We have all heard about the importance of eating a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet rich with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts and while it is true we should all try to fulfill our nutrient requirements through our diet, the fact is that the typical American diet does not meet this need. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that, “surveys indicate that only 33 percent of adults meet the recommendation for fruit consumption and 27 percent get the recommended servings of vegetables.” The ideal diet is not always feasible in our fast paced society and it is extremely difficult for even the most health conscious individuals to get all the nutrients they need from diet alone. Fast food and processed foods (which contain trace amounts of nutrients at best), cooking (which depletes nutrients in most vegetables), along with the “dilution effect” of modern crops (mass produced crops which are grown faster and larger in soil devoid of important nutrients)-leaves us needing a vitamin to supplement our nutritional paucity. In fact, the Council for Responsible Nutrition suggests that, “for millions of Americans who struggle with diet and nutrition, a daily multivitamin provides a safe, affordable and reliable means of filling nutrition gaps and promoting overall health.”

So what should one look for in a vitamin? There are two distinctly different types of vitamins on the market: Whole Food Vitamins and Synthetic Vitamins. Whole food vitamins are concentrated whole foods derived from plant and animal sources and contain vitamins that are not isolated or fragmented; as compared to synthetic vitamins, which are isolated nutrients. It is the complex structure of the whole food that provides its beneficial activity. The majority of synthetic vitamins are chemical compounds that are not found in nature and do not contain all the constituents that a natural or whole food contains, thus removing its synergistic effect. Synergy means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, indicating whole food supplements contain all the natural constituents of a vitamin complex as it is found in nature and these parts work together to deliver the most beneficial effects. Nutritionist Judith DeCava explains it perfectly, “separating the group of compounds (in a vitamin complex) converts it from a physiological, biochemical, active micronutrient into a disabled, debilitated chemical of little or no value to living cells. The synergy is gone.” Our bodies have been designed from the beginning to absorb nutrients from whole foods and when we take an isolated fraction of a nutrient at extremely high doses it is more like taking a drug than a vitamin.

While it is still important to follow a balanced diet, exercise program and drink plenty of water; it is also important to make sure you are fulfilling your daily nutrient needs and a vitamin supplement is a wonderful and convenient way to do this. When choosing a vitamin be sure to read the labels carefully and try to choose one that is as close as possible to its natural form (whole food source) and is free of artificial colors, additives and preservatives.