JYM Supplement Science - Vita

The Science of Vita Jym

Research suggests that athletes and those who exercise intensely lose many critical vitamins and minerals from training, particularly B vitamins, vitamin C, chromium, selenium, iron, and copper. This is due to a variety of factors, including the loss of minerals in sweat and urine, their increased use for energy production during workouts, and their increased use for recovery and protein synthesis after workouts. Therefore, it's very beneficial that you get at least the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Daily Value (DV) for most minerals, and get far more than these recommendations for most of the vitamins and specific minerals for optimal performance and physique changes.

Conflict of Interest

Many multivitamins sold today actually include minerals that you don't want in a multi. These minerals can inhibit the uptake of important nutrients, like amino acids, as well as other critical minerals.*

The first mineral you don't want in your multi is zinc. Zinc can inhibit the uptake of amino acids! Since it is important to take a multivitamin with a meal, such as breakfast, a multivitamin that includes zinc could interfere with your body's ability to utilize the amino acids in the protein you consumed at breakfast. That could interfere with muscle growth and strength gains, which is the last thing that you want!*

Calcium is another big problem in multivitamin supplements. Calcium interferes with iron and manganese absorption. Unfortunately, calcium is in 99.99% of the multivitamins for sale.

Then there's magnesium, which is also found in most multivitamins. It interferes with manganese and calcium absorption. Both calcium and magnesium should be completely absent from your multivitamin, and they should be taken at a separate time of day.

Phosphorus is the fourth mineral you don't want in your multi. The typical American diet is already rich in phosphorus. Having it in your multivitamin could actually raise phosphorus levels too high. This is problematic because high phosphorous can prevent the conversion of vitamin D to its active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, in the kidneys. Since this form is the most powerful form of vitamin D and provides the majority of benefits, poor conversion can have negative consequences on bone health and vitamin D's other key benefits, such as better muscle strength and higher testosterone levels.*

Vitamins and Minerals That Are MIA

One common vitamin on the MIA list is vitamin K. Recent research suggests that far more people are deficient in vitamin K than originally believed.* Research suggests that supplementing with vitamin K2 alleviates the symptoms of vitamin K deficiency and provides a host of other health benefits. Vitamin K may aid your optimize bone formation and blood clotting.*

Another common missing or under-dosed micronutrient is iodine, which is critical for maintaining healthy thyroid function. Since most of the earth's iodine is found in oceans, iodine deficiency is an important health problem throughout the world. With the wrongful demonization of salt/sodium, few people salt their food today, and many restaurants use far less salt in their dishes. The problem with this is that table salt is iodized to prevent iodine deficiencies. Research suggests that diets that exclude iodized salt, fish, and seaweed have been found to contain very little iodine. In fact, studies suggest that iodine intakes have declined in the U.S., Switzerland, and New Zealand. If your multi doesn't deliver iodine at 100% of the DV or RDA, it's a problem.

Chromium is also absent or severely under-dosed in many multis. This is problematic because the average diet is low in chromium. You could take a separate chromium supplement, but chromium is actually best utilized as part of a multivitamin because uptake is enhanced when chromium is taken with vitamin C.

Copper is another missing or under-dosed mineral. Since higher intakes of zinc can lead to copper deficiency, and you should be certain to get 15 mg of zinc daily separate from your multivitamin, it is important to get an adequate dose of copper (2 mg).

The B vitamins are another problem. You will see them listed on most multivitamins, but the doses are often far too small to offer hard-training individuals any benefit. Any athlete or individual who trains hard should be getting 100 mg of most of the B vitamins, excluding the ones taken in mcg doses.

Other minerals that are also often grossly under-dosed in multis include selenium, molybdenum, and manganese. These minerals and vitamins should be included at a dose that provides at least 100% of the DV or RDA for them.

Bad Form

Consider vitamin A. Vitamin A is often provided in multivitamins as preformed vitamin A, or retinol, in the form of retinyl palmitate or retinyl acetate. These forms are rapidly absorbed but slowly cleared from the body, which can lead to toxicity and liver problems if too much is consumed. Beta-carotene, on the other hand, is a much safer form of vitamin A. Beta-carotene is basically two vitamin A molecules bound end-to-end. The body only converts beta-carotene into active vitamin A when its vitamin A sources are low. To avoid possible vitamin A toxicity, your multivitamin should provide all of its vitamin A from beta-carotene. Sadly, few do.

If you're lucky to find a multivitamin that provides some Vitamin K, there is a very good chance that it's in the form of vitamin K1, phylloquinone, also known as phytonadione. Although this form of vitamin K is fine, it's not necessary in a multivitamin since few people are vitamin K1 deficient. The other main form of vitamin K, vitamin K2, or menaquinone, is the more critical form to supplement with.

Of the menaquinones, menaquinone-4 (MK-4) and menaqionone-7 (MK-7) are the most critical to supplement with. While both vitamin K1 and K2 appear to be involved in blood clotting, K2 provides benefits that go far beyond that and include aiding skin health, supporting testosterone production, and optimizing the formation of bone. Research suggests that vitamin K deficiencies may lower testosterone levels, and that supplementing with MK-4 may support testosterone production.*

Chromium is also often included in multivitamins in less effective form like chromium chloride. Since this mineral tends to be low in athletes and those who train, you need a good dose of it a form that's readily absorbed, such as chromium picolinate. Chromium picolinate is a combination of chromium and picolinic acid. The addition of the picolinic acid enhances the uptake of chromium.*

Poor Absorption

Provided it has the proper forms of certain vitamins and minerals, taking a multivitamin with a meal will enhance the uptake of most of the micronutrients. However, generally speaking, most vitamins and minerals are not completely absorbed by the body. This means that you are basically flushing a good deal of vitamins and minerals down the toilet.

The best way to enhance the body's uptake of the vitamins and minerals in a multi is to take them with 5 mg of BioPerine®. This patented piperine extract from black pepper has been proven in numerous studies to increase the absorption multiple vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.* Research suggests that the 5 mg dose used in Vita JYM can increase vitamin B6 uptake by over 150%, beta-carotene uptake by over 61%, vitamin C uptake by over 52%, and selenium uptake by over 42%.*

Vita JYM Features

• The 25 most critical micronutrients that hard-training athletes need
• No minerals that inhibit amino acid uptake, the absorption of other critical minerals, or the utilization of important vitamins.
• B-complex 100: Vita JYM is like taking a multi and a B-complex in one!
• 10,000 IU vitamin A as 100% beta-carotene
• 400 IU vitamin E
• 120 mcg Vitamin K2 (as MK-7 and MK-4)
• 200 mcg chromium picolinate
• 5 mg BioPerine® to enhance absorption

Under the Microscope

Let's take a closer look at each of the 25 ingredients and doses used to make Vita JYM the athlete's perfect multi.

10,000 IU Beta-Carotene (Vitamin A)

• Vitamin A is well known to be critical for maintaining the health of your eyes, skin, teeth, bones and mucous membranes, including your respiratory tract. This important vitamin can support your resistance to infection and assist in the growth and repair of body tissues, including muscle.
• More recent research shows that this vitamin is critical in energy production, which can aid your performance in the gym and in sport.*

B Complex 100

• B complex 100 includes 100 mg of B1(thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), 500-1,000 mcg B12, 400 mcg folic acid, and 300 mcg biotin. The B vitamins are critical for athletes since they work as cofactors and help with energy production. Plus this group of vitamins tends to get depleted in hard-training individuals.

250 mg of Vitamin C

• This water-soluble vitamin is known for its antioxidant benefits, its ability to support immune health, and to enhance collagen formation.*
• Vitamin C has been suggested to increase fat loss and nitric oxide (NO) production. Although the RDA for vitamin C is only 90 mg for males and 75 mg for females, it requires a larger dose to optimize its benefits.
• Recent research suggests that very high intakes of vitamin C--around 1,000 mg per day-may hamper improvements in muscle endurance and growth. There's not enough research to be concerned about your vitamin C intake, but a dose of 250 mg will provide the benefits of vitamin C without any unwanted effects.

400 IU Vitamin E

• Newer research shows that vitamin E is critical for muscle recovery.*
• The natural forms of vitamin E, called d-alpha-tocopherols, are absorbed and utilized better than the synthetic forms of vitamin E, called dl-alpha-tocopherols.

120 mcg Vitamin K2 (from MK-7 and MK-4)

• Vitamin K plays a critical role in enabling certain enzymes in the body to function.*
• Some of these enzymes are important for fixing calcium in bones, and may even help with testosterone production. It is now believed that vitamin K also works in synergy with vitamin D and, if either one is deficient, than the other one doesn't work optimally.
• One of the main functions of vitamin K2 is to help deposit calcium in the proper places in the body, such as bone and teeth, and avoid depositing calcium in the soft tissues.

3mg Boron

• There is some evidence that this trace mineral can support levels of free testosterone, which isn't bound in the blood to the carrier protein sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG prevents testosterone from leaving the blood to enter muscle cells and bind to the androgen receptors. So, the more free testosterone one has, the greater the potential for muscle growth. Boron may help support a healthy estrogen to testosterone balance.*

200 mcg Chromium Picolinate

• Chromium is an essential mineral in normal, healthy insulin function and metabolism. A number of clinical studies suggest that nutritional supplementation with chromium helps support insulin function, which can impact muscle growth and fat loss.*
• Both endurance exercise and weight training have been shown to increase urinary excretion of chromium. Anyone who trains may benefit from supplementing with a good dose of chromium above the Adequate Intake (AI) of 30 mcg.

3mg Copper

• Copper is important in the maintenance of bone, nerve, and cardiovascular health, as well as immune function. It's important in energy production and can help iron transport oxygen. Some research suggests that it may support growth hormone production.* Yet again, this is one of the minerals often depleted in athletes.
• However, too much copper in relation to zinc can be harmful and has been implicated as one possible cause of chronic fatigue syndrome.
• On the flip side, consuming more than 50 mg of zinc can limit copper absorption, so you need to make sure that your copper and zinc intake are balanced. Evidence suggests you should get copper and zinc at a 1:10 ratio for optimal health.* Since you may benefit from getting in 30 mg of zinc each day from a separate supplement, a 3 mg dose of copper is optimal.

18mg Iron

• This dose provides 100% of the DV for iron. Iron is critical for oxygen delivery to working muscles, and therefore it is critical for performance. The “heme” in hemoglobin is iron, and hemoglobin carries oxygen in the bloodstream to tissues like muscle fibers. It is the heme iron that attracts oxygen.
• Iron is readily depleted in those who train intensely. In fact, the Food and Nutrition Board estimates that the average requirement for iron may be 30% higher for those who engage in regular intense exercise.

150 mcg Iodine

• Iodine is critical for maintaining normal, healthy thyroid function.*
• With today's focus on low-sodium diets, many people are drastically low in iodine because they are neglecting the major source of iodine in the diet, fortified salt. This dose provides 100% of the RDA for iodine.

2.3 mg Manganese

• Manganese is a key mineral for numerous functions in the body, helps maintain the body's ability to metabolize nutrients and the formation of bones.*
• This dose provides 100% of the AI for manganese and over 100% of the DV.

45 mcg Molybdenum

• Molybdenum is a less-understood element, but it is believed to be critical for energy production and waste processing in the kidneys.*
• This dose provides 100% of the RDA for molybdenum.

200 mcg Selenium

• Selenium is a trace mineral that helps maintain normal, healthy thyroid hormone levels and is also important for immune function. It also supports the maintenance of healthy liver function.*
• Evidence suggests that selenium may be critical for muscle strength.* Since athletes are often deficient in selenium, this dose is well above the RDA of 55 mcg.

100 mg Potassium

• Potassium is an important mineral and electrolyte in the body. It is critical for nerve conduction and muscle contraction.*
• You do not want to take a multi that provides more than 100 mg of potassium. Excessive potassium levels could result in problems for the kidneys.

5 mcg Nickel

• The precise mechanisms that involve nickel in the body are not well understood. However, nickel is known to aid iron absorption and utilization by the body, as well as enhance bone health.*
• Although there is no DV established for nickel, a 5 mcg dose is sufficient to aid proper iron uptake and utilization.

2 mg Silicon

• This mineral is important in bone and collagen formation, and may support hair and nail health.*

10 mcg Vanadium

• This mineral may be important to optimize the effects of insulin within a normal range, which can help increase muscle growth and fat loss.*

5 mg of BioPerine®

• BioPerine® is a patented extract of the fruit of black pepper, or long pepper, that contains standardized amounts of the active ingredient piperine.
• Numerous clinical studies confirm that when a 5 mg dose of BioPerine® is taken with other supplements, it increases the absorption of those supplements by 30 to 2,000 percent.*