I’ve Been Pondering the Multi-Vitamin Lately…

I’ve always pondered the question – do multi-vitamins really cover the basic needs they claim to?

Who even decided what to put in a multi-vitamin anyway?

Researching the origins of multi-vitamins is interesting as it seems no one can agree on who actually developed them. 

And amounts of nutrients in the multi-vitamins vary wildly. 

Many folks have been conditioned to think they need a multi… 

…while others are in the camp of…”well my food is fortified – I’m getting some nutrients there right?”

And there’s the idea of multivitamins are expensive urine and I eat healthy I’m good. 

I do not know what anyone needs unless I do labs or there are clear signs or symptoms pointing to a deficiency. 

The US population in particular is one of the most overfed, undernourished and sick.

It’s clear toxins in the food, air and water are sources of the issue and the US knows the food source is deficient by trying to fortify the food supply. 

It appears there were a few waves of fortification...(article link from U of Chicago)

• 1920’s salt was iodized to prevent thyroid conditions
• 1930’s milk had vitamin D added to prevent bone density issues
• 1940’s bread was “enriched” with thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folic acid, and iron – to add back energy producing, circulation enhancing and oxygen carrying nutrients stripped from grains when flour is refined
• 1980’s calcium was added to a bunch of foods to prevent bone issues.

These attempts to “supplement” the mass population and prevent illness aren’t working.

The following list of conditions are prevalent in today’s population… compare with the fortification list above…

• Thyroid conditions
• Osteoporosis
• Anemia
• Obesity 
• Fatigue
• Vitamin D deficiencies

One in Three US adults take multivitamins according to a 2024 Journal of American Medical Association study. 

The study notes that multivitamins do not prevent chronic disease. 

I agree…

…for different reasons that stated in JAMA’s research. 

Most Americans are purchasing their supplements from Costco, Amazon or a pharmacy as they walk by them on their way to grab their medication. 

The boldly stated labels that say “#1 Pharmacist or Doctor Recommended Vitamin Company”.

Ah marketing. 

Read the labels further for the added ingredients and prepare to be horrified. 

Modified corn starch, maltodextrin and polyethylene glycol (PEG)…

…aka 2 GMO sugars and a laxative derived from petroleum, main ingredient in Miralax. 

Those are just a few in the “#1 pharmacist recommended multi-vitamin.” 

Other products from this same pharmaceutical company have dyes, soybean oil, titanium dioxide and more. 

If you do a quick online search of “#1 or best multivitamins” you’ll find a lot of websites listing these brands…

…this is why it’s key to use your detective skills on anything out there. 

I do recommend multivitamins when it comes to deficiencies I find or patterns developing in my client’s health. 

Especially when I’m seeing patterns of a slowed thyroid and need for selenium, iodine and magnesium.

RDA amounts are worthless when it comes to supplements. 

Each person is different and I’m guessing you don’t want to be average if you’re reading this.

RDA amounts aren’t there keep you “safe” from toxic levels of vitamin overload –  they are general recommendations.

I’ve seen clients have reactions to vitamin levels under the RDA such as fortified folic acid in wheat products when they have a methylation defect that doesn’t allow them to process this version of folic acid.

(Note: very simplified description: Methylation is a way the body detoxes and uses B12 and folate some folks need methylfolate or folinic acid to help this process in their body and by adding synthetic folic acid it messes with this person’s ability to detox). 

If you’ve ever taken a B12 supplement you’ll find it’s 2000% over the RDA and you’re alive to read this. 

While testing to ensure you’re not overloading on B12 is key for liver health, my point is – you’ve likely taken over the RDA and survived the experience.

This is why personalized recommendations and considerations backed up by testing are crucial for getting results from your multi-vitamins. 

Let’s take the case of multi-vitamins for “women over 40″…

…do all women over 40 need the same things?

And does this multi-vitamin actually cover the needs or is it creative marketing?

Sadly, most of the time it’s creative marketing. 

This is why I opt for independently owned supplement companies who have skilled staff formulating their products. 

Last Saturday I interviewed Debbie Wheeler from Selaura, a UK based menopause and beyond based supplement company. (listen in HERE)

Her supplement is formulated for the basic needs of a women over 40. 

It addresses hair, skin, bone, mood and hormone needs well. 

I see it as a great addition to a bio-identical hormone regimen.

The amount of research and commitment to finding clean, non-toxic ingredients is impressive, you won’t find this in your Costco or #1 pharmacist recommended generic multi-vitamins. 

Yes, the cost reflects this – when it comes to supplements – you do get what you pay for. 

The cheaper you go on your multi-vitamin “insurance” the less you target your needs and end up with expensive urine. 

Paying a little more for something that has ingredients at amounts to actually address your needs = less expensive urine as nutrients will be absorbed more readily. 

With any oral supplement you will waste some and that’s why there are higher dosages in there – to counter what the body will dump off. 

I wish there were more broad spectrum topical vitamin patches but the sizes aka “daltons” of some nutrients are too big to pass topically. 

What’s the solution?

Spend the money upfront for micronutrient testing – Spectracell’s white blood cell micronutrient testing or Metabolomix urine testing – both run around $350 and will tell you where to put your money. 

Have I ever found someone not to be deficient in something?

Yes – these folks do exist and they grow their own food. 

Plus they nurture their soil using compost they create from their own food scraps. 

You’ve been told the soil used to grow conventional crops is devoid in nutrients and that’s true. 

Add transport from farm to store and sitting in your fridge and you get even more degradation of nutrients. 

This is why I’m a huge fan of growing your own food and enriching your own soil each year with compost. 

I also am a fan of supporting local farmer’s markets to get the freshest food if you’re not growing your own food. 

The best solutions to the multi-vitamin conundrum is…

• test to know what you need
• find a multi-vitamin that best addresses your needs 
• have a custom multi-vitamin made for you by your doc 
• grow your own food or go to the farmer’s market regularly
• choose produce that’s local at your grocery store
• buy flash frozen organic produce in the winter season
• purchase in bulk in harvest season and can food for winter

It’s harvest season for gardeners all over in the northern hemisphere. 

This is the peak season of nutrient rich food – take advantage of it. 

Freeze and can what you can’t use. 

Use code DRJ10 for 10% off

I can’t stress enough how incredibly impactful buying produce like tomatoes, carrots, beans, beats and potatoes can be.

Can them and have them for the entire winter. 

Yes, you’ll use some nutrients into the liquid with canning…

…but you can cook food in the liquid or make sauces with it to not waste it. 

This weekend is all about canning for me – stay tuned for IG stories and posts.

Speaking of my food…

I’m always my own experiment and each fall I do my thermography testing to make sure my body is healthy. 

Last fall my inflammatory breast condition was completely gone from the previous year.

My only major change?

Besides a few trips to Tacoma and other places I ate almost exclusively food I grew in my garden with meat from Butcher Box and Good Ranchers. 

This year we tried to ramp up our production but mother nature had other plans. 

We won’t have as many tomatoes or cucumbers to can but we will have a lot of beets, carrots, potatoes and green beans. 

I’m also doing my TruDiagnostic “True Age” testing to see where I stand. 

Two years ago I was 7 years younger than my biological age. 

We’ll see what happens this round. 

The bottom line…you may not need a basic multivitamin and instead a mix of targeted minerals and vitamins. 

Test don’t guess. 

Work on growing your own food or getting to know your local farmers.

Fresh non-toxic food has been my best medicine and many of my clients can attest to this as well. 

Here’s to your micronutrient health,

Dr. J

PS: Need a little food re-boot after the summer?  My pal Ali Shapiro is hosting a FREE Masterclass: Untangle Your Food Triggers: Catch Yourself Before You Fall Off Track on Tuesday, September 10 from 12 – 1:15 pm EST

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