By Dr. Linda J. Dobberstein, DC, Board Certified in Clinical Nutrition
Have you ever wondered if you need a multiple vitamin? I often hear people say, “I eat well and feel fine. Do I really need to take vitamins?” As the conversation continues, they reveal, “Oh, my memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be,” “I feel more tired than I used to,” or “stress affects me more.” Perhaps they realize their diet isn’t the greatest or they have been following the latest health trend that has left them feeling tired, lethargic, or metabolically handicapped. So, is taking a multivitamin helpful?
Multivitamins and Memory
The widely respected American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) recently published results of the COSMOS study with randomized clinical trial and meta-analysis on multivitamins-minerals and cognitive health. This 2-year in-depth study evaluated the effect of taking a multivitamin-mineral supplement vs. placebo on overall cognitive health and memory in adults aged 60 and older.
So, does taking a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement make a difference? Their conclusion was a resounding yes! The researchers found that taking a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement made a noticeable improvement in memory over two years, especially for remembering specific events (episodic memory). They also found that daily multivitamins helped improve overall brain function and memory. These results suggest that taking a multivitamin every day can help maintain memory and support brain health in older adults.
This meta-analysis report shows us that the simple step of regularly taking a multivitamin-mineral complex makes a difference for the most important energy demanding organ and command center of your body – your brain. Keeping your memory sharp, being able to learn new things, process information, remember important details, and so forth determines so much about your ability to function in life.
Skeptics and Critical Thinking
High profile medical journals with skeptics, however, point to conflicting or insufficient data stating you do not need to take supplements. At best, they recommend that you should get all your nutrition from your diet.
I agree that your diet is the foundation of your health. Many individuals fall short of meeting the basic needs of the RDI/RDA or DV. Whether it is skipping meals, following restrictive dietary trends, a plant-based diet, limited access to quality foods, obesity-weight loss/bariatric surgery, drug-nutrient depletions, high stress, genetics, poor gut health, or Celiac disease, etc., there are innumerable challenges to achieving a perfect nutrient-dense diet for your individualistic needs.
Your body requires nutrients to function, repair, and maintain health. Your internal organs act as a reservoir of nutrients to meet stress demands. The production of ATP, or energy, demands quality nutrients. Insufficient intake of just one nutrient like vitamin B12, calcium, iron, or vitamin D, let alone insufficient intake of several nutrients handicaps the essential and peak performance of your body. It affects your resiliency to be active and maintain that spark in your eye and a spring in your step!
Your diet is at the core of your lifelong health, yet the Western/American diet is far from ideal, leaving you with gaps and nutritional deficits. A quality multiple vitamin supplement can help fill in these gaps. Yet individuals are often told that they do not need it based on opinions or dismissive actions.
When was the last time your medical practitioner took the time to thoroughly evaluate your diet? Have they taken the time to understand your meal patterns, habits, restrictions, or special needs because of Celiac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, or drug-nutrient depletions? What about your nutrient absorption capacity with digestion and stool analysis/poop test? How about lab tests to measure vitamins A, C, D, E, K, or a red or white blood cell analysis of mineral levels and antioxidants? How about zinc, copper, and iron or omega fatty acids ratios? If not, how can they say your nutritional needs are met every day and do not need support?
There is a glaring lack of nutritional training and competency in the medical education system. Although there are attempts to improve these issues, medical schools do not teach or have only a few hours devoted to nutrition in their entire curriculum. Their own profession acknowledges that “a deficiency in nutrition education persists in medical education rendering physicians ill-prepared to address the vital role of nutrition in health and disease.”
Furthermore, does your physician understand the differences in quality of supplements? Not all multiple vitamins are created equal! Consumers have the choice of gummy vitamins that provide sugar and junk vitamins, giant pharmaceutical company supplements with food colorings, sugars, rancid GMO oils, and petroleum-derived vitamins. Then there are mass-produced multi-level marketing brands, and finally businesses that specialize in clinical nutrition using clinically researched and proven nutrients in relevant amounts. What do you choose?
Superior Quality Supplements
Do you know if you are meeting your nutritional needs every day? I suspect most individuals will admit that some things need improvement. The occasional forgetfulness, slower learning, and decreased energy and stress tolerance provide clues that your busy brain needs to be taken care of. It is saying what you are providing is not enough to meet the demands.
Focus on wholesome, well-balanced meals as the foundation. Make sure to provide supplemental support with a nutraceutical grade quality multiple vitamin formula like Daily Energy Multiple Vitamin, Daily Prenatal Multiple Vitamin, or the Super Mini Multi. Daily Builder and Daily Bone Xcel provide highly absorbable minerals. These healthy choices pay off over time. As you learn about the magnificent orchestra that your body is, I hope this knowledge empowers you to take care of yourself as much as other priorities in your life.
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