Mainstream media often question the use and quality of multivitamins, citing concerns over their composition, purity, and ingredient absorption. While these are important concerns, the need for supplementation and quality of the products on the market are separate issues.
Here we provide insights based on our nearly three decades of scientific research conducted at the Dr. Rath Research Institute in California. Our investigations into the role of natural compounds in various health-related areas have resulted in over 200 scientific publications. The Dr. Rath Research Institute has also introduced innovative practical approaches (micronutrient synergy) to increase the biological effectiveness of natural compounds by their proper selection and combination. Dr Rath’s scientifically developed formulas occupy a unique position on the supplement market, with many awarded US and international patents based on scientific evidence proving efficacy and the uniqueness of these compositions.
Current dilemmas related to supplementation:
- Diet or supplementation
- Benefits of multivitamin supplementation
- How to choose the right supplements
Lasting controversy: diet or supplementation
There are numerous views suggesting that a well-balanced diet supplies all the essential nutrients our body requires. However, this is not straightforward, particularly when considering the vitamin, mineral, and other micronutrient content in contemporary nutrition.
Some types of so-called restrictive diets carry the risk of specific vitamin and mineral deficiencies. For example, a vegan diet based solely on plant products increases the risk of deficiencies of vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron (especially in women), zinc and other compounds that are available in well-absorbed forms in meat products.
Even fresh produce (vegetables, fruit) that we buy in the store may have lower nutritional value due to losses from long-term transport, the type of cultivated soil, wide use of pesticides, even the plant breeding selection, etc. For example, the nutritional value of artificially ripened fruit is lower than that of naturally ripened fruit, different species of carrots can differ many times in their content of beta carotene, and modified strawberries may be prettier and can store longer than their original varieties, but they lost original taste. Moreover, the motive for these "improvements" is not to increase nutritional value.
Additionally, most people’s diets are limited because we usually eat the dishes that we like. People with food allergies, intolerances, or medical conditions that require the exclusion of certain foods or food groups may be prone to deficiencies in certain ingredients. It is easier for a single person to develop a menu to meet the specific requirements of the body, but in a multi-generational family, our daily dinner has the same set of dishes for everyone: an 8-year-old daughter, a 20-year-old athletic son, both working parents and aging grandparents. Preparing daily meals that cater to individual nutritional requirements such as to support growth, an athletic or physically active lifestyle, hormonal changes, stress levels, and aging processes can be challenging. Not to mention that with daily portions of vegetables and fruits recommended by dieticians it is often impossible to achieve the required micronutrient intake levels without overeating. Research in the USA indicates that less than 15% of the population consumes their recommended amounts of micronutrients.
Meanwhile, preventing micronutrient deficiencies is critical to staying healthy. As the history of vitamin discoveries shows, a long-term deficiency of even one vitamin leads to metabolic disorders that manifest themselves in the form of a life-threatening disease (e.g. scurvy, pellagra, beriberi and others). Fortunately, today chronic vitamin deficiencies are rare; however, their insufficient intake leads to cellular disfunction, impaired organ function and, consequently, negative effects throughout the body. According to Cellular Medicine, long-term deficiencies of vitamins and other micronutrients are the main underlying cause of chronic diseases, such as heart and circulatory problems, diabetes, osteoporosis, joint diseases, accelerated aging processes, and others.
Benefits of multivitamin supplementation
Multivitamins have been used for decades as a safeguard against a lack of specific ingredients or metabolic imbalances. They include compounds that our body does not produce, but which are necessary for maintaining health and life. Supplements are most often used to prevent potential deficiencies, such as in case of nutrient-poor diets, improper digestion, taking certain medications, and the occurrence of diseases that limit the absorption and/or metabolism of nutrients contained in food.
A healthy diet is the basis of health and, as the name suggests, a "supplement" is only an addition to one’s diet and not a replacement. However, it is good to take supplements with meals for increased absorption of the ingredients they contain.
If someone wants to know specifically what vitamin or mineral they are missing, they can perform appropriate tests. However, due to the variety, complexity, and cost of such tests, the prophylactic use of multivitamins is more beneficial and accessible for most people with a minimal risk of side effects. The primary benefit of high-quality multivitamins is that many health problems can be prevented in a targeted and relatively easy and cheap way for a large part of the population.
Supplementation skeptics argue that the body does not absorb ingredients from a multivitamin complex completely, even those containing high-quality components. Of course, we also do not completely absorb every component of our foods - this is due to the biochemistry and physiology of the body. Our cells have selective systems that regulate the uptake of vitamins, minerals and other natural compounds depending on metabolic needs, deficiencies, or the support of specific cellular processes, such as the synthesis of proteins, hormones, neurotransmitters, cell growth, or immune response. Also, different organs have different levels of saturation with these compounds. The liver, compared to other organs, has high levels of vitamins A, D, E and K, while the adrenal glands and brain are the richest in vitamin C. The bioavailability of biotin from the diet varies depending on the type of food and can range from 5% to nearly 100%. Biotin absorption in the intestine competes with pantothenic acid and lipoic acid, because all these compounds use the same sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT). In addition, the absorption of a particular vitamin depends on the body’s physiological state. For example, people with diabetes are prone to vitamin C deficiency inside the cells because glucose and vitamin C use the same intracellular transporters. With excess glucose in the blood, cellular entry of vitamin C is impaired, which contributes to cardiovascular complications in diabetes. Therefore, we should not look at multi-ingredient supplements like powdered sugar uniformly passing through the holes of a strainer. The biological efficacy of the entire vitamin complex is crucial to reliably demonstrating its health benefits.
There is a body of scientific evidence showing that taking multivitamins can reduce the risk of cataracts, slow cognitive decline in adults with cardiovascular disease, and reduce symptoms of respiratory disease in older adults. On the other hand, the use of high-quality prenatal vitamins can reduce the risk of birth defects in children.
How to choose the right supplements for me
There are a variety of supplements on the market, which give consumers the opportunity to choose. At the same time, the lack of reliable information about what criteria to use when choosing the right product causes confusion and susceptibility to suggestions from pseudo-experts, highly paid influencers or colorful advertisements.
Unfortunately, most supplements on the market are developed according to marketing trends rather than scientific criteria. Hence, multi-ingredient formulations often contain compounds that are popular with consumers but are not required for the effectiveness of the entire formula. This approach, focused on maximizing profits, is especially common in the case of dietary supplements produced by large pharmaceutical companies. They profit from the popularity of dietary supplements, but few of them invest in scientific research of natural compounds. The number of scientific publications on this subject from these organizations is either non-existent or very limited.
In this respect, the Dr. Rath Research Institute in California is an exception, as funds are directed at the development and progress of natural health and designing effective, scientifically proven supplementation.
A well-formulated multivitamin should combine essential vitamins and minerals in the right amounts and proportions. Unfortunately, a common problem with nutritional supplements is the random selection of ingredients and the use of mega-doses of single compounds, which can sometimes have negative effects on health. An example of this is vitamin A, a large excess of which can negatively affect bone health, liver function and the nervous system, and should be avoided by pregnant women. However, the risk of vitamin A overdose can be significantly reduced by replacing vitamin A (retinol) in a formula with beta carotene. Beta carotene is a natural precursor to retinol, and the body regulates how much of it is converted to the active form of vitamin A. In the case of water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and B vitamins, the risk of overdose is minimal because their excess is excreted through urine. Also, as research progresses, the standards for the consumption of individual ingredients become revised, e.g. vitamin D.
Unfortunately, most of the multivitamins available on the market have randomly selected ingredients, the effectiveness of the entire preparation is unknown, and sometimes the information on the synergistic cooperation of the compounds on the leaflets is not based on facts. Also, the statement on the label that one or more ingredients in a formula have been tested in a clinical trial does not guarantee their effectiveness when combined with other compounds and at other dosages.
One should be especially careful when using cheap supplements. To maintain low prices, manufacturers use low-quality ingredients with low bioavailability, which may also be contaminated with heavy metals or microorganisms. When reading the product label, it is good to pay attention to so-called additional/inactive ingredients. These ingredients facilitate the production process, but many of them are harmful, such as synthetic fillers, dyes or flavor additives. If a product has a long list of additional ingredients on the label, it is better to put it back on the shelf, especially as there are natural alternatives used in the production of capsules and tablets. It is also worth remembering that supplements in capsules are better absorbed than in the form of tablets. In addition, with the growing popularity of supplements in the form of gummies, lozenges and chewing gum, it is important to keep in mind that they often contain sugar, artificial flavors and dyes that should be avoided.
Comparative studies of the effectiveness of dietary supplements popular on the market in the USA and Europe conducted at the Dr. Rath Research Institute have shown that most of them have low efficacy, limited biological benefits, and may even cause harmful side effects. Some preparations were not even soluble. You can find this information here: Vitamins: Harm or Benefit? by Dr. Rath - Issuu – an important read, opening your eyes to what the market offers us.
In contrast, Dr. Rath's formulas have scientific evidence of their efficacy on critical biological mechanisms related to cardiovascular health, brain function, bone health, antiviral defense, and more. The scientific evidence of these compositions of natural compounds and their uniqueness is the basis for many of them receiving patents in the United States and other countries around the world.
The advancement of dietary supplements should be based on formulations that are scientifically developed, rigorously tested, composed of high-quality compounds, and adhere to ethical production standards. As consumers, we should demand reliable scientific evidence of effectiveness for the supplements we use to protect our health. The days of advice and recommendations by self-proclaimed experts and "natural health prophets" are coming to an end.