Some exciting research came to light recently that highlights the power of multivitamins. We’re firm believers in preventative dosages of vitamins and minerals here at the Finchley Clinic, and always have been. Many of us live on diets that don’t reach anywhere near the official recommendations for vitamin or mineral levels, and most people will consider a multivitamin only if they’re pregnant or feeling under the weather. But we believe that even the nationally recommended guidelines for vitamin dosage fall far short of the levels we truly need for optimal health.
A study published in The Journal of Nutrition in March 2015 followed almost 9,000 participants for close on twenty years to find out whether multivitamin usage contributed to a healthy heart. They found some interesting results: women who took multivitamin-mineral supplements for at least three years did indeed experience a 35% lower risk of dying from heart disease.
There are a few important keywords here. “Mineral” is one: only participants who took mineral supplements as well as vitamins received the benefits. So while vitamins are important, we can’t neglect the role of minerals in our diets. They work in tandem to keep us healthy, and one without the other is likely to be substantially less effective in filling the gaps in our nutrition.
The second thing to gain from this study is that participants had to take supplements over an extended period to receive the full benefits. We sell a lot of products to which this applies, including our ranges of oxygenation and ozonation products. We tell all our customers not to expect immediate results, but rather a gradually improved quality of life over a long course of the product. A multivitamin is not a magic quick fix and it’s not a medicine. It’s simply a way of giving your body the full range of nutrients it needs to function properly. If you got these nutrients through your diet, you’d be getting regular doses of them throughout your life – so why should a multivitamin be any different?
Several other studies have borne out the link between long-term supplementing of certain minerals and vitamins, and better overall health. The America Heart Journal found that every 20 µmol/L increase in plasma vitamin C levels was associated with a 9% decrease in deaths from heart disease. A US report by CRN found that supplementing with psyllium husk, magnesium and other nutrients at preventative levels could save their health system billions each year in unnecessary medical intervention5. That’s something our battered NHS would certainly appreciate.
The best way to keep your health in check is to fuel your body with high quality, organic foods – but unless you watch your diet closely, it’s unlikely that you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals for your body to function at its peak. There’s no point in life at which you won’t benefit from boosting your vitamin and mineral levels. Young, old, pregnant, sick, healthy – whatever your status, you have nothing to lose.
