels and leading to problems down the line. In particular, women with high levels of lead in their bodies who get pregnant could pass on problems to their baby.

In other findings, Eniva VIBE, a liquid multivitamin sold in packets, had only 54% of the claimed Vitamin A.

The ConsumerLab.com report also found that some vitamins did not break apart within the 30-minute standard set by the United States Pharmacopia. Nature's Plus Especially Yours for Women required more than an hour to disintegrate, while AARP Maturity Formula took 50 minutes. These products could go through your body without releasing the nutrients.

Editor's Note: Shaklee's Vita-Lea won a "disintegration derby" conducted by NBC several years ago that showed Vita-Lea disintegrating in under 20 minutes-- faster than all other multivitamins tested.

There are many, many reasons that set Shaklee apart from all other vitamins, herbs and nutritional supplements on the market today, and one of the most important is found right in the Shaklee Guarantee.

1. 100% guarantee that the ingredients listed on the label are in the product
2. 100% guarantee of quality-controlled product formulations that ensure product safety, purity, reliability, and product performance
3. 100% guarantee that we use the finest quality ingredients available

As you can see with Shaklee, it's not just an unconditional money back guarantee, but a whole philosophy and commitment to making Shaklee products the very best. With Shaklee you never have to worry or wonder if what's on the label is in the bottle. And you can rest assured that you're getting the very best quality and formulation based on solid scientific research and unprecedented testing.

A handy one page view with links to all the vitamins and minerals, herbs, botanicals and nutritional supplements.

Dr. Weil recommends daily supplementation

Sunday, Jan. 7, 2009, I watched Good Morning America and saw Dr. Andrew Weil, an integrated medicine specialist and author of the bestselling "Healthy Aging," share his tips on what supplements people should be taking every day. I have admired Dr. Weil for many years and so I pass his recommendations on to you.

• Multivitamin:

  People should take a quality multivitamin every day because the body needs vitamins every day. Our main dietary source of vitamins are fruits, and vegetables and whole foods. Most people are not eating those in sufficient amounts, or even every day. So the multivitamin is insurance for gaps in the diet. And even if you are eating fruits and veggies everyday, it's not a bad thing.

  Choose a multivitamin by reading the labels. There are some things that definitely should and shouldn't be on the label. The multivitamin should not contain any pre-formed vitamin A, which is usually called retinol. Don't get a multivitamin that has iron in it unless your doctor has recommended you do so. (Learn more about choosing a quality multivitamin.)

  You do want vitamin D3. If the label says vitamin D2, then it's not the good kind of vitamin D.

• Vitamin D:

  There's research coming out really month by month showing vitamin D prevents many kinds of cancer and multiple sclerosis. We used to think vitamin D was just necessary for bone health, but now we're seeing it prevent a lot of other diseases.

  But make sure you're taking D3. So often, you see orange juice or foods that say they're vitamin D fortified. But many times, those are fortified with D2. Vitamin D has to be taken with fat. Taking a vitamin D pill with orange juice isn't going to work; it won't stick to you.

• Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Take one gram of fish oil every day. The body needs adequate intake every day for optimum mental and physical health, and there are not many dietary sources. You can really only find it naturally in oily fish from cold water (salmon, herring, sardines). It helps prevent heart disease, aging, cancer and dementia.
• CoQ10: People should also take the antioxidant CoQ10. It helps muscle function, heart function and brain function. It is absolutely necessary for people with heart disease. Co-Q-10 is made naturally in your body, but more doesn't hurt.
• Herbal Tonics: Tonics are natural substances, which, taken over time, increase general resistance to illness and encourage longevity. There are many different ones, and they're worth learning about and experimenting with. If you're lacking in energy or get sick a lot, these could be very useful to you.

Dr. Weil also had recommendations about how to choose a supplement. He said that when it comes to supplements, there's not necessarily a correlation between price and quality, which is important to know. Start by reading the label. Be careful of the milligram amount you're getting per capsule.

If the recommended dose is 1,000 milligrams and the pill only contains 200 milligrams, then you're going to be taking a lot of pills every day just to reach that dosage, so pay attention to the details.

Try to get brand-name recommendations. Sadly, many doctors haven't learned about supplements in medical school, so your doctor may not be able to advise you on that. To find the best brands, do your homework. Either get names of products from people you trust, or go on the Internet and look these supplements up. Check how the different brands do quality control. Ideally, pharmacists will be able to help; but again, they aren't getting this in their education any more than our physicians are.

We hope this information is of help to you and yours. Optimal health requires knowledge and action on our part.