Vitamins and Crohn's Disease

Why do we have vitamin and mineral deficiencies? The answer to this is fairly logical. We are unable to absorb a lot of the nutrients that we take in everyday. Food travels through our systems too quickly to absorb and be used. Also, a lot of the time, we are unable to even eat and digest fruits and vegetables, meats, and dairy products. Face it, sometimes drinking water is a great feat! So, I had to turn to taking nutritional supplements that help replenish these nutrients and give me all the benefits of eating fresh fruits and veggies without all of the pain from roughage.

What should I be taking? Determining what you need can prove to be, at best, a daunting task. The Better Life Institute offers a Nutritional Health Assessment that asks valid questions about your eating habits and overall heath. The results outline your nutritionally weakest areas, and what vitamins and minerals would help strengthen them.

What to look for in a vitamin: BE CAREFUL though, before you go running out to the drug or health-food store and buy any old vitamin; NOT ALL VITAMINS ARE CREATED EQUAL. In fact it came out in the news recently that some Ginseng supplements were laced with up to 40% Alcohol (no wonder it made you feel good). Is the vitamin free of colorants, sweeteners, and preservatives? These things put more "junk" into your system that can, and will, irritate it. It also makes it harder for the body to absorb the nutrients. Are the vitamin extracts and concentrates Standardized? Especially important with herbal products, this ensures you are getting consistent levels of the herbal ingredients you want. If it doesn't say Standardized on the bottle, then it's not, and you don't know what you're getting. Is the vitamin or mineral derived from Whole Plant Concentrates? This puts the supplement in a 'body ready' form closest to its natural state, easy to absorb, and is less likely irritate your system. It also incorporates the benefits of the whole plant including: vitamins, mineral compounds, fiber, and plant based phytochemicals. Phytochemicals contain antioxidant components that help regulate enzyme activity, block damage to DNA, and keeps hormones, like estrogen, from attaching to and damaging cells. Common plants that are used include: alfalfa, parsley, watercress, acerola cherries (a rich source of vitamin C, one cheery = 4 large oranges), carrots(Beta Carotene), and the like. Are the plants cultivated by the vitamin manufacturer? There are very few companies that do this. However, they can assure you absolute quality control over the entire process. Plant varieties can be carefully chosen to help enhance potency, and to complement the supplement's nutritional profile.

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