The year was 2002 when the American Medical Association (AMA) reversed its stance regarding the use of vitamin supplements and advised every American to take at least one multi-vitamin a day! For the previous 20 years, the AMA had promoted an official anti-vitamin-supplement policy and offered their scorn to those who suggested that vitamin supplementation offered any health benefits.

Their 2002 announcement was vindication for the many health professionals who had advocated the use of vitamin supplements while for years enduring the criticism of the U.S. health establishment. Finally, the AMA was admitting that the American diet alone does not provide adequate nutrition for optimum health. However, their announcement stopped short of explaining what the true role of vitamin supplements should be.

Vitamin Amounts – How Much Is Enough?

Data compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that a minimum of 40% of the American population consumes a diet that provides only 60% of the RDA of ten selected nutrients. This means that half (maybe more) of the U.S. population has a deficiency of at least one vitamin. Now, this by itself sounds startling, but consider this.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration established the RDAs to give guidance for the avoidance of the symptoms of deficiency diseases. For example, the RDA of 60 mg. for vitamin C is the daily amount needed to avoid the symptoms of diseases like beriberi or scurvy. The RDA of 60 mg. is not the amount of vitamin C needed for optimal bodily function. Health professionals routinely recommend a minimum daily intake of 1,000 mg. of vitamin C and 3,000 – 5,000 mg. daily is common.

The RDA for vitamin B-1 is 1.5 mg.; amounts of 50 – 100 mg. daily are recommended by health professionals. The RDA for vitamin B-6 is 2 mg.; amounts of 50 – 100 mg daily are recommended. The RDA for vitamin B-12 is 6 mcg.; amounts of 200 – 400 mcg. daily are recommended.

A similar finding is true for all the RDA amounts established for vitamins and mineral supplements. This means that an ordinary OTC “multi-vitamin” promoting the old RDAs will offer only minimal benefits. When you select a multiple-vitamins supplement, you will want to choose one that offers a high enough daily dosage to provide nutrient amounts that enable good health.

Before using any supplements, you should consult with your doctor or health care professional, but here is a partial list of nutrient amounts you can use as a guide: Vitamin A (5,000 to 10,000 I.U.), Vitamin B-1 (50 – 100 mg.), Vitamin B-2 (15 – 50 mg.), Vitamin B-3 (15 – 50 mg.), Vitamin B-5 (50 – 100 mg.), Vitamin B-6 (50 – 100 mg.), Vitamin B-12 (200 – 400 mcg.), Biotin (400 – 800 mcg.), Choline (50 – 200 mg.), Folic Acid (400 – 800 mcg.), Inositol (50 – 200 mg.), PABA (10 50 mg.), Vitamin C (1,000 – 3,000 mg.), Vitamin D-3 (400 I.U.), Vitamin E (200 – 400 I.U.), Vitamin K (100 – 500 mcg.).

Natural Vitamins or Synthetic?

You will find that vitamin supplements are divided into two groups: synthetic and natural. The synthetic vitamins are produced in laboratories from isolated chemicals and mirror their counterparts found in nature.

Natural vitamins are derived from food sources. Chemically, there may be no difference, but synthetic vitamins contain only the isolated vitamin while natural supplements may contain other synergistic nutrients not yet discovered.

Generally, it is believed that synthetic and natural vitamins perform the same, but two noted exceptions are vitamins D and E. The synthetic forms are different than their natural counterparts. Most health care professionals recommend only the natural forms of these two vitamins. Natural vitamin D is identified as Vitamin D-3 and Natural Vitamin E is identified as d-alpha (not dl-alpha) tocopherol.

Synthetic supplements may also contain coal tars, artificial coloring, preservatives, sugars, and starch and other harmful additives. You should also be aware that a supplement may be labeled “natural” and still have these harmful additives. Read labels carefully.

Vitamins found in nature do not exist in free form. They are protein-bonded. Nutritional studies have revealed that protein-bonded vitamins, such as found in whole food supplements, are best absorbed, utilized and retained in body tissues better than vitamins that are not protein-bonded. Vitamins and minerals found in food are bonded to proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and bioflavonoids. Chemically derived vitamins are not protein-bonded.

What About Minerals?

Excesses of isolated vitamins or minerals can cause the same symptoms as the deficiency of vitamins or minerals. Therefore, having the correct balance of vitamins and minerals is very important.

It is best to select a broad spectrum multi-vitamins / minerals supplement because there is a cooperative action between certain vitamins and minerals. For example, the following shows the relationship between a listed vitamin and the nutrient(s) required for assimilation: Vitamin A (plus choline, essential fatty acids, vitamin C, D and E), Vitamin B complex (plus calcium, vitamin C and E), Vitamin B6 (plus potassium, vitamin B complex, vitamin C). You can buy the vitamin and supplement from Pharmas

Many women are either confused about what to look for in fertility vitamins or they don’t see the need to take vitamins at all. Let me take some time to explain why vitamin supplements are necessary in order to increase your fertility as well as why prenatal vitamins are necessary prior to and during pregnancy for you and your unborn child. Most women don’t get the vitamins and minerals needed from the food they eat from day to day. We would have to eat a whole lot of fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains in order to get the balance of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to thrive and be our healthiest.

Women’s vitamins are especially important when a woman is trying to conceive and during pregnancy. These are specifically called prenatal vitamins.

Prenatal vitamins supply a rich assortment of vitamins and minerals to help a woman conceive and bring forth a healthy baby. These vitamins and minerals are necessary to help keep our hormones balanced and our nervous system running smoothly as well as keeping all our organs functioning optimally.

Let me stress – We all need to take a multivitamin and multi mineral supplement to make up for what is lacking in the food we eat. Even the best diet in the world will not give you all the nutrients you need for your best chance at getting pregnant and bringing forth an optimally healthy child.

So what do you look for? What are the qualities of the best fertility vitamins and prenatal vitamin supplements?

Well, I’m no expert. But I can tell you what I took that helped me to be more fertile and energetic and have a trouble-free pregnancy. I looked into several prenatal vitamins before choosing what I believe to be the best multi vitamin supplement that’s all natural and made from organically-grown plant compounds (see below). The other prenatal vitamins were synthetically made with artificial coloring.

I also ate lots of fruits and vegetables and drank a lot of purified water. (See my Preconception page for more on this.) Make sure your multivitamin has at least 400 mcg of folic acid (I took 800 mcg daily) in order to prevent neural tube defects in your unborn baby. This neural tube develops within the first month of life, so it’s important to get enough folic acid before you get pregnant.

* Remember that even the best multi vitamin supplement won’t replace eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, grains, meats, and drinking lots of purified water. Both a healthy diet and a great multi vitamin supplement are needed to increase your fertility and ensure that you have a healthy pregnancy.

Our bodies are living organisms that need a constant supply of essential nutrients in order to generate new cells, ward off disease, and remain healthy. When we take a multivitamin supplement it makes up for the nutrients we don’t get from the food we eat.
Do I need take a supplement?
Theoretically, a balanced diet will provide with essential nutrients. In reality it is hard to achieve.
These are days of multitasking. Unfortunately, it spares us little time to grab a nutritious bite and exercise. Stress takes its toll. Contrary to our belief we are not eating right , leave apart the exercise. Years of depletion have robbed our soil and consequently its produce of essential nutrients. Hence, we have to look for supplements to fill in those gaps.
Our bodies are living organism that need a constant supply of essential nutrients in order to generate new cells, ward off disease, and remain healthy. When we take a multivitamin supplement it makes up for the nutrients we don’t get from the foods we eat. If we are missing these nutrients we can build up deficiencies that can lead to all sorts of health problems- for example cardiovascular disease, problems with the immune system problem, even cancer.
Who needs supplement?
Recent research says that all adults and children can benefit from a multi-vitamin supplement.
Supplements help maintain health and vitality as age advances. Lactating mothers, adolescents and pregnant ladies need extra nutrition.
Our nutrition reserve often lacks in calcium, magnesium iron, zinc, copper and manganese. Iron deficiency is common in girls and ladies.
Smokers are low on Vitamin C.
Strict vegetarians and elderly people need to replenish B12 vitamin as it wards off anemia. Ladies on oral contraceptive pills and alcoholics are short on B and C vitamins.
Ladies should take a folic acid supplement before and during pregnancy to prevent birth defects.
People with kidney disorders have less of vitamin D in their system.
Multivitamin supplements contain several vitamins or minerals instead of only one vitamin or minerals. Some vitamin or minerals yield more benefits when they are taken together with some other vitamin or minerals.
For example

Vitamins C and E are more effective when taken together. Taking selenium increase the heart-healthy effects of vitamin E. Vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid are most beneficial when taken together. Calcium and magnesium work better when taken together. Supplements are extra to your nutrition and should remain that way.