John Arts Abundant Living www.johnarts.co.nz

The vast majority of multi type products are sold as ‘one a day' dose products. It sounds so tempting to ‘get everything you need' with a single dose. But here is the problem. It is not possible to make a comprehensive multi product that covers all the micronutrients at meaningful levels.

Typically, multi type products will have the full compliment of vitamins. With the notable exception of high grade natural vitamin E, vitamins are relatively inexpensive and take up little room in the tablet or capsule.

The challenge is that all ‘one a day' products make serious compromises with nutrients that are either expensive and will make a more expensive product or take up a lot of room and cannot fit in the single dose.
An example of the cost factor is the avoidance of the highest grade botanical antioxidants. For example the best solvent-free OPC from grape seeds are very expensive and is usually omitted as it would make the product expensive.

Another problem is the space taken up by high grade chelated minerals when used at correct amounts. The chelates themselves are very bulky and you need about twice the weight and volume to get an active mineral amount. In my multi product the chelated minerals take up about 60 per cent of each capsule.

One solution is to pack the ingredients in hard tablets, but you then face another challenge of digestive systems not able to break down the tablets to get at the active ingredients. I much prefer capsules. These are more expensive, but breakdown within seconds, making the active ingredients immediately available for absorption and of course not needing to add a whole lot of inactive fillers, binders and colours.

Faced with these dilemma, there are really only two options: Create a ‘one a day' product and make serious compromises in the range, quantities and with minerals, the quality of ingredients or just accept the fact that to make a good multi will mean doses of at least two capsules daily and will be comparatively more expensive at $1 to $2 a day.
My multi has an adult maintenance dose of two daily with a maximum dose – which I take every day – of four capsules daily. I see no point in taking any supplement that cannot do the job for which it was intended.

To contact John phone 0800 423559 or 07 578 9051 or visit www.abundant.co.nz.