While many of the nutrients we need come from a balanced and varied diet, there are certain factors that mean we don’t always get the goodness we need to be at our full potential. The answer to this can be multivitamins. Here, we take a look at why we need to supplement our diet with vitamins, considerations when choosing a multivitamin and why our multivitamin Nexgen can benefit your health and wellbeing.
Why do we need to supplement our diet with multivitamins?
The ideal situation would be to eat organic fruit and vegetables, providing a dense array of vitamins and minerals. The amount we would eat would be directly related to not only our base requirements but we would be optimising our intake relative to our lifestyle and the physical demands that we place ourselves under. However, the idea of relying on food as being a source of vitamins and minerals is an ever increasingly flawed thought for some very simple reasons.
1. Modern farming cuts down our mineral intake
Since the advent of intensive farming techniques, the land has had to sustain an ‘intensive’ approach. Even where crop rotation is implemented, the ever increasing demands being placed on the fixed available space has an effect. This has been documented by research “The Chemical Composition of Foods” (1940-1991 Special Report Number 235) commissioned by the Medical Research Council who reported on the mineral content of 27 vegetables, 17 fruits and 10 cuts of meat in relation to their sodium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, iron and copper content between the years 1940 and 1991. The results are stark as seen below:
This study shows that many of the foods that we eat on a daily basis contain less minerals than they used to.
2. The recommended daily allowance is based on the average person
The NRV (nutrient reference value) or RDA (recommended daily allowance), a measure of the ideal intake of a particular nutrient, is based on a panel of average individuals. It is fair to assume that people who regularly undertake strenuous physical activities are probably more likely to be on the upper limits of the RDA. Here at Reflex Nutrition, we produce products that often contain ingredients that might exceed the NRV, but the important fact is that we never exceed the recognised Safe Intake level where concerns of toxicity or lack of non-incremental benefit exist.
What to consider when selecting a multivitamin
So, given some of the reasons for supplementing your diet with multivitamins, here’s what you should consider when selecting a multivitamin. Firstly, not all minerals are created the same. For example, there are different forms of minerals and those differences are significant. For example, any oxide form of mineral will be far less capable of being absorbed by the body than a chelated form. The chelated form relates specifically to the mineral being bonded to an amino acid, which means that it becomes far easier for the body to utilise. It is also true of other forms of minerals. So, if you see an oxide form on the ingredient list, remember that your body’s ability to make use of it is very compromised. Secondly, another consideration is that friendly bacteria (pro-biotic) is only a positive thing if it is allowed to work. The friendly bacteria that we use are enteric coated which means that the bacteria can pass through the harsh stomach acid environment and reach the intestine intact, where they can start to activate.
What’s the difference between Reflex Nutrition’s Nexgen and Nexgen Pro?
Because we use the chelated form of minerals and enteric coated friendly bacteria, you may have decided that Nexgen is for you. But, which kind? Broadly speaking Nexgen is intended for most people, whereas the Pro variant is formulated for those people who are undertaking strenuous activities on a regular basis. Therefore, from an ingredient perspective, Nexgen Pro has higher dosages of many of the ingredients. Either way, they both make use of the same branded ingredients and the same capsule technology, so if you decide that you want a multivitamin the only decision you need to make is whether you go for Nexgen or Nexgen Pro.
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