The supplements you are taking - is it money down the drain?

Hi guys,

A quick question - are you wasting time and money taking junk supplements? To put it another way - how effective are the supplements you are using, or is it money pouring down the drain - literally? The answer to these questions lies in the QUALITY of such supplements. But what determines the quality of nutritional supplements you rightly ask, because this is not a simple matter? I will outline this below.

The first and most important thing is the ability of the supplement to dissolve in water. If a supplement does not dissolve readily in water, then there is little chance of adequate absorption in the stomach or upper small intestine - the jejuneum to be precise. There is a short opportunity as food moves through the stomach and upper jejuneum for absorption of vitamins and minerals to occur. After this point, absorption is effectively zero. So what is the problem, you might say? Think about this - suppose the supplements are formulated such that absorption during the narrow window mentioned above is affected? But why would the manufacturing companies do that, you ask - it would affect their profits adversely? Aha - but not in the way you think, because you have to KNOW exactly what they are doing, and why.

Now back to dissolving properties of supplements.Coatings on supplements determine the life span of the product and hence the profit margin. A lot of them however have a coating that does not dissolve adequately in a timely manner for absorption to take place in the upper jejuneum -so it does not matter how useful the nutrients you are taking are in theory, because practically to all intents and purposes they are unavailable to the cells of the body. No absorption, no use to the body. So they pass out of the body as waste matter. But what a waste! The story does not end there, however.

When I look at health supplement packaging nowadays, I also look for the types of EXCIPIENTS present in the formulation of the supplements. What are those, you ask? Simply put, excipients are what are used to hold the supplements together by the manufacturer. Without these, the supplement will remain in a powder form - not usually the form in which you take your supplements. Powder form is an exception to the rule - just take a look around when you next buy your supplements. They are usually in form of tablets,capsules or solutions.
Now read this carefully - the most important property of your supplement is the NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY to the body. But how does this tie in with excipients in supplements? In this way -excipients also determine stability and SHELF LIFE -a prime focus of nutritional companies, as it affects their profits. The longer supplements last before they expire, the greater their profits. This is all fine and dandy, but at what cost to YOU and your health? Take out those supplements and have a look for some of these excipients:

DI-CALCIUM PHOSPHATE -This INHIBITS - yes you read that right - the absorption of mineral nutrients. It is a very common excipient.

MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE is another common bulking agent or excipient. This dangerous compound when taken over an extended period can cause microinfarcts leading to cell and tissue death all over the body. Cellulose is normally not digestible, but in this microform, can be passively absorbed into the bloodstream from the gut. Humans cannot metabolize or eliminate cellulose, so it accumulates in small blood vessels, eventuallly blocking them and leading to the death of the cells supplied by the blood vessels.

Next is CARRAGEENAN which gradually causes cell damage over an extended period.

That is all for today -  tomorrow I will talk about some NUTRIENTS, yes you read that right - that can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients when taken together. Until then, stay well !

To your abundant health,

Dr Ike
Functional Health and Health Coaching Expert.