Multi-vitamins & Multi-nutrients
Q: How many tablets or capsules will I need to take?
A: While a one-a-day multiple vitamin/mineral may appear convenient, it doesn’t provide all necessary nutrients at optimal amounts. A complete multiple vitamin/mineral formula requires a daily intake of a few tablets/capsules because useful amounts of all the important nutrients cannot fit into fewer pills. For example, an appropriate supplemental amount of calcium for some people may be 800 mg per day, an amount that alone requires a few tablets or capsules. In general, about six tablets or capsules are required to fit all that is in the one-per-day plus 800–1,000 mg of calcium, 350–500 mg of magnesium, and reasonable amounts of vitamin D, Boron and other nutrients which may assist with calcium absorption. With two to six per day multiples, intake of pills should be spread out over the day instead of taking them all at one sitting.
Q: Why are there large variations in the pricing of Vitamins and Supplements between various brands?
A: Every manufacturer determines individually the type of ingredients to include, the amounts of different ingredients and the inclusion of optional ingredients that may improve absorption. Tones Platinum is a premium range of supplements. We strive to produce formulae which are based on current trends and research as well as using high quality ingredients which produce the desired effect when taken. Most of our supplements include Bioperine ™, a patented extract of the Black pepper plant, which has thermogenic activity and has been shown in research to improve the absorption of vitamins, minerals and herbs by up to 60%.
Q: What type of supplement (capsule or tablet) should I take?
A: Multis are available as a powder inside a hard-shell pull-apart capsule, as a liquid inside a soft-gelatine capsule, or as a tablet. Most multis have all the ingredients mixed together. Sometimes the B vitamins react with the rest of the ingredients in the capsule or tablet. This reaction is sped up in the presence of moisture or heat and can cause the B vitamins to “leach” through the tablet or capsule, discolouring it and also making the multivitamin smell. While the multivitamin is still safe and effective, the smell can be off-putting and usually not well tolerated. Tablets or capsules that are kept dry and cool or Liquid multis in a soft-gel capsule — avoid this problem. Some individuals find capsules easier to swallow—capsules are often smaller than tablets.
Some individuals prefer vegetarian multivitamin/mineral supplements, which are easy to find in tableted products. While some capsules are made from vegetarian sources, most come from animal gelatine. Vegetarians need to carefully read the label to ensure they are getting a vegetarian product. Tones Platinum uses mostly vegetable capsules and we limit the use of animal products in our formulae so that most of the range is suitable for vegetarians. Tones Platinum Omega 3 Krill oil is an exception – Krill oil is extracted from Krill (a small crustacean like a shrimp). The capsule used is bovine gelatin which has been certified as Halaal Approved. We do not at this stage have Halaal endorsement for the finished product. Some people are concerned that tablets and capsules may not dissolve after they are swallowed. While this is an occasional problem with tablets containing certain calcium compounds, properly made tablets and capsules will both dissolve readily in the stomach.
Q: Are timed-release supplements better than regular supplements?
A: Some multis are in timed-release form. In theory, releasing vitamins and minerals slowly into the body over a period of time should be better than releasing all the nutrients at once. Except for studies with vitamin C—some of which do show timed-release C to be better absorbed than non-timed-release—research on this question has not yet resolved the issue. Staggering the dosage of supplements appears to allow for better absorption. In the case of Vitamin C, 500 mg capsules taken 1 or more hours apart, allows a greater percentage of absorption as opposed to one large single dose. With improper formulation, timed-release supplements could release too slowly for optimal absorption and as a result could possibly have inferior absorption to other products. At this point there is still no clear answer to which option – time release or regular – is best.
Q: Are chewable supplements a good choice?
A: Unfortunately, multis do not taste good. In order to make chewable multis palatable, some compromises are often made. First, bad-tasting ingredients (including important vitamins and minerals) must be reduced or eliminated. Second, the rest of the ingredients are generally masked with a sweetener. Unless an artificial sweetener such as aspartame (Nutri-Sweet®) or saccharine is used, the only sweeteners available are sugars. Most sugary sweeteners cause tooth decay, including table sugar, fructose, and honey. However, xylitol, a natural sugar rarely used in chewables (due to its cost), does not cause tooth decay or other known sweetener-related problems. Some chewables, such as vitamin C, contain more sugar than any other ingredient. While these products should list the sweetener as the first ingredient, they often don’t. Labels should be read carefully. If it tastes sweet, it may contain sugar or a synthetic sweetener.
Q: Is there a “right” time to take my multivitamin?
A: For a variety of reasons, the best time to take vitamins or minerals is with meals. Multivitamins taken between meals may cause an upset to the digestive system. Fat-soluble vitamins – like A,D,E and K—are likely to absorb better when taken with meals. Iron may be better absorbed if the meal it accompanies contains Vitamin C, fish, poultry, or meat. Grapeseed extract and tannins found in regular tea may reduce the absorption of Iron and so should not be taken simultaneously. Calcium and Magnesium when taken at night, may improve the quality of sleep.
Q: What is the difference between RDA, DV and Optimal Daily Intake?
A: Many terms are used when referring to either the amount of a particular nutrient (such as Iron or vitamin E) you should get or the amount contained in a serving of food or daily dose of dietary supplement. The two most common are the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and the Daily Value (DV). These terms can be confusing. RDAs are recommended daily intakes of a nutrient for healthy people. They tell you how much of that nutrient you should get on average each day. RDAs are developed by the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. They vary by age, gender and whether a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding; so there are many different RDAs for each nutrient. RDA’s are limited as they guide us on how much of a nutrient to consume to avoid severe deficiencies, they do not guide consumers on the use of higher levels of intake of different nutrients for optimal functioning of the individual. Not all nutrients have established RDA’s . DVs, established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are used on food and dietary supplement labels. For each nutrient, there is one DV for all people ages 4 years and older. Therefore, DVs aren’t recommended intakes, but suggest how much of a nutrient a serving of the food or supplement provides in the context of a total daily diet. DVs often match or exceed the RDAs for most people, but not in all cases. DVs are presented on food and supplement labels as a percentage. This allows consumers to compare products. As an example, the %DV for Vitamin C on a food label might say 50%. This means it has 30 mg (milligrams) of Vitamin C in one serving because the DV for Vitamin C is 60 mg/day. If another food has 200% of the DV for Vitamin C, it’s obvious it provides much more than the first food.
Q: How do I know that what is claimed on the label is in fact inside each capsule or tablet?
A: Tones Platinum (Pty)Ltd chooses to use manufacturers that are GMP and Medicine Control Council (MCC) approved. GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practice. This is a stringent set of conditions for manufacturers, which when followed, ensure the standards of manufacture and the methods used are reliable and consistent. Each batch is followed from the procurement of raw materials through to the final product release, at each stage of manufacture checks are made on ingredients (Certificate of Analysis), hygiene, equipment and final product. Manufacturers that use GMP as a standard are certified and inspected. If GMP procedures are ignored the manufacturer can lose it’s MCC licence.
