Despite rampant overeating, the majority of people in the United States still fail to get the full amounts of vitamins and minerals as recommended by the Institute of Medicine.
Most still fail to obtain sufficient amounts of vitamins A, E, C, and K, as well as minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium, according to the latest data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. This is why medical researchers recommended multivitamins in 2002 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
CRN. 2006. Data derived from Radimer et al., 2004 and NHANES 1999 – 2000.
What’s more, studies show that nutrient gaps are made worse by adopting popular diets and that current recommended daily amounts for a few nutrients, such as vitamin D and vitamin C, may not be at levels high enough for optimal health.
Illustration of binding capacity oversaturation in the intestine. |
Illustration of zinc and copper competing for absorption. |
Illustration of calcium absorption impairment because of phytate chelation. |
A multinutrient supplement is a convenient way for meeting nutrient gaps, but there is a big difference in quality. Many supplements don’t take advantage of the latest science of appropriate dosing or have invested in the latest technology for disintegration, absorption and bioavailability. For example, supplements may:
- not disintegrate or become soluble enough for maximum absorption.
- contain forms of vitamins and minerals that are not as potent in the body — an example is vitamin D, which is more potent as vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) versus vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol).
- lead to overdose of certain nutrients such as vitamins A and E, which could become toxic in high amounts.
- contain incorrect ratios of minerals, which increase absorption competitiveness. For example, having too much zinc may lead to a copper deficiency since zinc and copper compete for the same absorption sites.
- contain anti-nutrients such as phytates or oxalates (from teas or vegetables such as spinach) that inhibit mineral absorption.
The Isagenix Difference
Isagenix Essentials for Men and Women are products of collaborative research with top nutrition scientists and formulated by the Isagenix research and product development teams. The teams capitalized on the most recent scientific literature for appropriate dosing — without overdosing — for long-term health and anti-aging with consideration for the unique differences between men and women.
Essentials uses forms of vitamin and minerals that are well-studied for efficacy of absorption, bioavailability, and ultimate benefit to the body. For example, Essentials contains the natural form of vitamin E as d-alpha tocopherol, which is shown in studies to be clearly superior to the synthetic version, dl-alpha tocopherol. Unlike other multivitamins, the vitamin E is present along with tocotrienols (as in nature) to produce a synergy for guarding heart health. Another example is use of vitamin K2 versus K1 due to new knowledge of K2’s involvement in supporting cardiovascular and bone health.
This advanced formulation is also built using rapid disintegration technology. Rapid disintegration facilitates dissolution, which optimizes nutrient absorption within the small intestine.
Optimum Nutrient Delivery
When a tablet is taken orally, it passes through the mouth, into the esophagus and enters the stomach, where it then (along with food) stimulates the secretion of stomach acid. The stomach acid converts the tablet into a suspension of small particles that are then pushed into the small intestine where nutrient dissociation and absorption takes place:
- First, greatest absorption is achieved because Essentials for Men/Women are designed to be taken over the course of the day (two tablets, two times daily).
- Second, the tablets contain minerals in amounts that take into account mineral competitiveness.
- Third, the tablets avoid anti-nutrient components such as phytates that decrease mineral absorption.
- Fourth, Essentials features a sustained-release technology by using forms of nutrients with different molecular weights, sizes, and separation rates.
The combination of these elements creates a staggered release of nutrients into the small intestine, providing steady passage and absorption of the various nutrients into the bloodstream.
References
Council for Responsible Nutrition. Multivitamins and Other Supplements for Better health. 2006. [Data derived from Radimer et al., 2004 and NHANES 1999 – 2000.]
Fletcher RH, Fairfield KM. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in adults: clinical applications. JAMA 2002;287:3127-9.
[CARET] Omen et al. J Natl Cancer Inst 1996.
[Vitamin E] NEJM 1993.
[Vitamin K2] Shiraki et al. J Bone and Mineral Res 2000.
[Vitamin D3] Heany et al. J Clin Endocrin & Metab 2010.