Mother's Little Helpers

MOTHER'S LITTLE HELPERS
OUR ON-CALL HOLISTIC HEALTH COUNSELOR KELLY SCOTTI SORTS THROUGH THE
BRAVE NEW WORLD OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS AND DOLES OUT THE DISH ON
THE ONES YOU SHOULD BE POPPING

mothers little helpers

Thanks to the excessive use of fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides,
inadequate crop rotation, poor soil quality and the average 1500
miles that foods travel from farm to plate, the whole foods we eat
today are much less nutritious than those grown 50 years ago. So
even if we were eating an ideal diet, unless its 100% organic and
locally grown, it’s a safe bet to say that some form of supplementation
is needed in our diets.

But how do groovy parents know what supplements are best for their family? And how do they confirm that supplements, which are largely unregulated, contain what they say they do and have quality ingredients?

My first piece of advice is to put your concerns about cost aside. Yes, you want to find the best quality supplements for the lowest price, but you do not want to buy the cheapest supplements on the shelf. In fact, most of the cheaper vitamins use the lowest quality ingredients and are formulated under high pressure and heat, which can further compromise the integrity of the ingredients. The quality and type of ingredients in the supplement also affect how the body assimilates the nutrients into the body. Most times, the lower the quality of the supplement, the lower the assimilation of all the nutrients in the body. For some supplements, no more than two to ten percent of the nutrients are absorbed by the body and the rest are excreted. That makes for a very expensive cheap supplement. Additionally, in lower quality supplements, synthetic ingredients are often used and this, too, affects assimilation.

QUALITY CONTROL: TIPS FOR ASSURING YOUR VITAMINS MAKE THE GRADE
	Look for pharmaceutical grade supplements (or pharmaceutical GMP compliance).
	If the supplement is in capsule form, choose a brand which uses vegetarian capsules.
	Try to be conscious of the additional ingredients that are used in the formulation. Avoid any supplement that has high fructose corn syrup, or added sugars, etc.
	Make sure the products you buy have expiration dates and has not yet expired.
	Buy products that contain organic ingredients and that have no genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
	Look for certification seals from NSF (www.nsf.org), USP (www.usp.org), Consumer Labs (www.consumerlabs.com) or the Natural Nutritional Foods Association (www.nnfa.org). These are independent, non-biased groups that assess the quality of supplements. Please note, however, that certification by these groups doesn't necessarily confirm that these supplements are safe and effective.
	Most times, higher quality supplements will be big pills and will require that you swallow more than one pill per day in order to receive the adequate amounts of the nutrients and the full vitamin benefits.

POP LIFE: WHAT EXACTLY SHOULD I BE TAKING?
If you are eating a varied diet, and are in good health, and need something to cover the gaps in your diet, you can start by adding a whole food concentrate supplement or multivitamin, high grade fish oil, probiotics and a B complex. The fish oil adds beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids and the probiotics promote healthy intestinal flora. B complex can help with carbohydrate metabolism, hormonal issues including PMS, brain function and more.

For children, Omega 3 essential fatty acids are very important, as they are directly linked to healthy brain function. Vitamin C is important for those kids that don’t like to eat their fruits or veggies and a B complex is helpful, especially if your kids live on sugar and starch, which can deplete the body of B vitamins. I also give my son a high quality MVI (he loves Rainbow Lights chewable NutriStars) and an Echinacea and Astragulus herbal remedy that helps with his immune functioning.

LEADER OF THE PACK: WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A MULTIVITAMIN
In my practice, I normally recommend a high quality whole foods-based concentrate instead of a multivitamin. The concentrate includes all the required minerals and vitamins, working synergistically for greater absorption in the body, as well as additional ingredients like freeze dried fruits and vegetables (or powder), spirulina, digestive enzymes and more. Though these types of supplements can be expensive, they are well-rounded and, thus, take away the need for a multitude of daily supplements, which can actually reduce your daily supplement expenditure.

If you would prefer to take a regular multivitamin, be sure to choose a product containing a wide range of carotenoids, including beta-carotene (which is converted by the body to vitamin A), alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Your body also needs calcium (at least 1000mg/1gm, taken in two or three split doses for best absorption), vitamin C, vitamin E (containing d-alpha-tocopherol or mixed tocopherol), folic acid (folate), vitamin D, B complex (thiamin, biotin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and B12-6mcg), magnesium, and trace minerals, such as selenium, chromium, iodine and zinc.

For additional information regarding the recommend daily intake (RDI) of specific supplements and their benefits,
you can visit the following sites:
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html
www.supplementwatch.com/suplib/
nutrition.about.com/od/nutrientglossary/index.htm
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/etext/000105.html
www.realtime.net/anr/vitamins.html
www.evitamins.com/vitaminindex.asp

For a list of medicine interactions with vitamins and herbs, please go to www.vitacost.com/science/hn/Index/Drug.htm

Kelly Scotti, HHC, is the Founder and Director of Flying Dragon Wellness, www.flyingdragonwellness.com, a nutrition and wellness counseling practice in Bucks County, Pa. She's Board Certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, and obtained her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC. She and her husband also run an online baby boutique for boys, www.ohboybabyboutique.com. For more information, or to schedule a consultation, please email Kelly at flyingdragonwellness@yahoo.com.