Dietary & Lifestyle Recommendations - Additional Information

Work in progress.  Thank you for your patience!

~ Dr. Jenna McNamee, ND

Would you take this multivitamin?

I really feel obligated to make this post - I've seen a lot more people come in to see me on these new "Gummy" multivitamins.  These are not just for kids anymore, but are targeted towards adults now too!  And I have a big problem with it.

Issue #1 - These "multivitamins" very often have quite low amounts of vitamins, and are often not complete, lacking many other essential vitamins and minerals.  If you look at the example below, where are all of the other B vitamins?  Where are the minerals?  These are most often VERY incomplete.

Issue #2 - Many of the vitamins that are in these gummies are in the inactive/cheaper form.  For example, cyanocobalamin vs. methyl- or hydroxy-cobalamin.  Folic acid vs. 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF).

Look at this ingredient list below of a common gummy multivitamin for adults.  2mg of B6 - really?  6mcg of B12 - really?  20mg vitamin C, 200IU vitamin D, 10IU vitamin E...really?  These are so so low, almost negligible.  And as you can see, they don't even list what form the vitamin is in - often a sure sign of using inferior forms.  If a company uses active, superior forms of a vitamin, they are often proud of it and will clearly display it on all labels and include them in ingredient lists.

Vitamin A	480mcg (1600 I.U.)
Vitamin B6	2mg
Vitamin B12	6mcg
Vitamin C	20mg
Vitamin D	5mcg (200 I.U.)
Vitamin E	4.5mg (10 I.U.)
Folate (folic acid)	100mcg

My last issue with these multis: If you are getting so little vitamins, what the heck is making up most of this gummy that you are eating each day?

Answer: Crap!  Sorry to be blunt, but it's the truth.  Look at the non-medicinal ingredients for the gummy that I've used as an example above:

Glucose Syrup, Sucrose, Gelatin, Water, Artificial Flavors, Bees Wax, Carnauba Wax, Citric Acid, FD&C Blue #1, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Yellow #6, Modified Starch, Vegetable Oil (Coconut or Palm)

That looks absolutely delicious...not!  The first two ingredients are sugars - bad news.  Then you have gelatin (watch out vegans), artificial flavours and colours (those FD&C's are just lovely), and some starches and oils to finish it off.

If you really want gummy candies, do yourself a favour and just go out and buy some candies - don't fool yourself into thinking that these multivitamin gummies are actually good for you.  There's so little of the good stuff in them, it's really not even worth it - you're most likely just paying lots of extra money for a glorified gummy candy.

Marketing can be deceptive, and I just don't want anyone to fall for this trap.  Save your money and get a good quality multivitamin instead!

Finally, as a comparison, here's the nutrient profile and non-medicinal ingredients for one of my favourite multivitamins:

Could You Be Deficient in Magnesium?

We hear about calcium and how important it is for everyone to get adequate calcium all the time.  And don't get me wrong, calcium is very important, but so is magnesium, and we don't hear about it very often.

Magnesium is a mineral that is required in over 300 biochemical reactions in our bodies.  If we don't have enough magnesium, these reactions will not run as efficiently as they could be, if they even run at all.

"Can't I get it from the foods that I eat?"

This a common question that I get, and the answer is, "It depends."  It depends on a lot of different things like what foods you're eating, the quality of those, organic vs. nonorganic, the soil that they were grown in and if it's been overfarmed and is deficient in certain minerals itself, the freshness of the food, how well you can digest it and absorb it, and how much magnesium your body utilizes (contrary to popular belief, we all don't require the same amount - some need smaller amounts of magnesium while others use up a ton naturally - that's just how their body works, and they would require larger amounts).  Potassium and phosphorus-laden fertilizers also complicate the issue, as they alter plants' ability to uptake magnesium from the soil.  Food preparation methods such as broiling, steaming, and boiling also removes magnesium, shunting it into the water.  High carb/fat diets increase our need for magnesium, and medications such as diuretics and insulin actually deplete our internal magnesium levels.

Some other things that can deplete magnesium include:

High Stress

Caffeine

Sugar

Alcohol

Tobacco

Drugs/medications

High perspiration

Low thyroid function

Diabetes

Chronic pain

High sodium diet

High calcium diet

So, what are some signs and symptoms relating to magnesium deficiency?

Constipation

Low Energy/Fatigue

Weakness

Muscle Tension, Spasms, & Cramps

Restlessness

Anxiousness (panic attack in more pronounced deficiencies)

Irritability

PMS/Hormonal Imbalance

Insomnia/inability to sleep

Weakning of the bones (osteoporosis)

Abnormal Heart Rhythm, Heart Palpitations

High Blood Pressure

Headaches/Migraines

Restless Leg Syndrome

If you suspect that you may be deficient in magnesium, you can increase food sources, which include green vegetables (both land and sea), and eat a variety of whole grains, legumes, and nuts.

You can also talk to your doctor about magnesium supplementation or things that can improve your absorption of minerals (if you have digestive issues or take heartburn medication), and have him or her recommend a type of magnesium and dosage that's right for your needs.