Vitamins, essential micronutrients

Vitamins belong to the category of micronutrients (also including minerals and trace elements). The latter are components that derive mainly from our diet because they are not synthesized by our body. Micronutrients are required in small quantities for our vital development, the prevention of pathologies and our general well-being [1]. Every day, our organism needs vitamins for its physiological homeostasis, which are found in our diet. There are two categories of vitamins: water-soluble vitamins, i.e. soluble in water (group B and C vitamins), and fat-soluble vitamins, i.e. soluble in fat (vitamins A, D, E and K).

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)Mushrooms, liver, eggs, abas, certain poultry and cheese

*The nutritional composition of foods can be consulted on the site of the ANSES, National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety.

Consumption of vitamins

Vitamins do not all come from the same foods, it is therefore necessary to have a varied consumption (foods from different major food groups) but also a diversified diet (foods from the same food group). Micronutrients have no energy value (basically, they do not intervene directly on our energy balance, neither to lose weight nor to gain weight!) compared to macronutrients, which have a direct and significant impact (carbohydrates, lipids and proteins). The ESFA (European Food Safety Authority) has established Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs, formerly known as RDAs: Daily Reference Intakes) for the vitamins summarised in the table below :

*Dietary folate is less well assimilated than folic acid.

On the other hand, these NRVs, and therefore the needs, evolve according to certain specific physiological situations, particularly in pregnant or breastfeeding women and the elderly. During pregnancy, the need for vitamin B12 (increasing from 4 to 4.5 μg per day) and folate (increasing from 330 to 600 μg per day) is increased. During breastfeeding, the need for vitamin A (from 750 to 1300 μg per day) and vitamin C (from 95 to 155 mg per day) is also increased. These data suggest the importance of the pre-conceptional period, when optimal nutritional status would help to ensure "reserves" of micronutrients for the periods of pregnancy and breastfeeding, which are critical for the future health of the newborn. Finally, the elderly are more exposed to nutritional deficits due to a decrease and changes in micronutrient absorption [2] as well as changes in consumption (reduced appetite, pronounced dietary choices for foods loaded with flavour, etc.). There are other reasons that can generate deficiencies beyond the physiological status in which we find ourselves. Indeed, they can result from simply poor diets or from other types of factors such as absorption defects linked to intestinal pathologies or even to the taking of medication [3].

On the other hand, it is also less obvious to detect our consumption levels of micronutrients because they have varied and less well known origins, making it more difficult to highlight a possible targeted "deficiency" ("I don't eat enough of this food so I don't consume enough of this vitamin").

A key question seems to be: can we really claim an optimal consumption profile in our current food models?Unfortunately, the food transitions we have faced and are still facing are extremely rapid and abrupt. We have moved from traditional consumption patterns characterized by high nutritional density to modern consumption patterns characterized by high energy density [4,5], which are real public health issues. More concretely, these changes have led to a decrease in the quality of our food (decrease in the consumption of essential micronutrients and fibre), particularly associated with the intensification of industrial processes (increase in the consumption of fat/sugar and industrial products; decrease in the quality of foods rich in essential micronutrients, particularly vitamins) [6]. In addition to these dietary parameters, lifestyles and environments constrain the attainment of certain vitamin requirements such as vitamin D (80% of vitamin D comes from photoconversion in the skin by UVB (sunlight) [7].

Finally, the problem is not essentially based on whether our diet is complete (balanced) or not. It is a question of accepting that the human species is a formidable adaptation machine, but that its corollary implies that we are never 100% adapted to a given biotope and therefore to 100% of our intake in the long term. Today, nutraceuticals offer the possibility to meet or even exceed these needs in order to ensure our well-being and health for the future.

Choosing your Multivitamins: carefully selected vitamins at Nutri&Co

Here we give you some keys but above all some essential information to take the right direction in terms of multivitamins, because history repeats itself, there is a wide variety of products on the market. To benefit from the effects of vitamins, you need to be sure that they reach their targets, ideally in an active (= "ready-to-use") form. This is what defines the famous bioavailability, corresponding to the quality that a nutrient has to be able to be absorbed by the intestinal mucosa and to be used efficiently. Several criteria are taken into account to ensure the bioavailability of a compound and in particular its form (specific structure of the molecule). Indeed, some forms are said to be bioactive, i.e. they correspond to the form in which they can be used by the organism, which facilitates the work of assimilation of the latter [8].

How about a concrete example? Let's talk about vitamin B9 (folic acid from dietary folates). Within the Nutri&Co formula, vitamin B9 has been selected in the form of Quatrefolic. The latter corresponds to 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) which is a reduced form of folate. Supplementing this bioactive form also makes it possible to obtain a high bioavailability of vitamin B9 by "short-circuiting" the formation of intermediate molecules. In fact, when the body ingests "standard" folic acid, it must transform it 4 times before obtaining the active form such as Quatrefolic®. These successive transformations obviously generate losses, but also random efficacy, with a strong disparity between individuals [9].

The combination of bioactivity and bioavailability makes it possible to provide the Multivitamins with a bioidentical form of vitamin B9.

It is in this approach to effectiveness, and after more than a year of research, that Nutri&Co has systematically chosen vitamins in their bioactive form. .

Vitamins, but also minerals and co-factors

In addition to vitamins, our formula also combines the presence of magnesium, trace elements (small-sized minerals) and co-factors that complement the action of supporting physiological reactions, while taking great care to eliminate potentially pro-oxidising or "antagonistic" minerals (iron and manganese in particular).Moreover, calcium has also not been included in our Multi, as the current scientific consensus highlights the sufficient dietary intake of calcium in the French population.

An example of a crucial trace element for our body is zinc. It is mainly found in red meats, certain seeds, shiitake mushrooms and shellfish. In moderate deficiencies, disturbances can be observed such as growth retardation, hypogonadism in young adolescents, healing defects, immune system response defects or neurosensory changes [10]. Three capsules of our multi provides 100% of the NRVs in a Gluconate form, perfectly well assimilated and usable by the body.

With regard to iodine, marine products are known to contain the highest concentration. Depending on their importance, possible deficiencies can have consequences at all ages, from the fetus to adulthood, ranging from developmental problems to neurological disorders. Coverage of iodine intake appears to be particularly important in the periconceptional period up to childhood [11]. Iodine supplementation is not systematic and yet iodine seems to have an important position in clinical practices related to specific nutritional recommendations in the periconceptional period [12].

Among the co-factors selected in the Multivitamin, we find in particular :

• Coenzyme Q10, a molecule produced by the organism involved in the processes of energy production and defence against oxidation of cell membranes,
• Quercetin, a polyphenol that fights cellular aggression,
• Lutein and lycopene, both from the family of carotenoids known for their antioxidant role,

This combination therefore increases the antioxidant potential of our body [13] by molecules of various origins and normally poorly bioavailable.

Health benefits

Although vitamins and minerals act synergistically and via complex mechanisms, each has physiological roles that can be briefly listed (biological role tables). These major implications in our physiological balance give vitamins and minerals major axes of activity: vitality, tonus, immunity and antioxidant supply. During particular physiological situations such as pregnancy, meeting the needs for certain vitamins (especially vitamins B9 and D) and minerals (zinc and iodine) is crucial. Indeed, beyond the functions of maintaining our physiological balance, micronutrients also play a primordial role in periods of increased development.

(Data from [14,15])

(Data from [16])

In conclusion, multivitamin supplementation very often raises the notion of "safety". Beyond the quality of the selected nutraceutical ingredients (origin, efficacy...), it is important to take into account the notion of "dose". We must not confuse NRVs (Nutritional Reference Values), which are thresholds below which we are potentially deficient (different NRVs between regulatory values for labelling and values defined by type of population), and MDIs (Maximum Daily Intakes) which represent the limits not to be exceeded in a supplement.

This is why our formula does not contain "supraphysiological" doses, which some people call "megadoses", thus respecting all French MDIs. It has been recognized that, at short and long-term physiological doses, taking multivitamins (of guaranteed quality!) does not present any danger and would even make it possible to limit the differences in micronutrients that grow over time, and potentially permanently, between our needs and what we consume [17]. Multivitamin supplementation could even be an asset in preventing the risk of the appearance and recurrence of long-term cellular degeneration [18].

Publications

1. Shenkin, A. Micronutrients in health and disease. Postgrad. Med. J. 2006, 82, 559–567.
2. Holt, P.R. Intestinal Malabsorption in the Elderly. Dig. Dis. 2007, 25, 144–150.
3. Basu, T.K.; Donaldson, D. Intestinal absorption in health and disease: micronutrients. Best Pract. Res. Clin. Gastroenterol. 2003, 17, 957–979.
4. Popkin, B.M. Nutrition Transition and the Global Diabetes Epidemic. Curr. Diab. Rep. 2015, 15, 64.
5. Popkin, B.M. Relationship between shifts in food system dynamics and acceleration of the global nutrition transition. Nutr. Rev. 2017, 75, 73–82.
6. FAO INFLUENCING FOOD ENVIRONMENTS FOR HEALTHY DIETS; 2016; p. 154;.
7. Khammissa, R.A.G.; Fourie, J.; Motswaledi, M.H.; Ballyram, R.; Lemmer, J.; Feller, L. The Biological Activities of Vitamin D and Its Receptor in Relation to Calcium and Bone Homeostasis, Cancer, Immune and Cardiovascular Systems, Skin Biology, and Oral Health. BioMed Res. Int. 2018, 2018, 1–9.
8. Rein, M.J.; Renouf, M.; Cruz-Hernandez, C.; Actis-Goretta, L.; Thakkar, S.K.; da Silva Pinto, M. Bioavailability of bioactive food compounds: a challenging journey to bioefficacy: Bioavailability of bioactive food compounds. Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 2013, 75, 588–602.
9. Pietrzik, K.; Bailey, L.; Shane, B. Folic Acid and L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate: Comparison of Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics. Clin. Pharmacokinet. 2010, 49, 535–548.
10. Prasad, A.S. Discovery of Human Zinc Deficiency: Its Impact on Human Health and Disease. Adv. Nutr. 2013, 4, 176–190.
11. Zimmermann, M.B. Iodine Deficiency. Endocr. Rev. 2009, 30, 376–408.
12. FIGO Working Group on Good Clinical Practice in Maternal–Fetal Medicine; Di Renzo, G.C.; Fonseca, E.; Gratacos, E.; Hassan, S.; Kurtser, M.; Malone, F.; Nambiar, S.; Nicolaides, K.; Sierra, N.; et al. Good clinical practice advice: Micronutrients in the periconceptional period and pregnancy. Int. J. Gynecol. Obstet. 2019, 144, 317–321.
13. Tan, B.L.; Norhaizan, M.E.; Liew, W.-P.-P.; Sulaiman Rahman, H. Antioxidant and Oxidative Stress: A Mutual Interplay in Age-Related Diseases. Front. Pharmacol. 2018, 9, 1162.
14. Huskisson, E.; Maggini, S.; Ruf, M. The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Energy Metabolism and Well-Being. J. Int. Med. Res. 2007, 35, 277–289.
15. Gironés-Vilaplana, A.; Villaño, D.; Marhuenda, J.; Moreno, D.A.; García-Viguera, C. Vitamins. In Nutraceutical and Functional Food Components; Elsevier, 2017; pp. 159–201 ISBN 978-0-12-805257-0.
16. Bhattacharya, P.T.; Misra, S.R.; Hussain, M. Nutritional Aspects of Essential Trace Elements in Oral Health and Disease: An Extensive Review. Scientifica 2016, 2016, 1–12.
17. Biesalski, H.K.; Tinz, J. Multivitamin/mineral supplements: Rationale and safety – A systematic review. Nutrition 2017, 33, 76–82.
18. Gaziano, J.M.; Sesso, H.D.; Christen, W.G.; Bubes, V.; Smith, J.P.; MacFadyen, J.; Schvartz, M.; Manson, J.E.; Glynn, R.J.; Buring, J.E. Multivitamins in the Prevention of Cancer in Men: The Physicians’ Health Study II Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA 2012, 308, 1871.

One year of developpement

We undertook to develop our latest generation multivitamins in September 2017. It is by reviewing the entire scientific literature that we came across coenzyme forms of vitamins, liposomal magnesium, high absorption chromium or the synergistic effects of carotenoids and bio-flavonoids.

Security analysis (click on it)

On the tangible improvement of health over time thanks to multivitamins

On the high content and high absorption of UltraMag® (liposomal magnesium) 

On the high assimilation of Quatrefolic® (Vitamin B9) 

On alpha-lipoic acid as a key element in the synthesis of glutathione