In a recent editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, a group of physicians who reviewed three studies published by other researchers concluded that the types of vitamin and mineral supplements sold by Melaleuca’s competitors are of no benefit to your health whatsoever. Worse than that, they may do more harm than good!
While Melaleuca was not specifically named in the editorial, these doctors’ conclusions are exactly what Melaleuca scientists announced almost five years ago. Melaleuca’s response to the editorial: It’s about time the rest of the nutrition world learned what we’ve been saying for years!
The results of the editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine were based on three research studies looking at the effects of multivitamins on preventing heart attacks and cancer, as well as improving cognitive function in men older than 65. “Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified and they should be avoided,” the editorial stated.
That is pretty strong language, but Melaleuca is not surprised by the conclusions noted in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The problem is found in the type of minerals used in cheap grocery store supplements. Once you understand the potential damage that can be done by the cheap forms of minerals used by almost all of our competitors, it should be no surprise that the leading brands of supplements provide virtually no benefit to the user. And if you have been following Melaleuca’s research, the fact that those supplements may actually harm you should also be no surprise. In the first place, inorganic forms of minerals like sulfates, gluconates and fumarates used by almost all of our competitors are difficult—if not impossible—for the human body to absorb. And in the second place, these inorganic minerals actually destroy the antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E, that are in the same supplement tablet. Common sense would suggest that 1) since the minerals are not able to be absorbed, they can’t do you any good; and 2) if they destroy vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E, those vitamins can’t do you any good either. The logical conclusion is that such a vitamin supplement is indeed worthless!
Researchers have demonstrated that certain inorganic forms of minerals (like iron and copper) act as free radical triggers when they enter the small intestine—setting off a cascade of free radical activity throughout the body. When left unchecked, free radicals can disrupt bodily systems and can lead to serious health concerns. Furthermore, antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E), which are essential to keeping free radicals in check, are virtually destroyed by the free radicals emitted by the minerals in those same supplement tablets.
Dr. Gladys Block, a professor of nutrition at the University of California, Berkeley who has spent her entire professional career studying the role of vitamin C on disease risk factors, points out that most Americans are undernourished. She says that “most Americans don’t have a healthy diet and therefore don’t get the vitamins and minerals they need.” She emphasized that vitamin mineral supplementation is essential to optimum health. The knowledge that our modern diet leaves us far short of our daily nutritional needs for vitamins and minerals, and the fact that most vitamin mineral supplements are ineffective at remedying this serious health problem leaves both the medical and nutritional communities in a frustrated quandary of what to do.
We propose Oligo® as the solution. Five years ago, Melaleuca introduced Oligo technology, a revolutionary system that binds minerals to amino acids and fructose molecules. We were granted a Patent on this technology in 2012, proving it does what we claim. We also announced the fact that our competitors’ forms of inorganic minerals destroy antioxidant vitamins, and that means people taking those types of vitamins were not getting the nutrients that they thought they were. It stands to reason that they would also be even more susceptible to degenerative diseases than those not taking a vitamin mineral supplement because it is probable that those taking no supplement at all were getting at least some vitamin C, A and E from natural food sources, which would not have been destroyed by inorganic minerals. So it’s interesting to note that the recent editorial makes exactly that same point. Studies have now shown that those taking brand-name vitamin and mineral supplements actually have an increased chance of cancer and other degenerative diseases. Again, it is the type of inorganic minerals these companies are using that is destroying the vitamins and causing them to be of no benefit.
(Note: The recent editorial did not point out why it was happening, it just pointed out that it is happening!) Many doctors and nutritionists were anxious to climb on the bandwagon and add their comments to the popular editorial. “Every time you take a store-bought vitamin, you are taking a chance with your health,” was the common theme to their comments.)
OLIGO: Tackling the Problem From the Ground Up
As usual, when you mess with nature, you cause problems! Melaleuca’s competitors mine minerals from the soil and process them as gluconate, oxides and fumarates. These forms are almost impossible for the body to absorb since they crystallize in the small intestine, creating a cascade of free radicals in the process. That is the problem! Humans were not designed to eat minerals from the soil. We were intended to obtain our minerals from plants! Melaleuca’s Oligo mimics how fruits and vegetables process minerals. Plants absorb minerals from the soil and bind them to proteins and fibers, making them much easier for the human body to absorb. And there is no explosion of free radicals in the process, so our bodies can get the benefit of vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E in the same tablet.STUDY RESULTS: Solubility
In a study at the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg, Canada, irrefutable scientific data confirmed that Oligo delivers an unparalleled level of actual absorption through the intestinal wall. In fact, the study showed that Oligo provides up to four times greater absorption than other mineral forms.
STUDY RESULTS: Antioxidant Protection
The free radical impact of Oligo has been measured and proven in a number of studies.
One study showed that Oligo protects antioxidant vitamins five times better than the mineral forms found in the leading non-Oligo supplements. This means the antioxidant vitamins in Oligo are available to work in your body. Another study clearly showed that Oligo supplements not only protect against dangerous free radical activity in the digestive tract, but extends that protection throughout the entire body—better than any non-Oligo supplement on the market.
The Goal of Supplementation:
Several studies support the assertion that Oligo is the market’s most bioavailable form of multivitamin and mineral supplement. And taking Oligo supplements twice a day will fill nutritional gaps in the diets of a population whose eating habits are deficient in many micronutrients that are critical to the proper function of bodily processes and systems. Melaleuca is the market leader in providing natural solutions to support a healthy diet and physical well-being. Melaleuca vigorously advocates that both healthy diet and exercise are essential in achieving improved physical health and well-being.
We are pleased to see the scientific and medical communities agreeing with the science and facts that Melaleuca has been reporting for years regarding vitamin and mineral supplements. We are confident that as the facts about our competitors’ products become more widely known, more and more customers will seek out the proven nutritional solutions only Melaleuca’s Oligo can provide.
