Check your food, vitamins, supplements, health care products, skin care products and even your medications.
The title and subtitle may have thrown you off, you might be thinking "synthetic vitamins marketed as the real thing?" Is that even a real thing? Manufacturers couldn't possibly be permitted to get away with that.
You'd be shocked to learn that some of the most popular vitamins utilized today in supplements, food, nutritional products and cosmetics are created in the lab and may pose great health risks.
"97.5% of so called "nutritional" supplements, including vitamins, are labeled with incorrect information and filled with toxic ingredients"
Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association: A landmark research study by the University of California and the American Nutraceutical Association showed that 97.5% of so called "nutritional" supplements, including vitamins, are labeled with incorrect information and filled with toxic ingredients! And 98% of the market's vitamin supplements are synthetic! [10]
Vitamin A is important for a huge amount of body functions like normal sight, the entire immune system, and reproductive systems. Vitamin A also supports the heart, lungs, kidneys, and others by helping to make organs work both properly and with synergy. Beta-carotene is the naturally occurring form of the vitamin most commonly found in nature. It's what's in vegetables, fruits & other whole foods as well as in better whole food based supplements. Beta-carotene is a plant pigment that's reddish-orange in color; it's a powerful carotenoid.
Vitamin B1 is found in a large variety of foods including yeast, cereal grains, beans, nuts, and meat. It is most commonly used in conjunction with other B vitamins, and found in many vitamin B complex products. Vitamin B1 also called thiamine, is one of 8 B vitamins that are essential in the body. Like an essential amino, this means the body needs it but can't make it, it has to come from dietary sources. Vitamin B1 supports a healthy nervous system, brain, muscles, heart, stomach, and intestines. It is essential for glucose metabolism and the body needs ample amounts in order to convert carbohydrates into energy.
Vitamin B2 is needed for growth and for the maintenance of overall good health. It helps the body break down macro-nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins and fats so the body can then in turn produce energy. B2 is essential for cellular respiration as it allows oxygen to be used by the body. It boosts the immune system, improves digestion, prevents acne, strengthens digestion - all crucial body functions [12].
Vitamin B5 is one of the most important vitamins for human life. It's required by the body for making blood cells, and it helps you convert the food you eat into energy. Vitamin B5 is actually found in every branch of life and in the form of coenzyme-A which is crucial in numerous biological chemical reactions [13].
Vitamin B6, along with the other B vitamins, helps the body turn food into energy. On its own, vitamin B6 has many other uses that are important to maintaining a healthy body and developing a healthy brain. Vitamin B6 is so important it may have triggered the growth of the first living creatures on Earth [7].
"Common side effects of Cyanocobalamin include: diarrhea, nausea, upset stomach, itching, rash, headache, dizziness, weakness, numbness or tingling, fever, joint pain, or a feeling of swelling all over the body, anaphylaxis, and death"
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that your body can't make on its own, so you need to get it from your diet or from dietary supplements. It has the largest and most complex chemical structure of all the vitamins required by the body. It is further unique among vitamins in that it contains a metal ion. It is needed by the body for nerve tissue health, brain function, and the production of red blood cells. Cobalamin is another name for vitamin B-12 which is naturally occurring.
PABA, or para-aminobenzoic acid, is a naturally occurring non-protein amino acid. PABA is necessary for healthy skin, intestinal health and hair pigmentation. PABA may stimulate the intestinal bacteria enabling them to produce folic acid.
"not all of the folic acid you consume is converted into the active form of vitamin B9 — 5-MTHF — in your digestive system"
Folate is a B vitamin. It's required by the body for the production of healthy new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For women who are pregnant or nursing, it is really important. Getting enough folic acid before and during pregnancy can prevent major birth defects of a baby's brain or spine. Additionally approximately 25% of people have a genetic defect that negatively impacts health, it's called MTHFR gene mutation. The genetic mutation can lead to high levels of homocysteine in the blood and low levels of folate and other crucial vitamins. For this reason, the methylated natural form of the vitamin should be preferred.
Choline is classified as a conditionally essential nutrient in the human body, that means that the body can make some quantities of it, but not adequate amounts for the body's needs. Therefore, it must be supplemented from dietary sources to reach the need required by the body. The body requires choline in order for it to be able to manufacture phospholipids which the body needs to make cell membranes. It also impacts liver function, healthy brain development, muscle movement, your nervous system and metabolism; all vitally important functions.
In humans, healthy intestinal bacteria produce biotin in excess of the body’s daily requirements creating a generous surplus negating the need for supplementation. It's not classified as an essential or conditionally essential nutrient. Biotin helps your body convert food into energy. It is especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding. In addition, biotin is important for the health of your hair, skin and nails. Unfortunately due to the poor american diet, high incidence of alcohol, antibiotic & ant-acid use, the average person does not produce adequate quantities of biotin due to damaged gut bacteria and supplementation is recommended.
"Ascorbic Acid: Is the very unnatural and synthetic form of vitamin C. Essentially, ascorbic acid is made from GMO-derived Glyphosate-contaminated corn syrup mixed with hydrochloric acid"
Vitamin C is the natural form of the vitamin. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue and the enzymatic production of certain neurotransmitters. It is necessary for the growth, development and repair of all body tissues. It's involved in many body functions, including formation of collagen, absorption of iron, the immune system, wound healing, and the maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.
Vitamin D is completely different than most other vitamins. In fact, it’s a steroid hormone produced from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sun. For this reason, vitamin D is often referred to as “the sunshine vitamin.” Only a few foods contain enough of this crucial vitamin, and deficiency is very common and vitamin D deficiency impacts around 41.6% of the U.S. population. Vitamin D has several important functions important for normal growth and development of bones and teeth, as well as improved resistance against certain diseases [14].
"Results of recent studies suggest that natural Vitamin E is more bio-available and is retained in body tissues significantly longer than synthetic Vitamin E"
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect your cells from damage, reduces free-radicals and increases cell life. It helps protect the body from environmental toxins. It's important to vision, reproduction, and the health of your blood, brain and skin
Magnesium deficiency can cause a variety of health issues, including negatively affecting cardiovascular health, digestive health, and bone health. Studies have even found that low levels of magnesium can negatively impact cognitive function in women and affect the ability to effectively cope with stress. Magnesium is a co-factor in more than 350 enzymatic functions in the body.
Vitamin K actually refers to a group of fat-soluble compounds found in foods. The primary sources are green leafy and cruciferous vegetables, generally void from the standard American diet. Vitamin K is crucial in the synthesis of red blood cells as well as cardiac and skeletal health. It's also a co-factor in countless enzymatic functions int he body. It's also crucial in blood clotting, the name actually comes from the German word "Koagulationsvitamin". Many chronic conditions effecting millions and popular prescription drugs taken by millions interfere with Vitamin K production and use in the body. It's an important vitamin to always take in the natural form.
On synthetic vitamins in general, there is evidence to support that as a rule they are only 1/2 as efficient as natural ones. "A synthetic vitamin is like the image in a mirror. It looks like the real thing but doesn't function like the real thing. Half of it will work in the body and the other half won't work as well."(15)
You might think that with the current state of health in our society that manufacturers would see the value of investing in whole food sourced natural ingredients. Poor government oversight and regulation combined with a lack of education for consumers creates an environment inconsistent with the primary intention of supplements which is to enhance and better health & well-being.
The importance of having a well-functioning and healthy immune system has become increasingly obvious in recent times.
Sadly, everyone seems to have a different answer as to how you should go about strengthening your immune system. When you go to your local health and wellness shop, you might see twenty or thirty products that tout their “immune boosting” powers. An Amazon search reveals thousands of results.
Well, we’re here to tell you about an effective and ancient remedy that has been in use for over two thousand years: the red reishi mushroom.
We’ve all heard about all the negative effects of stress and the modern lifestyle.
We’re all rushing around, overworked, in a constant state of fight-or-flight and it has disastrous effects on our health.
But what if “stress” wasn’t the real problem?
What if our bodies knew exactly how to cope with the intensity of modern life… if we just gave the body what it needed to thrive?
And the key may be one little mineral.
I hope this finds you healthy and able to still get outside (or inside) for a daily run during this trying time of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many of us are grieving several losses including race cancellations. Though it's a bummer, I want you to know that your hard-earned training is far from wasted.
Those miles are in your legs and all kinds of wonderful benefits have occurred including the addition of mitochondria, adding new capillary beds for increased blood flow, and strengthening the heart muscle for future training.
As athletes, it's important for us to be proactive in maintaining a strong immune system. We're not only doing this for our own prevention but also our loved ones that we spend time with.
Read on for 5 tips to consider as you seek to stay healthy.
