Multiple Vitamin Criteria

Guide to Evaluate Multiple Vitamin Formulas 

• Science continues to add strength for the recommendations behind this new vitamin criteria. The fact that there are known risks to consuming certain vitamin forms and dosages currently available in the marketplace is no longer in question. 

• These risks, regardless of how small, can be significantly mitigated by following proper vitamin protocols. 

• Vitamin forms and dosages matter, plus needed synergistic elements add values surpassing individual nutrients.

• This vitamin guide operates on the basic premise that supplements should conservatively just complement the nutrients in dietary foods, and not substitute or replace them. 

PRECAUTION: See your medical team if pregnant, ill, undergoing surgery, or if certain genetic traits are present.

Some suggested forms are offered as well. These amounts are based upon absorption percentages, average food vitamin consumption amounts, physiology of vitamins, and benefits balanced against possible adverse effects. The Precautionary Principle comes into play here too. When a dosage range is given, the lower amounts are actually preferred, but this depends upon other factors and may involve nutrients not considered traditional vitamins and minerals. As the diet deviates from ideal, slightly higher range amounts may be needed, especially if digestion becomes compromised. Above these levels, you should be working with a nutritionist or other health professional as you enter into therapeutic nutrient amounts, or to correct genetic misfires. Higher vitamin amounts demand extra body mechanisms to maintain balance and regulate functions. While genetic mutations can be subtle or quite noticeable, many can be overcome or maintained by diet and lifestyle changes.

WHY IS THIS GUIDE NECESSARY?

The reality gap between Science and the multi-vitamin products offered, such as forms, dosages, and synergistic combinations, is increasing rather than getting reduced as one would expect when new vitamin knowledge is discovered. Plus fundamental flaws of nutrition are surfacing without resulting in improved vitamin choices. Example: Vitamin D dosages have exploded upward overwhelming body functions since this is counter to how nature works. Only looking at bone results for vitamin D misses other vital impacted areas, such as arteries, soft tissues, and glands. Vitamin E forms represent another vital aspect needing changes. Important synergistic properties are missing from most multiple vitamin formulas. The one form picked for Vitamin E out of 8 in nature was flawed from the beginning. Scientists recognized that the new synthetic form was different than the natural form and made adjustments they thought would equalize the two. They were wrong.

NOTE: The vast majority of multi-vitamin products in the marketplace today fall short in numerous nutrient forms, dosages, and suffer from the absence of necessary synergistic elements.  Methods will be given in another article to reveal procedures to improve upon these formulas with additions and some subtractions. The best approach would be to simply completely build your own multiple vitamin and mineral system. This would involve many different products and Brands. Only a few Brands appear to utilize the correct knowledge and offer proper nutrient formats and dosages based on the vitamin criteria developed below. Thus, finding a basic formula that works for the majority of people is a compromise or generalization. Just use as a starting point.

Yes, there are also individual genetic traits that will modify this criteria somewhat, but these will have to be addressed as science updates. Under Medical supervision, some nutrients have mega dose advantages in certain conditions. Supplemented nutrients can go into and out of optimal level amounts quite quickly as you will discover in articles and references presented here. Example for vitamin B1. Notice the 25X RDA amount effect versus the 2500X influence. The nutrient window amounts presented below currently represent the safest and most effective amounts from science.

VITAMIN TAKING PROTOCOLS

• It is a good idea to skip taking multiple vitamins 1 or 2 days a week.  REMEMBER, food is your main provider of vitamins. Even water soluble B vitamins can take up to 10 days to clear out of the body.

• Chronic overdosing of vitamin and mineral supplement groups is potentially disruptive of some nutrient pathways and body processes.

• Dietary food supplies 40-90% or more of most nutrients, thus lower amounts of supplements are only necessary to correct and not interfere with normal body functions. Food nutrients and supplement amounts are added TOGETHER to get to USDA vitamin and mineral requirements. The requirements are average guides not daily facts.

REMEMBER:  The body developed to exist on swings from high to low nutrient daily intakes with built-in adaptive mechanisms to balance. The body might actually benefit from these natural swings. Calcium intake levels on vitamin D activation is one prime example. article 

UPDATE: The dosages need to be updated to new label usage requirements for some nutrients since size (milligrams, etc) is now used rather than units as appears below. This has mainly resulted in consumer confusion rather than clarity. Return soon.

Proper Label Basics 

Beta Carotene (Dunaliella salina)  or Pro-Vitamin A (as natural carotenoids: beta carotene, alpha carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin)(such as the branded - Betatene®) (If natural source not listed, beta carotene is synthetic and while NOT recommended, could be used if diet has adequate vegetables and fruits) Vitamin A (Fish oil- wild fish sources only, and smaller fish) (or retinyl palmitate-synthetic) (best from food only)                               5,000 or less IU   1,000 or less IU  Vitamin C (as calcium, or mineral ascorbate) (when range given, preferred is often lowest)    (as ascorbic acid) best with family members:                                  Bioflavonoids       100-200 mg                 Rutin                    50 mg                                   Hesperitins           25- 50 mg 200-400 mg 1 or 2 x /day Vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) (sun exposure modifies) Vitamin D3 (fish oil) (maximum intake for 3 months, 2500 IU. / day)(should be under medical supervision to measure body levels) (Vitamin D2 should not be used) 300-800** IU Vitamin E (as d'alpha tocopherol with mixed tocopherols***) (soy oil)  (amounts as ratios not exact)(often only alpha & gamma amounts listed since beta & delta much smaller #s)       d' alpha tocopherol      50-150 mg       d' beta tocopherol              3 mg       d' delta tocopherol             7 mg       d' gamma tocopherol   50-125  mg          plus mixed tocotrienols (best if taken separately from tocopherols)            25-50 mg 50 - 150 IU  % Vitamin K1 phylloquinone  (form in plants)   (minimums only give- not sure on max since not expressed)     150 mcg         Vitamin K1 phytonadione - synthetic (75% same molecule, but includes 2 extra versions also)    100 mcg  *Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) (natto) (may need some of both K1 and K2)  (NOT needed every day).        45-90 mcg Vitamin K2 (menaquinone-4) synthetic, larger doses 1000 mcg (only need one form, but a little K2 as mk7 a good idea)  Vitamin B1 (yeast, rice polishing) or Vitamin B1 (thiamine HCl is synthetic)  (diet dictates low or higher amounts) 3-6 mg Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 3-6 mg Vitamin B3 (niacinamide) 3-10 mg Vitamin B6 (pyridoxial-5-phosphate) (pyridoxine HCl at lower amounts <2 mg) 3-6 mg Folic Acid   (do not exceed 300 mcg/day or 200 mcg /meal, ADD in any fortified food amounts here, but limit if possible)****  L-MethylFolate preferred natural form (Do not take synthetic Folic Acid) NOTE: women of child-bearing age (16+) should take 400 mcg.  ref   Plus, during pregnancy, reduce to no more than 400 after 8 weeks.     100-200 mcg 25-50% Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin)*7  test levels occasionally ref (Amount should be determined by blood test)  3-10 mcg % Biotin 100-200 mcg % Vitamin B5 (d-calcium pantothenate) (pantothenic acid) 5-20 mg % Calcium***** (citrate, or many others)(females) (males) (not more than 200 mg at each meal) (other half from food). 300-600 mg  200-400 mg % Magnesium (glycinate, oxide)( not all at once)(limit oxide mineral forms as much as possible) 300-400 mg % Zinc (as L-OptiZinc®, monomethionine)       This is difficult to find 5-15 mg 20 mg max % Selenium (Yeast, or methylselenocysteine) (males limit to lower number or less) *6 (limit sodium selenites or selenates if possible) 25-50 mcg % Copper (as amino acid chelate) 1 mg, < 2 mg (under 2,000 mcg) % Manganese (as amino acid chelate) <2-3 mg % Chromium (from Yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or (as chromium polynicotinate, Chromemate®) or (Arginate) 50-100 mcg % Molybdenum (as amino acid chelate) 50-100 mcg % Iron (NO IRON formulas only. Both Females and Males).         Food sources best way to get iron. Unless MD supervision, Separate iron caps when and if needed, not iron sulfate. 0 mg * Iodine (food sources best, seaweeds, kelp) <150 mcg * Bioflavonoid (hesperidin, rutin) 50-100 mg * Bioflavonoids (citrus, occaionally some as quercetin) 100-300 mg * Grape Seed Extract (seed)(Optional or separate) 50 mg * Lutein (marigold flower ext)(optional or separate)  at least- 6-10 mg * Zeaxanthin (marigold flower) 300 mcg * *Daily value not established. **See Vitamin D Facts article. There may be a need to take increased amounts for short periods, like 3 months of up to 2500 with blood levels monitored. D amounts also depend upon levels supplied by food and sunshine. (if fish oils are present, rancidity factors are possible) ***Do not take vitamin E as D-Alpha Tocopherol at higher than 200 IUs as this may be counter to overall health since at this or higher levels, it begins to limit vital functions by interfering with the absorption of the other vitamin E family members arriving in food. Supplements that mention with "mixed tocopherols" while better than none, usually contain very small amounts and are without much significance. The amount for the other E members needs to be listed. The correct ratios or amount for Gamma Tocopherol is still open. It might be prudent to stay on the lower side of amounts until Scientific research verifies. Include mixed E food sources. Very few Multiple Vitamins have the family of Vitamin E included. A vitamin E family supplement will have to be added separately and is not needed every day, perhaps only 2-3 times a week since it is a fat soluble vitamin with some body storage. ref **** Since folic acid is fortified at about 140 mcg per serving,i.e. in fortified bread, cereals, this pretty much rules out using more than one serving per meal and two per day. Plus, then you would not want to get any in your multiple. Of course, food sources are not counted for this amount and will supply on average 200 mcg. per day. ***** While this amount may seem low, it is due to the fact that calcium is fortified in many foods and one has to add together diet and supplement source amounts. *6  The association of selenium levels with diabetes type 2 risk grows stronger and stronger. It appears benefits have a U shaped curve, adverse at both too low and too high. In USA, soils have plenty of selenium, so little if any supplementation is needed. Adverse effects begin to show up with only 150 mcg.total food and supplements. *7  This is an organic form of vitamin B12. Because it contains a methyl group, one has to be careful that the body does not have a higher load of toxic mercury.  (Dental amalgams) since the methyl could change the mercury into a more toxic form. In this case, the cyanocobalamin form is needed or similar forms without methyl group. Also reason dosage is very low. Food forms may be buffered.   Vitamin B12 needs to be monitored in certain groups, vegetarians, elderly, and during pregnancy and breastfeeding for anemia.

(example of) Other added ingredients: Magnesium stearate, cellulose, silica and kosher gelatin (capsule) or vegicap Continuously searching for more all natural sources. There are some Brands with new Vitamin C sources that say they are all natural, but very difficult to know for sure. The inclusion of the other Vitamin C family members may be more important. EAT MORE FRUITS (2 servings or more) AND VEGETABLES (four servings) NOTE: Very few multi-vitamin formulas have close to these amounts or contain these forms. Why? NOTE: While some vitamins elicit a response quite quickly, the majority of beneficial or adverse effects manifest over time. The body uses its very elaborate checks and balance systems to maintain functions for a long time before becoming overwhelmed and starts to break down. Work with your Nutritionist or Doctor when taking supplements outside of these ranges. COMPARE THIS CRITERIA TO THE LEVELS tested IN THIS antioxidant ROS STUDY.    Very close. This criteria was developed before finding this study. Here is copy of amounts: "A plant-based, multivitamin/mineral and phytonutrient supplement (PMP) and a color-matched placebo were provided by Access Business Group International, LLC (Buena Park, CA, USA). The PMP supplement (12 tablets) contained the following micronutrients: 14 vitamins (700 μg retinol equivalents A, 2.4 mg B1, 2.8 mg B2, 3 mg B6, 4.8 μg B12, 200 mg C, 10 μg D, 22 mg α-tocopherol equivalents E, 55 μg K, 3 mg β-carotene, 60 μg biotin, 500 μg folate, 30 mg niacin, and 10 mg pantothenic acid), and 10 minerals (700 mg calcium, 50 μg chromium, 0.4 mg copper, 75 μg iodine, 6 mg iron, 3 mg manganese, 220 mg magnesium, 25 μg molybdenum, 55 μg selenium and 12 mg zinc)." The tested formula also included these phytonutrients from foods. "The PMP supplement also contained phytonutrients from extracts or powders of acerola, alfalfa, black currant, blueberry, elderberry, grape, grapefruit, kelp, lemon, mandarin orange, marigold, onion, orange, parsley, peppermint, rosemary, spinach, tomato, turmeric, and watercress, and quercetin granular. Most phytonutrients were from botanical extracts..."  The food extracts could have been a major player in results:  "PMP (a plant based multi-vitamin and mineral with phytonutrients from foods) supplementation for eight weeks reduced ROS and prevented DNA damage without altering endogenous antioxidant system, and several plasma vitamins and phytonutrients were significantly correlated with ROS scavenging and prevention of DNA damage." THE STUDY REVEALED THE PMP FORMULA PROTECTED BLOOD CELLS AGAINST OXIDATION (ROS- REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES) and prvented DNA damage to them without distrubing the body's immune system.

*Multiple Vitamin Specifics

Nutritionists are probably pulling their hair out at this point over these new Multiple Vitamin aspects. "Not enough calcium or folic acid,..." "What is the deal with the family of vitamin E, other than alpha tocopherol, the others are not active..."   Yes, there are conditions that go along with these recommendations that need explanations. But first is a most important point seldom mentioned concerning mulit-vitamin mineral use. 

If a vitamin deficiency exists, taking a multi-vitamin supplement should have a beneficial impact on the functions of that vitamin. But if vitamin levels are already sufficient, it is a possibility that taking more could push levels of some vitamins and minerals up into the range for adverse effects. Thus, this is part of the rationale for the perceived lower dosages presented for some vitamins in this new vitamin criteria. A Precautionary approach is warranted until scientific research settles some controversial concerns mentioned below.

• Only natural sources for beta carotenes should be used. Synthetic beta carotene contains only one form, -trans, and is related to some negative findings. Natural form has at least 3 but also many other carotenoid family members.
• For the calcium story, you have to read this article. This article will explain the situation. There are many sides to the calcium story. Just increasing calcium or even calcium with vitamin D is not enough to completely protect bone, or even the most effective way to accomplish this protection.
• Folic acid (synthetic) is a dual sided sword, perhaps beneficial for young women of child bearing years but detrimental for older people, especially if cancer is present or they are low in vitamin B12.
• Vitamin B12 absorption amount of 1.6 mcg is maxed out at oral intake of cyanocobalamin of about 50 mcg. (5 mcg gives only slightly less since the percentage absorbed is greater = 60%.)  Absorption at 500+ mcg is just 0.5 - 1 % absorbed.  The Methylcobalamin form is absorbed at a slightly greater percentage. Testing levels will determine who needs to take therapeutic dosages of 1000+ mcg sublingual or injectable, under medical supervision. Limit vitamin B12 supplement amounts. ref
• Remember, these recommendations are added to the amounts from food each day. To get 100% from supplements of calcium and then add food amounts may be too much.
• The correct amount of calcium is under the influence of some other major minerals that supplements generally do not supply. Potassium, Phosphorus, and Sodium.
• Three times more potassium is needed than calcium. Since most people do not get this amount, calcium has to participate in one of potassium functions, buffering body acidity. Calcium could be pulled out of bones for this purpose.
• Phosphorus is needed to balance calcium since both combine together in bones.
• Too much sodium, common in today's diet, increases calcium loss in urine.
• Vitamin K, especially K2, is needed to activate vitamin D produced osteocalcin which then is able to bind calcium to bone. Plus, vitamin K activates an artery protein to prevent calcium from binding into artery cells, calcification.
• New anti-oxidant research dictates lower levels for selenium and some anti-oxidant vitamins. A balance point needs to be maintained for optimal health. Both too low and too high can exhibit adverse effects. 
• The vitamin E story is becoming more complete. Some of the other family members are showing greater effects especially in areas where alpha tocopherol is not active. In fact by itself, high alpha tocopherol reduces the absorption of other vitamin E family members arriving from food. Alpha tocopherol, the only family member now allowed to be given vitamin E units, is effective against oxygen radicals but not against nitrogen radicals. Here, the gamma tocopherol form is needed.
• The Vitamin Workshop author coined a term "stimulus variation" to explain that one does not need to consume supplements every day, especially the fat soluble vitamins but also many water soluble ones as well. Skipping a day or two a week is OK and may even be preferred by many body functions. The body has adapted to save and store nutrients for rainy days. This gives the body time to catch up on nutrient processing and balance out any excesses too large for stored reserve capacity. The base of nutrients should be supplied by the diet and supplements should only provide a fraction of nutrient load. Fasting has shown to be good for the body. Systematically under-eating is the only method Scientists have found that extend lifespan.
• Last, but not least, it has to be pointed out that body digestion functions best at very low nutrient levels as found in foods. Supplements often concentrate the amount of vitamins in many servings of food and can overwhelm digestive and assimilation processes which interferes with lower dosage vitamins. Minerals like calcium in supplements have this same effect on other minerals. Supplements should be designed to work with the body and not against. Against is often the preferred method for drugs.

There appears to be major gaps in nutritional knowledge. Research has been revealing these gaps but scientists have been brushing them aside, even to the point of using unscientific protocols to explain research study results.

A Vitamin E Study Example ( study ref)

The Johns Hopkins Medical vitamin E meta analysis is a prime example. They attempted to interpret many different studies by comparing future death rates between the group taking vitamin E and the placebo control group. They found slightly more people died sooner in the vitamin E taking group. One major overlooked and necessary fact was absent. Were the deaths in any way plausibly connected to a function of vitamin E? 

If the deaths were from hemorrhagic stokes, there may have been a vitamin E connection since vitamin E thins the blood, but if they were from the flu or a car accident, probably not. Without cause of deaths, the correct scientific protocol cannot be determined and the results could just be a chance association and not cause and effect. Since many of the study periods were short term, subjects were quite ill already, and it was not known if the subjects continued to take vitamin E or not, there are simply too many unknowns to attempt a scientific result.

One study out of the 19 studies analyzed, the CHAOS study, showed that the vitamin E group had 71% fewer second non-fatal heart attacks during the one year study. Out of 3000 possible vitamin E studies, only 19 were chosen since only these had follow up death rates. In one study, the WAVE, the authors mentioned that their result should not be used as a reference for other studies since the results were so different from the norm. Without this WAVE study, the Johns Hopkins meta-analysis would not have reached a significant margin for scientific protocols. Unseen by the public, there was a major uproar from the scientific community over this misuse of science. Almost every major newspaper in the world reported the results of the study as "Vitamin E will kill you" since it was quite sensational, but no mention of the many other scientists questioning the results or the use of faulty scientific methods. article

NOTE: Continued research on vitamin E offered other potential explanations and did not support the Johns Hopkins study. The majority of studies analyzed used higher dosages, synthetic forms, and did not consider the presence of the other vitamin E members.  ref  <This re-analyzed study added 10 extra studies as well as looked at the original 19 that now had an extended time period for mortality numbers.

This new vitamin criteria does not recommend such high levels, especially for the isolated alpha tocopherol form of vitamin E by itself. High levels of isolated alpha tocopherol limit absorption and assimilation of the other vitamin E members arriving in food at the same time. The Finnish study on vitamin E and lung cancer also comes up for vitamin E mortality. But, when smokers are the primary subjects, mortality is usually the reality. Plus, some thing in smoke turned the usually antioxidant vitamin E functions into a pro-oxidant behavior. ref

Nature probably has a reason for putting certain vitamin family members together in foods that compliments actions. Sometimes one form has the opposite function of the other and is used as a check and balance. Another way this balance system is used is when vitamin D starts to breakdown into another form, the new form is designed to have the complete opposite action which stops the activity that vitamin D set in motion. One such vitamin D action is to dissolve bone to release calcium into the blood for a vital calcium blood level. article Without this proper calcium blood level, nerves and muscles would misfire.