Are Multi-Vitamins Important?

ARE MULTI-VITAMINS IMPORTANT?

The other day a customer mentioned that she had heard on the news that multi-vitamins were worthless.  Apparently, there was a study showing that they were not effective.  My first thought was, “Who paid for the study?”  Usually, following the money trail can help determine the validity of a study.  My second thought was, “Which multi-vitamin did they study?”  You simply cannot group all companies into one.  Quality varies greatly and there are likely some worthless ones on the market.

How can you tell if you are purchasing a high quality vitamin supplement?  First, look at the price.  A quality product costs money to manufacture.  Remember the time-tested quote, “You get what you pay for”.  A cheap product really is a waste of money.  Second, how does the multi-vitamin make you feel?  I can always tell when I don’t take my multi-vitamin for 3-4 days.  Muscle testing is a great way to evaluate which multi-vitamin works for you.  Each person has unique, individual needs and will absorb the vitamin differently.

I eat healthy food, so why do I need to take a supplement as well?  In reality, how many of us each 5-7 fruits/vegetables every day?  Even if we do manage to eat this many, are they organic and do we eat a wide variety?  Other considerations, almost out of our control, are the quality of the soil, the harvesting of the food when it is fully ripe, and its irradiation.  Vegetables simply do not contain the same amount of vitamins as they did in the past.  Most of us need the additional “boost” a multi-vitamin can provide.

Why do most multi-vitamins recommend 3-6 tablets daily?  A multi-vitamin should contain the minimum nutrients to keep you from serious illness.  If you think about condensing that into a tablet…do you really think that one tablet is enough?  Especially if your vitamins contain whole foods, you will have to swallow several tablets. 

A quality multi-vitamin is a good place to start for the average person in improving their health.  Of course, it does not provide everything your body needs, but it does help fill in the gap left by an inadequate diet and the stressful, fast-paced lifestyle of our modern society.

Lisa A. Purdy ND, MH, CNHP

Lisa A. Purdy is not a physician and all communications herein are not to be considered diagnosis or prescription. Any information given is for educational purposes only.  You are personally responsible for your own health choices and any and all information is solely to assist in making those choices.

Echinacea - Stimulating the immune system!

Echinacea is commonly called coneflower.  Known as the “King of the Blood Purifiers”, Echinacea improves lymphatic drainage, removes toxins from the blood, fights inflammation, and has a special affinity to the mucous membranes.  Echinacea kills bacteria, virus, fungi, and protozoa.  Because it prevents infection, Echinacea is considered beneficial during pregnancy.

 

Echinacea helps fight infection by stimulating the immune system.  When cells are under attack by disease micro-organisms they secrete chemicals that attract fighting white blood cells, called macrophages, to the area.  These macrophages, literally meaning “big eaters”, engulf and consume the invaders.  Echinacea energizes and boosts the ability of white blood cells.

Echinacoside, an antibiotic, is in Echinacea angustofolia, but not in Echinacea purpurea…making the white coneflower stronger in medicinal action than the purple coneflower. Native to the American Great Plains it is said to have been used by the native tribes for more ailments than any other plant. Dr. Meyer’s Blood Purifier (1870) made Echinacea famous by claims to cure snake bite…hence the nickname, “snake oil salesman”.  During the 1900’s almost every home medicine chest contained Echinacea tincture…decline in its use came with the discovery of antibiotics.

 

Echinacea may be grown from seed.  The first year plant has a small rosette of leaves, but usually no flower.  The second year it grows to 2 ft. and blooms.  The third year it grows even taller.  As a perennial, it will return year after year, and will multiply by dropping seeds.  Harvest the root for medicine when it is 2-3 years old.  Wash the roots well, chop them with a very sharp knife, perhaps run them through an old-fashioned meat grinder, and lay them on a screen to dry.

Echinacea has the unique quality of slightly numbing the tongue…taste your dried root or tincture to see if it is good quality.

WHAT IS AN HERBALIST?

WHAT IS AN HERBALIST?

Traditional Herbal medicine has one of the oldest long-standing histories in the world, respected in multiple cultures.  An herbalist seeks to use whole plant or herbal preparations to improve health and return balance to the body’s vital energies.  Herbalists use carefully prepared infusions, decoctions, extract tinctures, glycerites, capsules, poultices, compresses, oils, and ointments to help the body heal itself.  Herbalists do not treat symptoms, but rather supply the body naturally with what the it needs for balance, vitality, and good health.

WHAT IS A NATUROPATHIC CONSULTANT?

A naturopathic doctor or consultant uses a variety of natural health modalities to help the body maintain balance.  Traditional naturopathy believes that good health is more than the absence of disease.  Rather, it is dynamic state where the body, mind, and spirit are restored to an energetic equilibrium.  The naturopath sees a symptom merely as a signal that the body is out of balance.  The naturopath seeks to find the cause of the imbalance, not just the symptom causing the distress. The first rule a naturopath follows is taken from the Hippocratic Oath; “Do No Harm”.  A naturopathic doctor does not use harmful drugs nor invasive surgery.  Naturopaths believe that the body has a great capacity for healing itself. Nutrition, rest, exercise, attitude, and lifestyle choices are taught to empower clients to achieve balance and maintain good health.