In the past, nutritionists behaved much like their medical counterparts in that they would routinely use one or two isolated nutrients in order to attempt to achieve a specific result. A classic example of this would be the use of vitamin C in large doses. Over time high doses of vitamin C can cause a depletion of other water-soluble nutrients such as the B complex and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and others. Does this mean that we should not benefit from the effects of larger doses of vitamin C? No! But it is essential to balance all nutrient intakes, which prevents deficiencies in general. The concept of Full Spectrum Nutrition, as developed by The Institute of Nutritional Science, includes three essential factors necessary for optimal supplementation.
The first factor is potency. It only stands to reasons that if a dietary supplement is to be effective, it must provide enough of each nutrient to meet ideal bio-chemical needs. In the past many nutritionists relied on this concept of potency alone and it resulted in using higher and higher potencies because the other factors of supplementation were being ignored. Conversely, the so-called “Daily Value” for each nutrient is dangerously too low to produce the effects and benefits of those nutrients. The next factor is the concept of totality or completeness. Presently, science has identified at least 100+ nutrients that have biological function in the human body. These include amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and specialized antioxidants. Sadly, so many “multiple vitamin” supplements on the market provide less than half of those 100+ nutrients. If you want to evaluate the benefit of a specific supplement formula simply count the number of nutrients in the supplement facts box on the label. You will find that most of these products provide between 40 and 50 nutrients, many far less. The third concept in the Full Spectrum philosophy is that of ratio. This is not only a relatively new concept to the nutrition industry but also a very important one as well. Your body is made up of over 100 trillion cells. Each of these cells must gain nutrients from foods and supplements in order to survive. Around each cell is a covering called a cell membrane. This membrane is semi-permeable, in that it allows certain things such as nutrients to pass through while keeping unwanted substances out. Each nutrient in your body, be it a vitamin, mineral, amino acid or other must ‘compete’ for space within the cell. Cells regulate not only the type of substances crossing the membrane but how much via a process called electrical potential. This is especially the case with the minerals, which all have a natural electrical charge. Those minerals with a higher charge tend to cross the cell membrane in higher amounts. The potential problem with this is when the diet or the supplement is imbalanced and there is too much of one nutrient over others the dominant nutrient can actually prevent cellular absorption of those of lesser electrical potential. In order to overcome this, our formulas contain various ratios of these nutrients in order to balance cellular absorption. While all of this can sound a bit overwhelming and complicated, we have taken care of all these issues in our two Full Spectrum Formulas. One is in a liquid delivery system and the other is a liquid in a micro thin veggie capsule. Both are easily assimilated and taken up via the bloodstream. This way you don’t have to be a biochemist in order to try and figure out what nutrients your body needs. By covering the three major factors of supplementation, potency, totality and ratios we can take the guess work out of supplements and you can focus on enjoying the health benefits of doing so! Check back next week for more information about Full Spectrum Nutrition and Weight Loss.
