NUTRITION CORNER WITH DR. CARSTEN
SMIDT
Having created some of the most
sophisticated and best-selling multivitamin/mineral supplements in the industry
over the last 20 years, I’ve seen the products and their underlying research
evolve in stages. Usually, it takes the products about 5–10 years to follow the
research. Now, we have reached yet another critical point when research creates
a new paradigm shift for multivitamin/mineral supplements. With our new Daily
Nutrition Pack, dōTERRA® leads the way so that you can be among the first to
reap the full benefits of a truly expertly formulated, all-in-one daily
multinutrient supplement.
Do I Need a Multivitamin?
The short answer is a resounding
yes. Anybody in the scientific community who seriously studies vitamin and
mineral nutrition agrees that virtually everyone’s nutrition falls short in
meeting even the bare minimum requirements for many nutrients (known as the
RDI—Recommended Dietary Intakes). Trying to get the RDIs of all 26 essential
vitamins, minerals, and trace elements—micronutrients—from foods alone is next
to impossible, even if you eat a wholesome, balanced diet. Fruits and
vegetables are rich in these micronutrients, plus they contain important
phytonutrients (carotenoids, polyphenols, essential oils, etc.). The problem is
that hardly anyone eats enough fruits and vegetables. A recent analysis of
WHO/FAO data (Murphy et al., Br J Nutr 112(6):1004, 2014) shows that this is a
world-wide problem: three out of four people on this planet
don’t even meet the minimum recommended five daily servings of fruits and
vegetables! Instead, modern diets are high in refined foods and beverages
devoid of micronutrients and full of empty calories.
In the U.S., nine out of ten adults
do not meet the RDIs for vitamins D and E, and over half of us don’t meet the
RDIs for vitamin A, calcium, and magnesium (Fulgoni, et al., J Nutr
141(10):1847-54, 2011). Even if you are vegan or vegetarian, you’re unlikely to
get enough vitamin D, B12, calcium, iron, and zinc. Long-term, these nutrient
deficiencies cause lack of energy, poor immunity, weak bones, cognitive
decline, and a host of other health problems.
Experts agree that you should try to
eat a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables and take a
multivitamin/mineral supplement. Now, the real question is which supplement
should you take and how should it be formulated? Are the RDI amounts even
sufficient? We know today that for most micronutrients they are not, and that
optimum intakes are often higher than the RDIs. But how much higher? And what
happens if we get too much? These questions have kept scientists busy for the
last 50 years, and recent research makes it clear that it’s time to rethink
again.
Multivitamin Evolution
The first multivitamins hit the
retail shelves in the ‘50s and ‘60s and remain a staple in today’s retail and
mass markets. These inexpensive products deliver the RDI of most vitamins and
lesser amounts of most minerals. Their mineral sources are often poorly
absorbed and utilized by the body and they lack phytonutrients and essential
omega-3 fatty acids.
Then, research in the ‘80s and ‘90s
suggested that above-RDI amounts of certain antioxidant vitamins, some
B-vitamins, and trace elements have additional health benefits, and these
studies paved the way to the current generation of micronutrient supplements
popular in the specialty and direct-sales markets. These comprehensive products
often include mega-doses (10x RDI or more) of vitamins, better quality
minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and phytonutrients, and some make you take 16 or
more capsules or tablets a day. In fact, competition is fierce and many
companies are playing a horsepower game where more must be better.
Most recently, however, the results
of very large, long-term studies have shown that mega-doses of micronutrients
like vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, folate, and selenium don’t
work. In fact, some of these studies found negative effects at high doses
previously assumed to be safe. Unfortunately, the supplement industry is
still taking a defensive position belittling or dismissing these studies.
Multivitamin Revolution
The good news for you is that
dōTERRA® never believed in the “more-is-better” horsepower game. In fact, we
are now in the unique position to embrace all the recent micronutrient
research—positive and negative—and create a completely revolutionary concept of
formulating multivitamins. How?
Let’s take a step back. I mean a
giant step back to when we humans first roamed this planet. Our genes change
very slowly and they can take thousands of years to adapt to dietary changes.
For most of our history we ate hunter-gatherer diets. Only recently, our diets
and lifestyles changed dramatically with the introduction of agriculture.
And in the last 100 years, even more drastic changes occurred due to the
industrialization of our food supply. So modern diets today are very different
from the diets our genes are used to.
Now, take a good look at the dosages
used in all of the micronutrient studies, and compare them to the amounts that
we used to get from diets we are genetically programmed for. That’s what we
did, and it soon became clear that problems only arise when we consume much
more or much less than what we could possibly get from the natural diets our
bodies are genetically used to. This makes a lot of sense, and we used this
approach to set a new standard, one that embraces the concept of natural balance.
For each micronutrient we now have a range of natural intakes that our bodies
were made for, and they coincide with the amounts needed for optimum health
benefits.
Restore Natural Balance with Daily
Nutrient Pack
dōTERRA’s new Microplex MVp™ and xEO
Mega® (Daily Nutrient Pack) are the first micronutrient supplements in the
industry that apply this new standard of natural balance to all vitamins,
minerals, trace elements, phytonutrients, and essential fatty acids. This
game-changing, patent-pending approach ensures that you get the optimum amounts
and types of all micronutrients every day, including a full spectrum of
omega-3s, antioxidant polyphenols, and carotenoids. With Daily Nutrient Pack,
you don’t have to worry about getting too little or too much of anything
anymore. Instead, you get what your body was made for and demands—the most
efficacious and safe amounts needed for long-term health and vitality.
How Do I Use Daily Nutrient Pack?
Daily Nutrient Pack (the new Microplex MVp and xEO Mega) is a foundational
supplement designed for men and women of all ages as well as for teenagers.
Pregnant and nursing women also benefit, but should consult with their
physician as they may require additional iron or folate. If you desire extra
energy benefits, you can add our new, more potent Mito2Max® (with
lychee fruit extract), and if you deal with occasional joint discomfort, we
recommend adding our new Deep Blue Polyphenol Complex™. We also updated Lifelong
Vitality Pack with the new Microplex MVp and xEO Mega formulas while
keeping the current Alpha CRS+®.
Dr. Smidt recommends:
Daily Nutrient Pack: A revolutionary
micronutrient supplement providing naturally balanced amounts of all vitamins,
minerals, trace elements, phytonutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids. Lifelong
Vitality Pack:Now with our new naturally-balanced Microplex MVp and xEO Mega.
Bio: Dr. Carsten Smidt is dōTERRA’s Chief Science Officer and oversees research and
product development. Dr. Smidt has held executive research and development
positions for almost 20 years, working for leading global companies in dietary
supplement, nutraceutical, and medical food industries. He holds a doctorate
degree in Nutrition Science and Physiological Chemistry from the University of
California at Davis, and is a fellow of the American College of Nutrition. Dr.
Smidt is passionate about health and fitness, and enjoys the outdoors.
