An analytical model has been constructed based on the individual recommendations of seven published nutritional authorities. Each authority is recongized and respeted within the scientific, medical or naturopathic communities. Each has also published one or more works, citing specific recommendations for daily nutritional intakes. They are Phyllis Balch, CNC, Dr Michael Colgan, PhD., Dr. Earl Mindell, PhD., Dr. Michael Nurray, ND., Dr. Richard Passwater, Ph.D., Dr. Ray Strand, M.D., and Dr Julian Whitaker, MD.
The Blended Nutritional Standard
To construct the analytical model, the individual recommendations for daily nutritional intake from the seven cited nutritional authorities were assessed and pooled. While each author's recommedations had a few characteristics not recongized by the others, there was substantial commonality. A Blended Nutritional Standard was created as those areas of commonality were exploited.
Qualifying the Products and the Final Product Score
The Upper Limit of daily intake (UL) is a component of the new Dictary Reference Intake (DRI) standards currenly under joint development by the United States and Canada. The UL represets the upper level of intake for a specific nutrient deemed to be safe for use by adults.
Qualifying products are assessed quantitatively to provide a percentage ranking relative to the Blended Standard. Fourteen criteria are employed in determing relative product standings.
- Completeness - Does the product contain the full spectrum of nutrients listed in the Blended Standard and considered essetial for optimal health?
- Potency - Of those nutrients in the product, what percent are found at potency levels meeting or exceeding 50 percent of the potency for those nutrients in the Blended Standard?
- Bioavailability -Does the product contain minerals in their most bioavailable forms as amino acid chelates or organic acid complexes?
- Bioactivity of Vitamin E - Does the product contain only the d-isomer of vitaminE (the natural, biologically active form of alpha tocopherol) or does the product use the d/l isomers of isomers of vitamin E ( asynthetic form, where the biological activity is about one-half (or less) of the natural vitamin E)?
- Cardiac Health Triad - Does the product contain vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and magnesium, three nutritional components important to cardic health, at potencies that meet or exeed 50 percent of the Blended Standard?
- Homocysteine Reduction Triad - Does the product contain the nutritional triad of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folic acid, at levels meeting or exceeding 50 percent of the Blended Standard?
- Bone Health Complex - Does the product contain the nutrients shown by clinical studies to be important for optimal bone health (viamin D, vitamin K, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, boron, aclcium, magnesium, silicon and zinc) at potencies equal to or exceeding 50 percent of the potencies listed in the Blended Standard?
- Antioxidant Triad - Does the product contain the important antioxidant triad of vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene at potencies equal to or exceeding 50 percent of the potencies listed in the Blended Standard?
- Glutathione Support- Does the porduct contain the nutritional precursors necessary for glutathione synthesis and the proper functioning of the Glutathione Peroxidase Pathway, at potencies equal to or exceeding 50 percent of the potencies listed in the Blended Standard?
- Metabolic Support - Does the product contain teh nutrients neccesssary to help regulate glucose metabolism and support teh body's ability to generate, store and utilize energy, and are these nutrients avaible at potencies equal to or exceeding 50 percent of the potencies listed in the Blended Starndard?
- Bioflavonoid Profile - Does the product contain a mixture of bioflavonoids (citrus flavonoids, soy isofalvones, quercetin, quercitrin, hesperidin, rutin, bilberry extract and green tea catechins, and proanthocyanidins at potencies that meet or exceed 50 percent of the combined recommended potencies for PCOs and mixed bioflavonoids in the Blended Standard?
- Phenolic Compond Profile - Does the product contain phenolic compounds (polyphenolic acids and their derivatives, including surcumin) at a potency level recently established in the literature (25mg) that have been associated with a reduced incidence of coronary heart disease?
- Lipotropic Factors - Does the product contain the important lipotropic factors, choline (including phosphatidylcholine) and inositol, at levels meeting or exeeding 50 percent of the Blended Standard?
- Potential Toxicities - Does the nutritional supplement contain of vitamin A and iron that exeed 100% of the Blended Standard?
From these fourteen criteria, a Final Product Score, based on a percentage ranking, is calculated. A score approachng 100% represents a product taht possesses those characteristics for optimal nutrition, as reflected in the Blended Standard; conversely, a low percent score represtes a product possessing few, if any, of the characteristics fro optimal nutritin, as reflected in the Blended Standard.