Vitamins and minerals are essential for life. They are the “keys” that make our bodies work. At one time vitamins were believed to be vital amines, which is how they got their name. Vitamins and minerals are small molecules that fit into much larger molecules called enzymes. These enzymes function as the factories of our bodies. Some of these enzymes break down incoming materials (food) into its raw components, while others take these newly acquired raw components and build them into materials that are useful for our own bodies, such as hair and skin and hormones and new enzymes, etc.
Ideally all the vitamins we need are provided in the foods that we eat. However, they are very fragile and are destroyed easily when exposed to light and air and heat. It is extremely rare for vitamins to survive in processed/packaged foods. And, it is common for vitamins to be lost when foods are cooked.
Because vitamins and minerals are vital for life and because they are lost in most of the foods we eat these days, many people have decided to take a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement on a regular basis. There are a couple of factors to consider when selecting a good supplement. One choice to consider is “natural” versus laboratory-prepared vitamins. Vitamins link up with their enzymes much like a person shakes hands when greeting another person. So, a vitamin is like a hand. It comes in many forms. There are right hands and left hands and open hands and closed hands. The hands that fit perfectly for hand shaking are the open, right hands. The other forms don’t work as well. In nature the less useful vitamin forms are filtered out, leaving only the useful ones to do the work (like the open, right hands). In the laboratory all the various forms of the vitamin are preserved. This dilutes the effectiveness of those pills. An example of this is found with Vitamin E. There are many forms of Vitamin E. The d-alpha-tocopherol form is the dominant one used in nature. Most laboratory-produced Vitamin E is mixed with all of its forms and designated dl-alpha-tocopherol. So, look for the “d” form when shopping for Vitamin E to assure optimal benefit.
Now, what about minerals? Minerals rarely exist on their own in the body. They are usually connected to carrier proteins. I think of these carrier proteins as the trucks that carry in a supply of minerals. And, as I am fond of saying, “Some truck drivers know where they are going, and some don’t.” Some of the better carrier proteins these days are citric acid (citrate), malic acid (malate), and picolinic acid (picolinate), as in “calcium citrate” or “zinc picolinate.”
Another factor to consider when selecting a supplement is that capsules are less likely than tablets to have added ingredients such as binders and coloring. These added ingredients are usually considered somewhat toxic by the body and need extra energy to process.
So, whether you are addressing a specific condition or simply supplementing to compensate for a deficiency in our food supply, when selecting vitamins and minerals look for clues that will indicate a good product. Look for d-alpha-tocopherol Vitamin E and/or calcium citrate and/or zinc picolinate on the bottle. These will give you an idea of the overall integrity of the company you’re dealing with and give you optimal benefit from your dollars spent.
Dr. Michael Miles’ Clinic is located at 15601 N. Oracle Rd. in Catalina behind Golf Cars of Arizona. You can learn more about the Catalina Clinic and Dr. Miles by visiting the website: www.catalinaclinic.com. To contact Dr. Miles or make an appointment at the clinic call 520-825-8100.