Iron deficiency is usually diagnosed via a blood test. Serum ferritin levels will be low (ferritin is the storage form of iron). What is weird is that your iron levels can be normal, but you feel tired, fatigued, etc and when you have an “anemia” workup your ferritin is low. The best is to lok for low serum iron and increased serum iron binding capacity, the low ferritin will confirm the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia. Of course, one would also want to know the cause (disease versus poor diet), and if there is anything going on with the size and shape of the RBC.
Two-hundred and fifty four qualifying products were evaluated and compared to the selected nutritional standards. These standards were drawn from a number of sources.
In order to compare products in a quantitative manner, the author developed a comprehensive and reliable product rating methodology. To do this, he used two standards.
Firstly, what he called the Blended Nutritional Standard, based on the pooled recommendations of Dr.s Richard Passwater, Michael Colgan, Michael Murray and Ray Strand. These experts gave their recommendations as to the daily level of supplementation they believed was optimal. The second method of comparison was to compare all the supplements to what the author believes is the industry bench mark, the Usana ‘Essentials’.
The author considered the following 12 points in his review :
Completeness
Potency
Antioxidant Triad
Components for the Gutathione Peroxidase Pathway
Insulin Resistance Defense System
Cardiac Health Triad
Homocycsteine Reduction Triad
Bioactivity of Vitamin E
Bioflavonoid Score
Biovailability
Lipotrophic Factors
Potential Toxicities
The top 5 supplements in this authors conclusions were, with their rating he gave them also showing :
Brand Name Product Name Score
Usana Essentials 0.931
Source Naturals Life Force 0.874
SportPharma Multiguard 0.835
Kurana Corporation Maxxum 4 0.807
Sierra Health & Nutrition Inc. Fortify 0.805
The next 20, making up rankings 6-25, included :
Brand Name Product Name Score
Twinlab Mega 6 0.795
FreeLife Basic Mindell Plus 0.782
Nutrition for Life International Grand Master 0.777
Life Extension Foundation Life Extension Mix 0.774
amni (Adv. Medical Nutrition) Basic Preventive 5 0.773
Julian Whitaker, MD Forward Plus Daily Regimen 0.760
MMS Pro Preventamins 0.755
Rainbow Light Advanced Nutritional System 0.744
Advanced Physicians Products Maximum Potency without Iron 0.743
Dr Robert D. Willix Jr. Next Generation 0.741
Ultimate Nutrition Super Complete Capsules 0.741
Metagenics Multigenics Intensive Care 0.717
Thorne Research Extra Nutrients 0.700
American Longevity Ultimate Daily 0.698
Jarrow Multi 1-to-3 0.695
FoodScience of Vermont Superior Care 0.682
DaVinci Laboratories Spectra 0.679
Mountain Naturals of Vermont Men’s Superior 0.677
Doctor’s Nutrition Mega Vites Senior 0.672
NatureOne High Potency Complex 0.668
The author provides a ranking and score for an additional 100 vitamins. This book is the most complete review of multi-vitamins I have ever seen. Additionally, it supports our personal research that the best multi-vitamin on the market is Usana. Powerful. No pressure.