The Power of Powder
So you ask:
'Why would I choose a vitamin and mineral supplement powder over tablets?'
Tablets and capsules give doctors and pharmacist a convenient
way to administer potent and often foul tasting medications. So it
was a natural crossover that when individual nutrients were isolated
and then combined together that they too were made into pill form,
they too were potent and tasted foul. The ability to isolate and put
individual nutrients of measured amounts into tablet form has helped
to create a healthier nation. But with this great 'invention' some
compromises were made and it is these compromises that have led the
pioneers of whole food nutrition such as Adelle Davis and James Ingoldsby
to identify the need for an alternative, purer form for vitamin and
mineral supplements to be offered.
For the most part tablets and to a lesser degree, capsules, contain
much more then the vitamins and minerals listed on their labels. Fillers,
such as sodium chloride and hydrated aluminum silicate, are added
to bulk up a pill so it is a convenient size for machines. Dextrose
(sugar), waxes and other binders are often used to compress the powdered
nutrients into tablets. To allow these nutrients to flow freely through
the machinery that shapes them, lubricants such as magnesium sterate
are used. To assist with the disintegration of a tightly packed tablet
after it's swallowed, cellulose and sodium lauryl sulfate are also
added. And to dress up the end product, artificial dyes and flavors
are occasionally included. None of the above has any nutritional bearing
at all. To anyone who may suffer from allergies or substance sensitivities
these substances can even have adverse effects on their health. While
capsules eliminate the need for most of these non-nutritive ingredients,
they pose a few problems of their own. Most recently with the outbreak
of mad cow disease the source of gelatin has largely been in question.
The gelatin capsules also pose a substantial moral obstacle for vegans
and vegetarians. Capsules can be difficult to swallow and some consumers
are concerned about the possibility of tampering. Two-piece hard-shell
capsules have been known to be tampered with because they can be opened
and closed easily, although incidences of tampering have been extremely
rare. Then there is the option of softgel capsules. Because they are
hermetically sealed they are considered safer. They are also easier
to swallow than hardshells and require no excipients, but their contents
must be in an oil base and if one capsule breaks then the rest of
the bottle is spoiled.
Adelle Davis advocated receiving nutrients in food form and was concerned
that the industry had gone somewhat astray offering vitamins and minerals
separately and in pill form like medicine. Davis and Ingoldsby identified
that the best way to administer supplements would be in powder form
realizing that this would be closest to food-like. They were right.
The primary difficulty with tablets or capsules is that they are difficult
to take, digest and absorb. Approximately 20% of the population cannot
swallow pills and there is a large segment of the population that
suffers from a compromised digestive system. This can be as minor
and temporary as pregnancy or as serious and chronic as colitis. It
has also been identified that due to a decrease in stomach acid secretions,
with age our bodies lose their ability to properly digest food. There
have even been antidotal stories about x-rays showing an abundance
of undigested pills in patient's stomach. To what extent this is true
cannot be confirmed but many people cannot digest pills, resulting
in expensive stomachaches and faeces.
The powders.
The answer to Adelle Davis' quest for the ideal food form for supplementation
came in the 1970's as new research became available that showed that
by combining minerals with amino acids (chelation) it makes the nutrient
not only easier to digest but considerably increases the bioavailability.
When a mineral is chelated it becomes more like the food that the
body is normally used to receiving it in. So it allows the nutrients
to be delivered in a concentrated yet bioavailable form. This chelation
solution has since been implemented into most quality supplements
regardless if they come in powder, tablet or capsule form.
Ingoldsby was able to take this research and address the challenge
he and Davis had been struggling with. How to produce a pure nutrient
supplement powder that could mix into liquids and not have the bitter
taste of vitamins or the metallic taste of minerals? In the past,
flavoring such as chocolate had been added to mask these undesirable
tastes. This is where the additional benefit of chelation with high
quality protein made the difference. By combining the nutrients with
protein it was possible to create a neutral tasting powder that could
be easily mixed into a liquid. So where previously the idea of a supplement
powder was unattractive, chelation paved the way for nutritional supplement
powders without the need for flavorings. Pure nutrition in its most
bio-available form.
The benefits of a powder.
•No fillers, binders or additives
• Easy to swallow
•Easy to digest
• Powders are great for kids, eliminating the need for the often
sugar filled chewable vitamins.
•Economics also make powdered supplements more appealing than
their tablet and capsule rivals. Encapsulating or forming tablets
can increase the cost of most supplements by as much as 70%.
Not all supplement powders are created equal. Key areas to
take into consideration are how the chelation process is carried out
and the nutrient formula. In order for the chelation process to render
the most potent and bio-available nutrients it is best to be done
with enzyme hydrolysis instead of strong acid bases. This process
is almost a duplication of that which occurs naturally in the gastro-intestinal
tract.
Often the absorption or 'bio-availability' of a particular mineral
can be enhanced by the simultaneous ingestion of certain other minerals,
vitamins and/or enzymes. These are known as 'synergistic factors.'
It is important that the supplement formula contains these as they
either work directly with the mineral to increase its effectiveness,
increases absorption of the mineral itself or can prevent the depletion
of an 'associate' mineral.
When choosing a nutritional supplement it really comes down to basic
biochemistry and nature. Nutritional supplements are not drugs. They
are a natural and holistic way to address the depleted and toxic environments
that we are bombarded with everyday. Ideally, we would get these nutrients
from our food but we aren't eating enough of the right stuff and even
if we were the nutrients just aren't there anymore. So why add to
your toxic load with the very tool you are trying to use to lessen
it with. High quality nutritional vitamin
and mineral supplement powders are the most nature-like and effective
way to ensure your body is getting what it needs.
Get the Power of
Powders from ALL ONE!
What started as the inspiration of Adelle Davis and James
Ingoldsby eventually culminated with
the research of Dr. Emanuel Cheraskin to become the Nutrient formula
base for ALL ONE.
Designed for optimum nutritional delivery, ALL ONE takes the guesswork
out of taking
supplements giving you only pure nutrition.
Read about the ALL ONE ingredients.
There is an ALL ONE formulation for everyone.
