A recent study in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology (CJPP) showed that rats fed a multivitamin/ mineral had a significantly lower risk of developing colon cancer when they were exposed to carcinogens.
In this study, researchers divided rats into six groups over a 32-week period. Each group received different levels of carcinogens as well as a different supplement combination. The colon carcinogenesis these rats were exposed to mimicked what occurs in human colon cancer.
Rats fed a low-fiber diet and exposed to carcinogens in this study developed pre-cancerous lesions.
But check this out: the rats fed a low-fiber diet and exposed to these same carcinogens, but who received a daily multivitamin/ mineral supplement, showed an 84% reduction in the formation of pre-cancerous lesions and did not develop tumors.
Researchers concluded that “multivitamin and mineral supplements synergistically contribute to the cancer chemopreventative potential, and hence, regular supplements of multivitamins and minerals could reduce the risk of colon cancer.”
First of all, I’m happy to see a positive study about multivitamins, particularly after the media backlash that ridiculous, flawed study sparked last year. (See my take here.)
Besides potential colon cancer protection, I can think of a million reasons to take a good multi. Not least among those reasons: it’s your dietary insurance policy to ensure all the nutrient gaps you might be (and probably are) missing in your diet.
But I want you to skip those crappy drugstore and mega-warehouse one-a-day multis.
I’m willing to bet many of these studies that conclude negatively about multivitamins use these inferior supplements that contain synthetic (and less effective) vitamins, cheap binders and fillers, low amounts of essential nutrients, among other shortcomings. (Don’t get me started…)
The truth is, a one-a-day that contains optimal amounts of such crucial nutrients of vitamins D and E as well as magnesium – nutrients that are incredibly hard to get in therapeutic amounts from food – would be big as a hockey puck.
On the other hand, if swallowing handfuls of supplements also scares you away (some of these multis recommend up to 12 pills a day), I’ll meet you halfway with Designs for Health’s Twice Daily.
I love this multivitamin/ mineral for many reasons. It’s incredibly affordable (probably not much more than you’re paying for those drugstore crapola multis), and as the name implies, you only need to take two a day.
Twice Daily combines synergistic, effective amounts of high-quality nutrients. Besides the company’s sterling reputation, how do I know this is the best multi? It’s the little things only a nutrition nerd like myself would notice.
For instance, take vitamin E. Instead of using the less expensive alpha tocopherol found in most formulas, Designs for Health uses mixed tocopherols high in gamma tocopherol. If that means nothing to you, just note that most vitamin-E containing foods like almonds are highest in gamma, so the vitamin E in Twice Daily provides what you’d get in these foods.
I also love Twice Daily because it’s high in the B vitamins (which, among other things, helps energy production) and offers 500 IUs of vitamin D. These amounts far exceed the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs), which I call minimum wage nutrition.
Designs for Health also uses Albion chelated minerals for optimal absorbability:
- 400 mcg of chromium, an important nutrient that makes insulin work more efficiently and balances blood sugar levels
- 200 mcg of selenium, a crucial nutrient that studies show fights cancer and boosts immunity
I don’t know any other multi that offers such optimal nutrient amounts for this price and in just two capsules a day.
One caveat: Twice Daily does not contain calcium and magnesium. You’ll need to take these two minerals separately to get meaningful doses.
You can also get Twice Daily in convenient Essential Packets that provide magnesium, calcium, and OmegAvail™ Synergy, a powerful blend of critical omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Just toss two Essential Packets in your bag or purse and you’ve got your entire daily nutrient base with no sorting, counting, or guesswork.
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