Why Your Multivitamin Supplement May Be Causing Nutritional Deficiencies

The reason why some studies show that multivitamins don’t work is that they aren’t formulated correctly and they may not contain exactly what they say they have in them.

The process of creating a multivitamin is an analytical one subject to mistakes on the part of the developer. If the developer doesn’t have a background in nutrition but only has a scientific background, they will make mistakes in the formulation. It’s inevitable.

When I see patients for nutritional consultations, I ask them to bring in their supplements so we can determine if their current supplements may be used in their protocol. That’s when I have the chance to evaluate dozens of supplements. What I’ve found is that there are several different reasons for discounting a supplement. Here are a few of them:

1. Not enough of a vitamin

It must be difficult for a vitamin and mineral manufacturer to determine who their real market is. Every single person on the planet has a completely different nutritional fingerprint. Many are low in vitamin D but some may be adequate. Most people who are at their limit for stress are low in B vitamins and zinc yet some people have learned how to handle stress well and don’t have this issue.

Recently, supplement companies have started a new line of thinking – that beta-carotene is more important than vitamin A. Instead of the usual 5000 IU vitamin A with added beta-carotene, they’re skimping on the vitamin A and only providing about 20% of that 5000 IU coming from vitamin A, and 80% is from beta-carotene. This is a good way to induce a vitamin A deficiency over time, as many people especially diabetics cannot convert the beta-carotene to vitamin A.

Companies skimping on vitamin A will generally also skimp on biotin. Over 50% of the multivitamins and minerals on the market only provide 10% to 30% of the biotin content needed. It’s probably a cost issue, but whatever the reason, it can result in you developing a deficiency.

Supplement companies go for the average consumer, expecting that most of their levels are already adequate. However, if your needs are greater, you won’t get the level of vitamins you need in a multivitamin.

2. Not enough of a mineral

The same thing is true of the minerals. Many people, especially women, are low in iron, but iron can be toxic to some people who have hemosiderosis, an iron-storing disease. So the company makes a decision to take out the iron just in case someone with hemosiderosis stumbles upon their supplement. The flaw in this thinking is that inevitably they are creating iron deficiencies in those who need it. Whatever you don’t provide in a supplement ends up becoming deficient in those who take the supplement.

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