What the fine-print reveals

Never trust the big, bold words on the front of a vitamin bottle. Never. The real story of the formula is written in very small print on the back of the label. When choosing a multi for your infant, toddler, child, teen or for yourself– it is just as important to read the fine print in search of things you DON’T want as for the nutrients you do want to find. Nickel, tin and aluminum, sugar (sucrose), artificial flavor, preservatives (mono and diglycerides) and aspartame are very common ingredients in mass-market brands. All of these should be avoided. Freshlife offers a laboratory Hair Mineral Analysis to anyone wishing to know his/her body stores of essential and toxic minerals. It is interesting that nickel and tin are two of the unwanted heavy metals we test for – and yet both these are listed in the “Supplement Facts” portion of the One-A-Day brand label – as if they are somehow going to contribute to your health!

Other examples of big, bold and oh-so misleading labels are found on the mass-market One-A-Day Weight Smart and All Day Energy formulas. Weight Smart gives you a shot of caffeine from the herb guarana. All Day Energy provides the same caffeine, but in a time-released dose to take you through the day. Consuming more caffeine is never the best way to lose weight and have more energy, and only the fine print tells the real story.