Choosing the Right Daily Multivitamin Supplement

Are you searching high and low for the best multivitamin around? Choosing the right multivitamin can be very tricky as there are products of every kind in the market all claiming to be the best. I'm quite sure, many of you don't know how to distinguish between marketing fact and marketing fiction, thus I've made an extensive research on this topic. I just wanted to make this clear, what you are about to read is for informational purposes only. They are not intended as a substitute for advice from your GP or medical professional.

Now, lets get started but before I do so please bear in mind that when a multivitamin is swallowed in any other form other than the food-form the body will expel the majority of it because it registers them as foreign therefore, you are not getting 100% absorption of the vitamins you are taking. With that said, I don't shun taking vitamins. The good news is a multivitamin even if it is not all absorbed is more than enough for most of us, especially if we are eating relatively healthy the rest of the time. As said previously, you can only get this much vitamin from the supplement as the body doesn't absorb as much as it's given therefore choosing the right daily multivitamin supplement is really important.

Do you really need to take multivitamins?

The answer is no, that is if you are eating a well-balanced diet. Well, do not take unless you know you need the vitamins. Taking more than what your body needs will do more harm than good. I reckon, doing a blood test will help you determine if you need supplements.

What form of vitamins should you choose?

There are three forms: tablet, capsule, and liquid

Tablet -The least expensive among the three. Easy to store. Have a long shelf life. These hard pills are the worst performing as only 10-20% of the supplement's content gets into the bloodstream meaning every $100 spent on these $80 is wasted.

SoftGel Capsule - Easy to store. Softgel capsules have a better absorption rate than tablets but lower absorption rate than liquid multivitamins. Unlike the tablets, they have a shorter shelf life.

Capsules come in vegetable-based or gelatin-based form. Gelatin-based caps are derived from animals like cows and pigs and had been great concern over about its susceptibility to pass the infection (such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) which is found in cows and is often referred to as "mad cow" disease) to man. Vegetable-based (cellulose) caps are made from Hydroxipropyl Methyl cellulose (HPMc) which is derived from woods and cotton fibers and is generally recognize as safe by FDA. HPMc derived capsules can meet all requirements of current USP and FCC.

Liquid - The most expensive and the shortest shelf life among the three. Liquid multivitamins have the best absorption rate with 95% of the vitamins and minerals making it into the bloodstream.

I personally prefer the veggie or Kosher gel capsules (2nd choice) as tablets are virtually indigestible while choosing the liquid form is a way too high for my budget. If you've been reading my blog, you'll know that I always aim to look for the best value for my dollar. What do I mean by this? Let's say there are four kinds of multivitamins for me to choose from and as follows: low affordability, low quality brand X; medium affordability, high quality brand XY; medium affordability, extremely high quality brand Y; and high affordability, extremely high quality brand Z. I will go for the medium affordability but extremely high quality multivitamin. I will never go for inferior quality nor willing to pay twice as much just to get 30% improvement in the quality of the ingredients. As mentioned above, there are benefits to each kind, as well as drawbacks. Why will I settle for a costly liquid form wherein I couldn't even get 100% absorption either and vitamins like niacin is better much absorbed in the mouth. Consumers need to spend their hard earn money wisely. Don't be swayed by sales talk, don't be victimized by false claims, you just need to do a little bit of research on the supplement that you're eyeing at.

How may multivitamins should you take each day?

It's up to you. Multivitamins come in various serving sizes or dosages. Some multivitamins try to cover all the nutrients in a single capsule per day. Others require 3, 6 or even 12 capsules per day. The only problem with the one a day capsule is it cannot possibly provide you with sufficient quantities of micro-nutrient nor can it fit in all the extras like herbal extracts, superfood powders, active enzymes, and other essential nutritional elements. No single multivitamin can provide all that you need, otherwise it will be too big to swallow. Most health consumers, however, are taking at least 3 capsules a day. As I've said, it's really up to you. The most important issue is choosing a supplement that you will incorporate to your daily routine. If you're willing to take just a capsule each day, that's fine. Simply look for a multivitamin that packs as much as possible all the vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts into a single cap.

Just like to mention that the calcium content in all the multivitamin supplement available in stores or online are less than 45% of the suggested daily value because it's a bulky nutrient. You may want to add a calcium supplement if you don't consume enough dairy to reach 1000-1200mg daily value. If I were you, the calcium found in our multivitamin is good enough as a study conducted in Australia on white women over the age of 65 for six and a half years has found that the use of calcium supplements was associated with increased risk of hip and vertebral fracture of the proximal humerus.

In taking multivitamins, it's important that you select the formulation that's right for the quantity of capsules you plan to take. Getting too much of a particular vitamin or nutrient is bad for your health. Watch for Daily Values or US Recommended Daily Allowance on labels to help guide you, especially if you are taking more than one vitamin.

What to look for a in a good multivitamin?
It should have the following components: Vitamin C(in the form of Ascorbate), Vitamin D-3 (Cholecalciferol), Vitamin E (in the form of d-alpha tocopherol), Vitamin K-2, Folic Acid, Lutein, Calcium (in the form of Calcium Citrate or Malate), Magnesium (in the form of Magnesium Malate or Glycinate), Selenium, B Vitamins [B-1 (Thiamin), B-2(Riboflavin), B-6 (Pyridoxine), and B-12 (in the form of Methylcobalamin), Alpha Lipoic Acid (if possible), herbal extracts, enzymes Please take note of the form being used as this will help you distinguish from those cheap ingredients that you'll see in cheaper brand of multis. The forms of vitamins mentioned above have high absorption rate or should I say in their most absorbable form thus I specifically mentioned them to you. For a multi to be classified as best supplement it ought to contain a balance mixture of vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, enzymes and other specialty nutrients as these work synergistically and many enzymes and herbs can immensely enhance the efficacy of vitamins.

It should be Iron free. Most of us do not need this. We can easily obtain 10mgs (for men and women who are not menstruating) or 18mgs (for menstruating women) )of iron we need from food and if taken in excess can damage the liver.

Vitamins that need precautions: Zinc (<15mgs), copper(<2mgs), Vitamin A(<5000 IU), and Chromium(<120mcgs). These should be taken only in considerable amount as indicated in the parenthesis.

It should not contain adders or fillers esp. synthetic and toxic fillers like hydrogenated oil, dyes, coal tar, etc. as these may hinder absorption and in general are undesirable in dietery supplement.

It should have a best by date. Without a best by date, there is no guaranteed potency by the time of consumption. Vitamins by nature are reactive. That's a simple chemistry taken from a BS Chemistry graduate like me. The quantities listed on the label will change over the course of its shelf life. Therefore, it's important to not take vitamins/supplements that past their expiration date.

The shorter the shelf life the better. If they use cheap ingredients, the shelf life will obviously be longer.

It should be manufactured under strict GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) compliance. This ensures the quality and effectiveness of the ingredients.

It should be nutraceutical-grade,scientifically formulated. It must be absorbable/soluble.

It should be a unisex customized formula.

It should improve your health and wellness. You alone can tell if a multivitamin really works. If you don't feel any difference after taking the supplement after a month or so, it's time to find a better one. This statement only holds true if you are eating nutritious food to complement your supplement intake. Make sure to take your multi with a meal that contains a little fat as certain vitamins like K, D, and E need a little fat to be effectively absorbed by your body.

Always remember that your best defense is to buy the supplements from a nationally-recognized, reputable source with an interest in protecting its good name. Look for a manufacturer who does extensive research and publishes it's clinical studies. Be wary on labels as most supplements out there contain large quantities of inferior grade nutrients/ingredients and toxic fillers and try to put in only a few amount of the superior ones just so they will be allowed to be added on the label. The consumers then will think that this supplement will be doing them some good well in fact they're just buying a bottle of junk and what's even worse it's harmful to their health.

Choosing the Right Daily Multivitamin Supplement 2012-01-10T14:11:00-08:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: fafas