WHAT MAKES ADVANCED NUTRITION PROGRAMME DIFFERENT TO MANY OTHER MULTI-VITAMINS?
Advanced Nutrition Programme supplements contain nutrients in higher levels than in many other brands, which we believe can make a real difference to your skin and wellbeing while still falling well within recommended safety limits. The vitamins and minerals are scrupulously tested for quality and efficacy and are in an easily absorbable form.


WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TAKE SUPPLEMENTS?
It’s best to take supplements while food is in your digestive tract, so either take them with a meal, or 15 minutes before or up to 30 minutes after. Some supplements, like amino acids, may be better absorbed on an empty stomach. This will be indicated in the directions. The general rule is to always take supplements with food.


WHAT’S THE BEST AGE TO START TAKING A MULTI-NUTRIENT FORMULA?
Anyone 16 or over can take the Advanced Nutrition Programme multi-vitamin supplements daily (eg Skin Vitality 1, Skin Vitality 2 and Pro-Vitality Formula). After age 25, it’s even more important as that’s the age at which the effects of ageing begin.


ARE MEGADOSES OF VITAMINS HARMFUL FOR YOU?
Vitamins are active, so at high levels some may be harmful for you. It's therefore important to take them in the right quantities. The appropriate daily dosage is written on all our product labels, so as long as you don't exceed this it's very unlikely that you will experience harmful side effects. If of course you do have side effects then stop taking the supplement immediately. It's worth noting that the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) shows the minimum levels of a vitamin required to be obtained via the daily diet to stay healthy, not the maximum.



WHEN YOU TAKE ALL THESE HIGH-DOSE SUPPLEMENTS DON’T YOU JUST EXCRETE THEM?
Water is the body’s most essential nutrient. Yet, once it has done its job it is simply excreted. Does that mean you shouldn’t drink water? The same is true for many nutrients. Supplementing vitamin C, for example, raises vitamin C levels in the blood for a few hours, then it’s excreted. During that time, however, it is used by the body for many different processes. Nutrients come and go. In between they do their work. It's also worth noting that not all vitamins are water-soluable and are stored in the body's fat cells.



WHEN I TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN MY URINE TURNS BRIGHT YELLOW. DOES THIS MEAN I’M TAKING TOO MUCH?
It is vitamin B2 (riboflavin) that makes your urine yellow. Once the body has used it, or if there is any excess, it is simply eliminated. But don’t look at it as a wasteful excess, as it only stays in your body for about four hours, during which time it does its work. If your urine is particularly dark yellow, this may mean you are dehydrated so you may need to increase your intake of pure water – aim to have at least 1 – 2 litres a day.



I FIND IT HARD TO SWALLOW SUPPLEMENTS, WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE?
The throat naturally opens for food or drinks, so it’s sometimes easier to swallow supplements with gulps of a fruit smoothie or while eating. You could also try cutting tablets in half, crushing them or emptying capsules and consuming the contents.


ARE HIGH LEVELS OF VITAMIN A SAFE?
It all depends on what you mean by ‘high doses’. The amount in our Skin Vit A supplement is regarded as safe. Two slices of calves liver contains 120,000ius, to put this in perspective our capsule contains 5000ius which falls within industry recommended upper safety limits while still being at a level suitable to support skin health.

Research done by the UK government shows that 95% of women may not be getting the RDA (2700ius) of vitamin A every day – the RDA is an indication of the minimum amout required, not the maximum.

Pregnant women, or women planning to become pregnant, should not take vitamin A except on the advice of their doctor or ante-natal clinic.



CAN I TAKE PRODUCT AFTER ITS 'BEST BEFORE DATE'?
If products are past their Best Before Date we recommend that you don’t take them because the levels of nutrients may start to deplete and the quality of the ingredients may deteriorate.


 
CAN I TAKE YOUR VITAMINS ON MEDICATION?
If you’re taking medication we advise you to speak to your doctor first before taking supplements.


CAN I TAKE ADVANCED NUTRITION PROGRAMME PRODUCTS IF I’M PREGNANT OR BREAST FEEDING?
This depends on the product. If it isn't suitable for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding it will state it on the label, you can also check the 'ingredients' tab on the product page.


ARE ADVANCED NUTRITION PROGRAMME PRODUCTS SUITABLE FOR VEGANS AND VEGETARIANS?
The ingredients listing for each product states whether it's suitable for vegans and vegetarians.


HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY A GOOD QUALITY VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT?
As with most things, you pay for quality, so, within reason, price is a place to start. The cheapest supplements are usually so for a reason – cheaper forms of nutrients, or lower amounts, are used. For example, iron sulphate is less absorbable than iron amino acid chelate: and natural vitamin E (called d-alpha tocopherol) is more potent than synthetic (dl-alpha tocopherol). Advanced Nutrition Programme products use only the highest quality ingredients.


CAN I TAKE YOUR PRODUCTS WITH MEDICATIONS?
If you are taking medication or are under a doctor’s care you should always check with your doctor before taking any supplements.