Vitamin mineral supplements

The majority of mineral vitamin supplements are made from chemicals rather than natural substances. However, there is a steady growth in the demand for natural mineral vitamin supplements. This is due to the amount of debate that there is as to whether chemical mineral vitamins can be more harmful than beneficial in the long term, and the trend toward more natural and healthy food products. This explains the massive popularity of new finds such as Acai berry supplements and juices, which are unusually high in natural vitamins and give the body a boost of nutrition – they pack a powerful punch and have no harmful side effects.

The fact is that chemical mineral vitamin supplements are not as easily absorbed as normal food particles are. The mineral vitamin industry, thankfully, is constantly striving to create products that are more easily processed by the body and therefore more beneficial. Every now and then the industry comes up with a new ‘more bio-available’ form of a vitamin or mineral.

A large number of vitamin supplements have been developed that combine other elements with the vitamins and minerals to enable them to be more easily absorbed by the body. Iron, for example, is commonly combined to form iron gluconate which enables it to be more absorbable.

The amount of a actual nutrients in a vitamin and mineral supplement needs to be far greater than it would be in a more natural form, for the body to be able to absorb the amount required. This can obviously lead to a dangerous or unbalanced level of a particular nutrient, if a supplement is being consumed in large doses. It is therefore extremely important to limit and balance the vitamins and minerals you sullpement with, and to seek the advice of a health professional. It is also worth being aware of the developments in the mineral vitamin supplement industry as there are constantly new and better combinations being developed.

One method that mineral and vitamin manufacturers have developed to help aid absorption is the culturing of raw materials with yeast cells. This form of mineral vitamins are known as ‘food state’ and are up to four times easier for the body to absorb the required nutrients as the yeast is completely digested. You will, for instance, find many shake and meal replacements with this ‘food state’ form.

Of course, the need for mineral vitamin supplements depends on one’s diet, lifestyle, fitness level and personal goals and needs. There is no doubt that it is far more preferrable for a person to obtain the nutrients they require from their food, rather than by taking mineral and vitamin supplements. However, during certain periods it may be necessary for a person to take mineral vitamin supplements on a temporary basis.

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