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"WHY DO I WANT 200%, 500%, 1,000% OR MORE IN MY MULTI?"
DISCOVER WHY TAKING A “HIGH-POTENCY” MULTI-VITAMIN MAY BE WASTEFUL, COUNTER-EFFECTIVE & POTENTIALLY UNHEALTHY…AND…WHY IT MAY ALSO BE WORKING AGAINST YOU IN THE GYM…
Dear Barbell Club Member,
It’s well established that you should always try to get your nutrients – including vitamins & minerals – from whole foods…
However, for most, that simply isn’t realistic 100% of the time…
You likely do what many smart fitness & health conscious folks do – Try your best to eat right and take a daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement as “insurance” to fill in any possible gaps…
But, have you ever really thought about how you choose your multi?
The cheapest because it’s “better than nothing”?
The one with high potency? (Emerging research is now telling us this may NOT be the proper long-term strategy, read on…)
The best “profile”?
The multi the online shopping cart tells you to use when you’re checking out?
All of the above
Whatever your multi priorities are, what you’re about to read may help your future decisions…
VITAMER PRO™
We had trouble finding a multi on the market that we wanted to use…so, we developed two!
They're called Vitamer PRO™ and Vitamer PRO Hers. The formulas are based upon countless hours of R & D and review of emerging research…
When you sit back and think about it, multi’s are the most consumed supplement, yet, quite often, the least scrutinized…
It’s time for a deep dive into the supplement you take every day…
THE EVOLUTION OF MULTI-VITAMIN/MINERAL FORMULATIONS
Up until this point, the majority of Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Formulations touted an insanely high amount of specific ingredients - sometimes in the 1,000’s % of RDA…
Is More Even Better?
While these large numbers certainly sound good (“If some is good, more must be better – right?”), science is starting to tell us that may be wrong when it comes to micro-nutrients such as vitamins and minerals and potentially single vitamers…
It’s incorrect to think taking any multi – especially one containing obscenely high amounts of individual vitamins - can replace a good diet consisting of a variety of fruits and vegetables
No multi can do that…
The question you need to ask yourself is…
Does My Multi Complement My Diet Without Creating Problems?
Vitamer PRO™ was formulated to support you during times…
When your nutrient intake from food is on the lower end - It can help you get closer to or within acceptable ranges of daily requirements for most of the nutrients it contains.
Of higher nutrient intake from food - It can help round out your micro-nutrient intake without putting you at super high intake levels that may cause problems.
In other words – the goal of Vitamer PRO™ is to adjust to your lifestyle as multi's were originally intended to do!
While you may have a daily routine, certainly your life changes from week to week, month to month and year to year…
You eat more of certain foods at different times and also face additional challenges (often without warning)…
Your body is always trying to adapt so shouldn’t your multi help support your lifestyle instead of just throwing gasoline on the fire, so to speak, by providing a heaping amount of a few select vitamins and/or minerals?
QUANTIFIED VITAMERS - TRULY THE GAME CHANGER
OK, so it’s very clear by now we feel, based on the research we reviewed, that a proper multi should have amounts of various vitamins and minerals that allow you to stay within an acceptable range of intake without insanely high amounts of any one particular vitamin or mineral…
Now, on to phase 2…
This is where Vitamer Pro™ REALLY separates itself with great vitamin sources and specific Quantified Vitamers…
Vitamin & Vitamers
The word vitamin is often confused as being a particular molecule, but it is in fact a description of activity…
Vitamers are the molecules which have that activity…
In other words, vitamers have the vitamin activity or function…
Gamma-/Delta-/Alpha-Tocopherols
In recent times d-alpha-tocopherol (notice “d”, no “dl” as the “dl” is nowhere near as common as it once was) seems to be the most widely used form of Vitamin E in multis…
However, this approach is flawed as just using one vitamer is not how they are consumed in foods and may be creating an imbalance between the vitamers (This is starting to become a theme, isn’t it?)…
For example, d-alpha-tocopherol has been shown to deplete gamma-tocopherol in plasma and tissues with high consumption (1,2)…
This is yet another example where consuming one vitamer in excessive quantities may end up doing more harm than good…
Instead, one should try to consume a mixture of tocopherols, as close as possible to a mixture found in foods…
This would include consumption of not only alpha and gamma-tocopherol, but beta-* and delta-tocopherol as well…
For example, a 100 g serving of almonds can contain around 24.3 to 25.87 mg of alpha-tocopherol, < 0.5 mg of beta-tocopherol, 0.89 to 0.98 mg of gamma-tocopherol and < 0.5 mg of delta-tocopherol (3,4).
Mega-dosing with these vitamers is also a bad choice, as is the case with any vitamin or mineral…
Instead, we must attempt to truly supplement the diet, not replace or exceed realistic intake levels…
For example, even those products that contain 200 IU of alpha-tocopherol (equivalent to 134 mg alpha-tocopherol) would require one to consume around three quarters to over 1 lb. of even some of the richest sources of the vitamin, including almonds (4)…
I don’t know anyone who eats a pound of almonds a day, do you?
Clearly, even when those people in the U.S. who are in the 90th percentile for vitamin E consumption from food sources are only consuming around 10-11 mg (5,6), supplementing with large doses of vitamin E seems excessive …
The goal should be to reach an adequate level, not consume excessive quantities that may provide no greater benefit and may actually be harmful…
Vitamer PRO™ is the only multi we know of that lists how much Gamma-, Delta- and Alpha-Tocopherols it contains!
Alpha-/Beta-Carotene/Lutein/Zeaxanthin/Lycopene
It’s likely that you’ve heard beta-carotene being praised, such as early observational data showing an association between high beta-carotene levels and good health, as well as an association between low beta-carotene levels and poor health (7)…
It was because of this observation that some speculated that supplementing with beta-carotene could produce positive effects upon health…
Since that early observational data, interventional studies using mega-doses of beta-carotene either failed to show a positive benefit or, in some instances, showed detrimental effects upon health which some scientists have indicated may be a result of the excessively high doses used in such studies (7)…
While such results are not definitive, we again believe it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid using excessively high amounts of beta-carotene...
Yet, another example of more NOT necessarily being better…
Aside from the notion that high carotenoid (and other micronutrients) plasma levels may simply be a marker of good health (e.g., indicative of high consumption of fruits and vegetables and perhaps associated with other positive lifestyle factors), rather than the cause of it, some have also hypothesized that this discrepancy may be due to the high doses of beta-carotene used, possibly causing suppression of other carotenoid levels in tissues (7,8)…
Clearly, it doesn't appear to be optimal for your daily multi to contain obscenely high amounts…
Luckily, Vitamer PRO™ has you covered…
Eating foods like fruits and vegetables provides carotenoids in a mixed fashion, with several, not simply one such as beta-carotene (9,10)…
While nothing will replace the consumption of fruits and vegetables, a multi-vitamin should attempt to be representative of what is found in healthful foods…
For example, a carrot contains beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lutein (9)…
When it comes to a multi-vitamin/mineral formula, it’s just as important to include supplemental amounts that are helpful for those that may not eat the best diet, yet this formula shouldn’t contain excessive quantities which could be harmful…
Vitamer PRO™ includes beta and alpha carotene as well as lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene!
A Good Multi Should Be Graded On What It Has, But Also On What It Doesn’t Have
Chromium
Vitamer PRO™ chooses to exclude chromium in the formulation as the available data indicate that net chromium balance is maintained with exercise, because while an increase chromium excretion is seen, a compensatory increase in absorption also occurs (11)…
In addition, some scientists have expressed concern that the form of chromium used in supplements may lead to accumulation in the body, while others have noted that it may possess potential genotoxic effects (12-14)…
Furthermore, some scientists have called into question the entire notion that chromium is an essential trace element for humans, arguing that such a notion is based upon flawed animal data (15-18)…
Iron
Vitamer PRO™ does not include iron in its men’s formulation as the average intake for individuals in the U.S. generally exceeds the recommended intake level for men while even those in the lower percentiles may still meet requirements or consume close to or slightly less than the recommended intake level depending upon the survey analyzed (5,6)…
Furthermore, the lack of evidence showing a need for iron supplementation in resistance training men and the potential for increased risk of certain diseases with excessive iron intake, led us to conclude that supplemental iron wasn’t a proper addition to a men’s multivitamin formula (19-24)…
While exercise training is known to reduce serum ferritin (blood iron) levels in men with normal levels, levels generally still remain in the normal range (19)…
In addition, a recent study found that in recreationally active men, a 37 mg dose of elemental iron led to greater oxidative stress from exercise-induced muscle damage (25)…
Iron & Women
With respect to women who menstruate regularly and thus lose blood regularly, they may benefit from a reasonable amount of iron included in a multivitamin/mineral supplement, especially when considering their higher iron requirements compared to men (24)…
While a diet rich in iron is always preferable to supplementation, some may not consume sufficient quantities…
This is why iron is included in Vitamer PRO™ for Women…
It’s important to note that because different variables can alter iron status, women using any iron-containing supplement should be monitored regularly by their physician to determine the adequacy of iron intake (21,24,26,27)…
Why Doesn’t Vitamer PRO™ Contain Calcium?
While some individuals could use additional calcium in their diet, Vitamer PRO™ doesn’t include supplemental calcium (with the exception of very small amounts of calcium salt for some vitamins in the formula) as there has recently been some controversy in the scientific community as to whether or not supplemental calcium is a proper choice for everyone…
Therefore, until this matter is cleared up, individuals not currently meeting the RDA for calcium should discuss with their physician…
“I’m An Athlete - I Workout A Lot So I Want Very High Amounts Of Vitamins To Replace What I Sweat Out!”
While it’s true that some vitamin and mineral losses can occur in the sweat, these amounts are often rather small and do not justify using mega-doses of vitamins and minerals…
Vitamin B6 makes for an excellent example, as many multi-vitamin products on the market have very large quantities of this vitamin…
Yet, even in athletes who have run a marathon only lost an average of approximately 1 mg! (28)
Thus, very little is needed to replace possible losses even from extremely exhaustive exercise and doesn’t warrant mega-dosing…
Similar results have been shown for various elements including zinc, iron and copper, where sweat losses are typically only a small percentage of the RDA (29-31).
The research simply doesn’t support the need for athletes to consume extra vitamins & minerals if they’re on a well-balanced diet with sufficient calories (32)…
Large quantities of vitamins/minerals do not seem to impart any benefit with respect to exercise performance when compared with a normal intake (32)…
Furthermore, while not a universal finding (33), excessive intakes of some vitamins may actually reduce some of the adaptive effects of exercise, although some have characterized these effects as “minimal” (34)...
It appears that whether such supplementation, helps, hinders or does neither may depend upon many variables such as the type of training and the individual...
Nonetheless, the chronic consumption of a high-dose of some antioxidant vitamins (e.g., in a multivitamin) for all individuals without any other consideration is unwarranted...
Experts have generally recommended against such supplementation and have instead recommended the consumption of antioxidant rich foods (33,35)…
Top 5 Reasons Why Vitamer PRO™ Should Be Your Multi
1. Amounts Based On Estimated Intake Levels
The goal is to help support you to get in or closer to range for most nutrients (that it contains) if you’re low and not send you skyrocketing over range if you’re already there.
2. Quantified Vitamers
Gamma-/Delta-/Alpha-Tocopherols
Alpha-/Beta-Carotene
3. No Iron (for men), Chromium or Calcium
Vitamer PRO™ is good for what it doesn’t contain as well as for what it does contain.
4. Simple To Take - 3 capsules per day for men – 2 for women!
No horse pills or packs of pills!
5. No Haphazard Mega-Dosing
Yes, the research is in its early stages, but why take the risk?
OK, OK, THERE’S NO QUESTION - VITAMER PRO™ SOUNDS AWESOME – AND EXPENSIVE - HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
As you’re certainly aware, you can buy a very cheap multi or you can buy a premium, higher-cost multi…
Heck, you can buy just about everything in between as well!
…Clearly, Vitamer PRO™ was not developed to be a cheap “throw-in” multi…
However, we wanted to develop the best possible multi we could without breaking the bank…
The product was developed with the following idea in mind…
“A Buck A Day”
We figured that you’d gladly pay $1 a day for a “smart” multi, especially after learning what the mega-dose “bull-in-a-china-shop” multi’s may be doing to your body…
Each bottle of Vitamer PRO™ is a 30-day supply…
It’s easy to take at just 3 capsules per day for men and 2 capsules per day for women…
No horse pills, no huge packs of pills, no nasty teeth-staining powders…
P.S. Seriously, ask “WHY such high amounts?” – The only science you’ll get is bro-science…
P.P.S. If you take even one more serving of your current “High Potency” multi then you clearly haven’t read a single word of this letter!
P.P.P.S. Why no MK-4 you ask? Well, for several reasons…
First, vitamin K1, the vitamer found in plants, is less likely to be consumed in the diet if one isn’t consuming a diet which has sufficient intake of vegetables. MK-4, on the other hand is commonly found in various foods, and even in diets of those who don’t consume a proper diet…
For example, MK-4 is found at concentrations of 10.6 mcg per 100 g of chicken nuggets. That's right, chicken nuggets...
It’s also found in cheddar cheese and whole fried eggs at 10.2 and 9 mcg/100 grams, respectively. Barbecued chicken contains around 22.1 mcg/100 grams (36).
Second, There’s No Relevant Data Regarding Testosterone Production
Some manufacturers have begun using MK-4 as a source of vitamin K, claiming it may help boost testosterone levels in men based upon a study in rats…
The problem is that the amount used in the study would likely require very high milligram quantities (37)…
No multivitamin product on the market would likely contain sufficient quantities for this to be feasible in humans. In addition, the study required in vitro concentrations in the high micromolar range, whereas human bioavailability studies failed to show any detectable level of MK-4 after a 420 mcg serving was consumed (38).
Why No Molybdenum?
Available data indicate that most individuals in the United States already consume more than enough molybdenum than is required for essential functions, making supplementation unnecessary (39).
Why no Boron?
We do not include boron because as noted by the Institute of Medicine, it is not considered an essential nutrient as there “has yet to establish a clear biological function for boron in humans.” (40).
*While the raw material used for the mixed tocopherols in the formula should contain beta-tocopherol, the amount in Vitamer PRO would likely be extremely small and thus it is not quantified.
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