Expensive Vitamins
Get What You Pay For
For the past 20 years, my parents have consistently taken the vitamins and other supplements I have provided them. So far, so good! My mother, who was born in 1936, takes no medicines–the doctors can’t find anything wrong with her. She once had osteoporosis, but she was able to regain her bone density naturally by taking Metagenics Cal Apatite Forte bone supplement and following the McDougall diet. Recently I dropped off some Pure Encapsulations brand CoEnzyme Q10 at her house. Evidently she did a little reading about this particular supplement and came up with a question: “I saw the price on the bottle of CoQ10 and it is over $30. It is sold on every health food site, Trader Joe, Costco—you name it for a fraction of the cost of the Pure brand. What is the difference? Love you, Mom” Below is the answer I sent her.
This is an interesting question. Here is Pure Encapsulations’ answer: “Synthetic CoQ10 is produced when the compound solanesol is extracted from tobacco leaf. The synthetic processing of this compound produces both cis and trans isomers. The cis isomer is an undesirable molecule as it does not occur in nature and is considered an impurity. All of our CoQ10 powders, liquids, and softgels contain 100% natural, fermented microbial fermentation. The trans-isomer is the form naturally produced in the human body and provides optimal bioactivity.” All of Pure Encapsulation’s products are tested by a third party. So since I am not able to recall how many cis vs. trans molecules are created during these types of chemical reactions I can only say, you may be getting at least half waste product in the lesser quality brands. Thanks for bringing this up!
The process by which a supplement is made, its potency, and the method that it is delivered (with or without excess wax coatings, fillers, and colorings) will affect the results you get. I don’t let my family buy supplements off the shelf at stores. Here’s what my mom takes daily: Pure Encapsulations Ultra Nutrient (multivitamin with turmeric, ginger, milk thistle, hawthorn and antioxidants), Metagenics EPA-DHA (essential fatty acids), Metagenics Cal Apatite Forte (bone supplement) and Pure Encapsulations CoQ10.
