Shaklee vs. Other Prenatal Vitamins - Is There Really a Difference?
Category: Healthy Nutrition
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is the first piece in the puzzle when putting together a complete picture to get all the nutrients you need on a daily basis.
For expectant mothers, however, maintaining a proper diet can become a bit more challenging because their bodies require nutrients for two, in a sense. The developing baby has specialized needs beyond what a healthy woman might normally need every day.
That's why most obstetricians prescribe prenatal supplements that include both vitamins and minerals.
Today, the question pregnant women ask themselves is no longer whether or not they should take supplements, but rather, if they should simply accept the prescribed supplements or talk to their doctor about which particular brand they should take.
There are more than a thousand dietary supplement and vitamin manufacturers in the marketplace. Many of these products have never been clinically tested.
Only Shaklee supplements can lay claim to being backed by the The Landmark Study,in addition to more than 100 other studies presented at scientific conferences or published in peer-reviewed journals.
What Is The Landmark Study?
Conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of California Berkeley's Department of Public Health, The Landmark Study is an important and unique safety and effectiveness study of long-term users of multiple supplements.
This clinical study compared three groups of people:
- People who used no supplements at all
- People who used another brand of multivitamins long term
- People who used Shaklee supplements for at least 20 years
The average age of all the groups were in their 50's and 60's, with the Shaklee group being the oldest—nearly 10 years older than the no supplement group.
The results showed that the Shaklee supplement group had double-digit better biomarkers of heart, brain, and cognitive health compared with those from the other two groups.
Exactly What Is The Shaklee Difference?
1. Product purity
All ingredients in Shaklee products meet the incredibly stringent Shaklee protocol, which requires testing for up to 350 chemical contaminants, including pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, solvent residues, etc.
Shaklee products are tested, either by Shaklee's own labs or in qualified independent labs, to ensure that they meet their compositional claims. This means that what you read on the label is what you get in the product.
They also have a robust raw material and supplier qualification program that requires stringent testing of all raw materials, including comprehensive contaminant testing to ensure that they come up to Shaklee's standard.
2. Real-world and clinical performance
Shaklee conducts over 100,000 tests every year to ensure the safety and efficacy of their products.
The company has developed unique—in some cases, patented—delivery systems designed to dramatically improve the absorption of key nutrients. These systems are tested in selected products to confirm that they are doing what they are designed to do.
Shaklee scientists create formulations so that the key active ingredients are included at scientifically supported levels.
This means, for example, that while other supplement manufacturers may contain the minimum recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of a nutrient, Shaklee products contain amounts that are scientifically proven to benefit human health. That may, in fact, be a significantly higher amount!
Shaklee products are proven:
- Over 100 scientific publications, 90-plus in peer-reviewed journals
- Shaklee-powered athletes have won 137 Olympic medals
- Shaklee products have fueled world explorers, 7 of Time-Life's "Greatest Adventures of All Time," and since 1993 right through the space shuttle program, NASA astronauts have used Shaklee to support them exploring space
3. Natural ingredients
Each product is formulated with nutritional ingredients that have been extensively studied to confirm safety and efficacy. Their products do not follow "fads," but are based on scientific evidence of need and benefit.
Shaklee has an unwavering commitment never to use artificial flavors, sweeteners, and added preservatives. They use only non-genetically modified soy protein. The company is opposed to and doesn't conduct animal testing of any kind on any Shaklee product.
There are several combinations of Shaklee products you can take to help you meet your nutritional needs during pregnancy, including:
- Vita-Lea as a multivitamin
- OmegaGuard for omega-3
- Chewable Cal Mag Plus for calcium
- Vita-C for immunity
- Life Shake for protein
- And more
Dr. Daggy says: "I would recommend that any woman contemplating pregnancy, pregnant or lactating—ideally, the first condition, but better late than never—talk to her doctor about the Shaklee products if the doctor recommends something else.
Share the labels or catalog. If the doctor has questions, offer the Product Support number.
And remember, the cost of a prescribed prenatal in the U.S. can be reimbursable, sometimes via a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and always via a Health Savings Account (HSA). If not sure, check with your Plan's Administrator, and keep the documentation (doctor's recommendation and receipts) in case asked by the IRS.
Finally, let me add that there are many questionable claims being made about particular forms of vitamins and minerals being superior, as well as products labeled as prenatals that are woefully inadequate. Go with a company you can trust."
But if you want to simplify your prenatal/postnatal supplementation and use only one product from Shaklee, the Vitalizer Women is an excellent option.
Each box contains 30 Vita-Strips that provide advanced nutrition with a full spectrum of clinically supported vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics and more, including 800 mcg of folic acid, 200 mcg of iodine, and 18 mg of iron.
It uses Shaklee Micronutrient Advanced Release Technology (S.M.A.R.T.), a unique, patented delivery system designed to dramatically improve the absorption of key nutrients.
Each Vita-Strip Contains:
- 2 Vita-Lea tablets
- 2 Caroto-E-Omega tablets
- 1 B+C Complex tablet
- 1 Optiflora Probiotic tablet
"This is the best multivitamin out there. I Iove how naturally they're made and even more how much they helped me when I was sleep deprived and my body was recovering from birth and breastfeeding too. They always help get my body back on track and keep everything working well. Well worth the small investment."
- Kristen
"I buy these vitamins for my daughter. She has used them for years. The perfect combination for younger girls and women. Price is good for the amount of nutrients, which includes a probiotic. Another good Shaklee product."
- Linda
Thanks for reading,
Rena
