Ask the Vitamin Professor

Kyle Asks

I have been taking liquid Vibe, the so called “best liquid vitamin supplement on the market” and the Ultimate meal by www.Ultimatelife.com.  Even have gone so far as to make up own vitamin regime from Dr.Earl of the Vitamin Bible – too many pills to take! So what is going to make your product any better for me? I am just looking for a simple way of getting what I need to try and protect myself from all the nasty things the food companies are putting into our food system.

The Vitamin Professor Responds

Dear Kyle,

Thank you for your email and interest in ALL ONE.

Anybody can call their product as “the best liquid supplement on the market.”  In reality Vibe (the latest multi-level sensation) has only been around for about five years and is really not all that different from all the other pre-made liquids out there.

The drawback to pre-made liquids are numerous.  They always contain some form of sweetener and some form of non nutritive suspending agents.  However, the biggest draw back to pre-made liquids are the preservatives.  They ALL contain preservatives. The most common preservative used is sodium benzoate.  Sodium benzoate reacts with vitamin C (also in the formula) to create benzene a known carcinogenic substance for which there are no known safe levels.

I notice on the Vibe label they list 2 preservatives potassium sorbate and “benzoic acid (a sodium salt) (naturally protect freshness).”  Now that’s a less than honest way of listing sodium benzoate …

I have blogged about liquid vitamins vs powders

Doesn’t sound to me like “Vibe” fits the criteria you state in your email of “to try and protect myself from all the nasty things the food companies are putting into our food system.”

“The Ultimate Meal”, on the other hand, is a very clean and nutritious product.  I am a personal friend of the owner and respect his work. However, I believe, his product contains nutrient potencies far lower than research indicates are valuable.

We have been in the business for 40 years and have developed five basic ALL ONE formulas.

All of our ALL ONE Multiple powder formulas offer a comprehensive blend of vitamins, minerals and naturally occurring amino acids (protein) in various food bases from certified organic green foods to antioxidant rich fruit pigments, rice or milk proteins.

As to which of our multiple formulas is best for you it is a matter of personal choice. Vegans prefer the rice protein formulas.

All of the ingredients and formulas are on the ALL ONE website.

See also: Choosing the best multi vitamin on the ALL ONE blog

Donna Asks

Can I mix ALL ONE Powder into my morning oatmeal? Since I already add chopped nuts, molasses, raisins and ground flax seed, it would be really handy.

The Vitamin Professor Responds

Dear Donna,

Interesting question. There is nothing wrong with mixing ALL ONE powder into your morning Oatmeal.

Oatmeal, Applesauce, Yogurt these are all fine mediums to mix ALL ONE as an alternative to drinking it in juice.

Two things to keep in mind:

1)  you don’t want to expose the ALL ONE powder to high heat for very long as that can compromise the potencies of various nutrients.

2) you will probably want to start with a half dose (7.5 grams) as a full dose may effect the taste a bit.

Actually, your concoction of oatmeal, chopped nuts, molasses, raisins and ground flax seed and some ALL ONE sounds like a darn good way to start your day!

Erin asks:

I am a little confused about vitamin E supplements. I have very dry skin on my face that lotions do not help so I want to take vitamin E. I know I need to take the gamma vitamin E with tocopherols and tocotrienols but my question is: should I get the lower dose instead of the usual 400 IU which I read is too much to take?

The Vitamin Professor Responds:

Dear Erin,

400 IU (International Units) of Vitamin E is a very common dosage and is certainly very safe level to take on a daily basis.

Keep in mind that Vitamin E is only one of the nutrients that effect the skin.

I would recommend a multiple formula, like ALL ONE, which contains not only Vitamin E but a whole host of additional vitamins, minerals, naturally occurring amino acids and other nutritious food factors.

We feel that nutrients taken in a more complex, and multiple, formulation increase the overall effectiveness on each specific vitamin and/or mineral.

ALL ONE contains 400 IU of natural Vitamin E as d-Alpha Tocopherol Succinate (the only water dispersible Vitamin E) along with these complex / complete multiple formulations.

I would suggest giving ALL ONE a try for a month and see how it effects your condition.

Check back and let us know how it’s going.

Andrea Asks:

I have just been diagnosed with ulcerative proctitis. It is a very mild case, only present in the bottom two inches. I am looking for more than just a band-aid for my symptoms. I am looking to find a nutritional means for healing. It is worth mentioning that I also was diagnosed with mild irritation at the top of my stomach too. I find it interesting that I have irritation at the entrance and exit for my digestive system but everything else appears o.k. Do you think that All One could help nourish and repair the areas I have mentioned?

The Vitamin Professor Responds:

Dear Andrea,

I cannot address you particular medical condition as I am not a Doctor.

However, I can say that many studies have indicated that multiple supplementation, like ALL ONE, helps speed wound healing and, for sure, ALL ONE will nourish your entire body.

Also, being a powder, when mixed with juice, ALL ONE is more easily absorbed than compressed tablets.  It is also free of the non nutritive excipients (binders, fillers, disintegrating and coating agents) common to vitamin pills.

I can also send along this unsolicited testimonial from one of our ALL ONE customers.

“When I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome more than 20 years ago, the doctor’s only recommendation was to avoid spicy foods. Back then, nutrition did not play a big part in a doctor’s visit. I was researching one of my health magazines, looking for a way to take vitamins without having to swallow so many pills. I found a product called ALL ONE Multiple Vitamin & Mineral Powder Green Phyto Base. It can be purchased by calling (800) 235 5727 or on the internet at www.all one.com. In addition to the vitamins, ALL ONE also gave me a good dose of phyto nutrients such as alfalfa juice, cruciferous vegetables, spirulina, sea kelp and more. So I started making a daily smoothie consisting of orange juice, yogurt and whatever fruit I wanted to throw into this strange green powder. It looked ugly, but tasted great and it did the trick in two days. Now I am regular for the first time in my life. I know it’s an embarrassing topic for most people to talk about, but I hope my experience can help others.”

Good luck with your condition.

Linda Asks

I have been told that I don’t break down fats properly and that I should purchase a high lipase enzyme.  Do any of the ALL ONE products contain this product or something that would help that problem?  Thanks for any information.

The Vitamin Professor Responds

Dear Linda,

Thank you for your question and interest in ALL ONE.

All of our ALL ONE Multiple powders contain two digestive enzymes: Papain and Betaine HCL.

Papain is a protein-splitting enzyme derived from the juice of unripe papaya.  Betaine HCL, or Betaine Hydrochloride, is another enzyme derived from plants and used to assist in the production of natural hydrochloric acid found in the stomach.  These two enzymes both aid in the digestion of fats as well as protein and in the assimilation of certain nutrients like Calcium, vitamin B12 and Iron.

If you feel you need additional digestive enzymes in your nutritional regime there should be no problem  taking them along with your ALL ONE.

I hope this addresses your question.

Dan Asks:

I have been reading about the value of alpha lipoic acid. Is there a reason that your Senior powder does not contain it? Also, new research seems to show that we need more Vitamin D – 4-5,000IU/day. Do you agree with this? Why is there not a higher % of Vitamin D in your Senior formula?

The Vitamin Professor Responds:

Dear Dan,

Thank you for your questions and your interest in ALL ONE.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is plentiful in foods and also produces by the human body. Therefore, we do not feel it is nessesary for a supplement like ALL ONE which is designed to be taken on a daily basis. While additional ALA supplementation is sometimes warranted it is usually when during acute situations like treating liver damage.

There are no toxic aspects to ALA to speak of, so if you wish to add it to your daily regime there is certainly not a problem there.

Vitamin D is fast becoming the most popular Vitamin out there … in fact I believe this year it overtook Vitamin C for the # 1 position … ;o)

Vitamin D is produced naturally by the body when your skin (derma) is exposed to natural sunlight. Vitamin D deficiencies have increased of late because of a number of factors and lifestyle changes. Children (and adults) are spending much more time indoors these days. Kids come home from school and head for the computer or gaming console in the darkened room instead of outdoors into the sunshine to play with their bike etc. Also, the fear of skin cancer has motivated folks to cover their skin with sun blocks before going outside. Sunblocks while protecting from skin cancer interfere dramatically with the natural production of Vitamin D.

For many years we, as a supplement manufacturer, were warned to keep the levels of Vitamin D low because it is a fat soluble vitamin that is stored by the body and amounts more than 500 IU can be toxic.

As more and more research comes out supporting the need for increased Vitamin D supplementation, and higher levels have been deemed safe we here at ALL ONE are responding accordingly. In the next few months you will notice that we are increasing the Vitamin D in our multiple powders to 800 International Units from the current 500 IU and to 1,000 IU in our ALL ONE for Active Seniors.

Tweaking our formulas is something we do from time to time as research warrants a change.

In the meantime make sure to spend time outdoors each day in shirtsleeves. The natural Vitamin D your body makes when the skin is exposed to the sun is the BEST form of Vitamin D available!

Linda asks:

I am interested in several all one products.  I know I can alternate, however, I am concerned that I am not getting the extra supplements that are in the Senior formula.  For instance, I am looking at the green the fruit and the fiber.  Could I alternate between four different products and still get all the vitamins I should?  Thank you for your help.

The Vitamin Professor Responds:

Dear Linda,

Thank you for your question and interest in ALL ONE.

A number of our customers alternate between our various multiple formulas.  That way they get the benefit of the ‘certified organic’ green foods in our ALL ONE Green Phyto Base, the antioxidant rich fruit pigments in our ALL ONE Fruit Antioxidant base as well as the CoQ10, Gingko and FOS found in our ALL ONE for Active Seniors.

It works fine because each multiple, while varying slightly in certain potencies,  are essentially the same high potency vitamin, mineral, amino acid supplement in different bases.

When it comes to fiber and the vitamins I recommend that you take the ALL ONE Multiple in the morning and the Totally Fiber in the evening before retiring.

I wrote about that here.

I hope this addresses your question.

Sue asks:

Do I need to take an additional mineral supplement since All One does not contain 100% of the requirements for copper (10%), potassium (3%), biotin (10%), Chromium (40%), Selenium (70%) etc.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the product…just a little concerned about the percentages above.

The Vitamin Professor Responds:

Dear Sue,

Thank you for your question and interest in ALL ONE.

The percentages you refer to in your question reflect the “Daily Value” or “DV” as set by the government based upon a daily diet that contains 2,000 calories.

To best answer your question it is good to first review how DV’s came about.

Back during WWII when the government was creating K-Rations, to feed to our troops fighting abroad, they wanted to come up with the “minimum daily requirement” (MDR) for various nutrients.  They wanted to insure that the food our soldiers were eating was not insufficient in certain important nutrients.  In other words they wanted to establish the “minimum” amount of each specific nutrient so that eating  K-Rations alone would not create any vitamin deficiency diseases.

Keep in mind the word here is “minimum.”

Over the years the name has changed but the amounts (with a few exceptions) have not.

The name went from “Minimum Daily Requirement (MDR) to Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) to Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) to now what it is called the Daily Value (DV).

Even though the name changed the amounts still reflect “minimum” levels.

A political point here is that large food processors lobby to keep these amounts low.  Then they can claim 100%  nutrition from their cereal.

So while it is true that you need to consume 60 mg of Vitamin C a day to prevent scurvy (a Vitamin C deficiency disease) our supplements are formulated for optimal health not simply to keep you from becoming scorbutic.

Labeling laws require us to list the Daily Value (DV) but it has very little to do with the research we reference when formulating ALL ONE.

Some nutrients in ALL ONE are  greater than the DI like Vitamin C (1,667%) because research indicates 1,000 mg is a more optimal level for than nutrient.

In some cases it will be lower, like copper (10%) because we get enough copper in our diet and too much copper is not a good thing.  Then again, some nutrients like potassium are lower because the government actually restricts us from exceeding 99 mg per daily dose.

If the amounts are below 100% it is because we feel we get enough of these nutrients in our diet and do not need additional supplementation.

Some very important nutrients like Lemon Bioflavonoids (Vitamin P) while important in the absorption of Vitamin C have yet to be deemed necessary or essential by the government and therefore there is no set Daily value (DV) for Bioflavonoids.

I hope this answers your question and addresses your concerns.

Stephen Asks:

I just read your suggestions to the fellow wanting to detox (original post here) You suggest separating the fiber and green phyto product.  My shake includes the fiber and powder, hopefully this works for general use.  It would be very challenging to figure out how to use both separated.

The Vitamin Professor Responds:

Dear Stephen,

Thank you for your interest in ALL ONE and this blog.

Certainly no harm will come from mixing a shake that contains one of our ALL ONE Multiple powders and our ALL ONE Totally Fiber at the same time.

However, keep in mind the particular functions of the two different supplements.  ALL ONE Multiple powders are designed to add, infuse and supplement various nutrients into the body whereas ALL ONE Totally Fiber is designed to assist in the elimination of various toxins from the body. That is why I recommended to take the ALL ONE Multiple in the morning before the rigors of the day.  The vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other food factors in ALL ONE will help provide greater energy at a time when it is needed.

The same logic follows as to why I recommend taking ALL ONE Totally Fiber in the evening before retiring.  The blend of organic flax along with various soluble and in soluble fibers from date fiber, prune fiber, barley fiber, rice fiber, beet fiber and psyllium husks help a more thorough elimination upon arising in the morning.

I will reiterate here as I did in the post you referred to in your question:

I believe that taking psyllium husks by themselves is far to harsh on the system.  They are inexpensive but, it is my feeling, they should be buffered with other more gentle fibers like organic flax, date fiber, prune fiber, barley fiber, rice fiber, beet fiber.

Does it make sense?

Think of it as: Good goes in … bad goes out.

Hope this addresses you question.

Janet Asks:

Does ALL ONE contain soy?

The Vitamin Professor Responds:

Dear Janet,

Thank you for your interest in ALL ONE®.

The only Soy ingredient in our ALL ONE formulas is Soy Lecithin.

Soy Lecithin is rich in naturally occurring Choline. Choline is essential to every living cell in the body and is one of the main components of cell membranes. Not only is dietary choline important for the synthesis of the phospholipids in cell membranes, it is also necessary for methyl metabolism, cholinergic neurotransmission, transmembrane signaling, and lipid-cholesterol transport and metabolism2. Without choline, the cell membranes would harden, prohibiting important nutrients from entering and leaving the cell. Scientists believe lecithin and choline may aid in memory and cognitive function, cardiovascular health, liver function, reproduction and fetal development and physical and athletic performance.

If your concern is Soy allergies you need not be concerned with regards Soy Lecithin.

The allergens in soybeans reside in the protein fraction of the bean. The allergenic potential of specific soyfoods and/or ingredients is largely based on processing techniques and the amount of protein or protein residue remaining in the final product. Soy lecithin used in ALL ONE is derived from refined soybean oil that has been processed using an extraction technique, which eliminates most, if not all, allergenic proteins.

In 1998 there was a study done on the antigenicity (allergic effect) of the residual proteins in soy lecithin and the soybean oil (from which which soy lecithin is derived), in which they tested soybean-sensitive individuals for allergic reactions to soybean oil and soy lecithin. Researchers concluded that any traces of proteins left in soy lecithin had no effect in terms of Soy allergy.

Thanks for you question I hope this addresses question regarding Soy and ALL ONE.’