# Multivitamins?



## 2bnormal (Feb 20, 2015)

So, I have been thinking about taking a multi-vitamin. However, I want it to be the right one and not cause more problems.

In my research I came across these two articles:

http://paleoedge.com/best-worst-multi-vitamins-athletes/

http://paleoedge.com/how-to-make-your-own-multivitamin-with-food/

I especially found the "How to make your own vitamins" article very interesting. The last half of the article list deficiency symptoms for magnesium, vitamin C, etc. and I can see some possible correlations between IBS/GERD symptoms. I, personally, can definitely relate to one or more symptoms on each of the lists, but especially the symptoms for magnesium deficiency. I would be curious to hear other people's thoughts on this.

What are your thoughts on multi-vitamins versus getting your nutrients from foods?

Is one multi-vitamin the way to go or is it better to do like these articles recommend and pick and choose?

For many of us it isn't possible to get all the necessary nutrients from our food, so in that case, how do you make sure you are getting all the right nutrients?


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## jaumeb (Sep 1, 2014)

I am not using any multi-vitamin. I think I read something about them in Aglaee's book.


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## Amanda Nicole (Jul 14, 2013)

I'm a proponent of getting nutrients through food whenever possible. However, there are certain nutrients that are more difficult to get through food in quantities needed to prevent deficiency symptoms. Magnesium (Mg) is one of those nutrients. In the case of Mg, soils are getting more and more depleted in Mg because many commercial farmers don't add Mg back in to the soil (and, in the case of non-organic produce, pesticides/herbicides bind Mg, preventing it from being used). There are also tons of things that interfere with Mg absorption (and tons of things that increase your need for Mg).

I'm not a huge fan of multivitamins because they often don't contain optimal levels of nutrients (nutrient needs will vary from person to person). Also, many of the typical drugstore multivitamins tend to include forms of nutrients that are not very well absorbed (such as synthetic forms that require your body to convert those to active forms that can actually be used). A lot of typical multivitamins tend to contain dyes and fillers and may include nutrients that were derived from less-than-ideal sources (though, this can also be said about supplements in general -- do your research before purchasing any supplement). Some nutrients don't play nice with each other and the body will end up utilizing more of one than the other. AND there are certain nutrients that a lot of people end up getting more than enough of through food sources alone. I prefer supplementing with what's actually needed vs. going with a multi.

(It's usually best to work with a functional dietitian to figure out what's needed to supplement, since some nutrients have special considerations, such as needing certain co-factors in certain amounts for absorption, and unless you know the ins and outs of all of that, you could be doing more harm than good.)

One other thing to consider is that, in the case of IBS, absorption of nutrients is often impaired... just because you're exposing yourself to various nutrients does not mean that your body is actually absorbing them and using them. I get all of my clients tested to figure out the level of inflammation their bodies are experiencing in the presence of various foods and chemicals, then I place them on customized anti-inflammatory eating plans. This reduces IBS symptoms AND other inflammatory symptoms, plus it improves absorption of nutrients so that the body can make better use of nutrients in food (and supplements, if needed).


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## 2bnormal (Feb 20, 2015)

Thanks Jaumeb and Mandynic, for the input.

Jaumeb, Who is Agalee? What information did the book provide about multi-vitamins?

Manynic, I'm not working with a dietitian, my GI doctor basically gave me some info on FODMAPs and told me he would assume all is well unless he heard from me again. (My symptoms are not as severe as some)

I'm not sure who in my area would do the sort of testing you refer to. Would any dietitian do this or just certain ones? What would I need to ask for?


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## jaumeb (Sep 1, 2014)

2bnormal said:


> Jaumeb, Who is Agalee? What information did the book provide about multi-vitamins?


Aglaee Jacob is a nutritionist. If I remember correctly, she advices against multi-vitamins, as in some cases they can be detrimental for sensitive people and cause problems instead of solving them.


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## Amanda Nicole (Jul 14, 2013)

2bnormal said:


> Manynic, I'm not working with a dietitian, my GI doctor basically gave me some info on FODMAPs and told me he would assume all is well unless he heard from me again. (My symptoms are not as severe as some)
> 
> I'm not sure who in my area would do the sort of testing you refer to. Would any dietitian do this or just certain ones? What would I need to ask for?


Yeah, many GI docs (and mainstream dietitians, for that matter) tend to push FODMAPs because they generally don't know any better (I wrote a blog post about FODMAPs a while back that specifies why I'm not a fan of that approach - http://getwellified.com/think-twice-before-going-low-fodmap/). My colleagues and I were having a discussion just this week about how to approach GI docs with the testing and protocol that I was describing so more people have access to it and actually get better - the general consensus is that most GI docs aren't very receptive to it (they do generally make quite a bit of money off of IBS patients, afterall). I hate saying that it's a greed/money thing, but we haven't had any other explanation for it.

Unfortunately, it's really up to each person to be their own health advocate and to pursue other options when the mainstream recommendations produce mediocre results.

The test that I was referring to is called the Mediator Release Test (and the protocol that I use is called LEAP) - MRT tests your blood against 150 different foods and chemicals and shows how much inflammation each of those foods/chemicals produces in your body. With FODMAPs, you're basically just cutting out the common foods that generally cause people to be gassy/uncomfortable (which is obviously amplified in IBS because the digestive tract is already in a hypersensitive state AND the production of some of the enzymes needed for digestion may be altered as a result of inflammation).

What my colleagues and I have seen with using MRT/LEAP over FODMAPs is that, when the diet is specifically tailored to include a variety of foods that are "safe" and cause very little inflammation, the digestive tract is in a better position to heal (as well as other areas of the body that are being affected by food-induced inflammation) and the so-called intolerances that are at the base of FODMAPs tend to no longer be an issue (unless, of course, specific sensitivities are shown via MRT to any of the foods that happen to be on the FODMAPs list).

If you're interested in MRT/LEAP, you'll need to go through a dietitian who is also a Certified LEAP Therapist. (If anyone offers you the testing without the LEAP protocol, run in the other direction - the LEAP protocol is just as important as the testing itself because there's a certain process that has to be completed in order to achieve the desired results; without the protocol, you're wasting your money on testing.)

I have more info about MRT/LEAP on my site - http://getwellified.com/services/leap/. Feel free to reach out through the contact form on my site if you have additional questions.


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