Category: Multivitamins

Important Tips About Multivitamins

Do you at times wonder if you’re getting enough nutrients from the foods you consume every day? Do you worry about malnutrition? You might be boasting about consuming lots of vegetables but do you know that the method of food preparation or processing can cut down the nutritional value of those vegetables? In order to meet up with life’s increasing demands, people opt for already processed foods that look nutritious but lacks the nutrients required to maintain a healthy body.

Whether young or old, big or small, you need a nutritional boost to be healthy. This nutritional boost can be in the form of supplements known as Multivitamins. In other words, a multivitamin is a one-dose supplement that gives your body multiple sources of vitamins, minerals, and other essentials to help prevent and address a number of issues and illnesses. They can also potentially help your skin fight colds and flus as an immunity builder, energize, maintain skin, hair, nail, and teeth health, as well as promote mental health. Some think it’s only old people that need these supplements, you will change your mind after going through this ultimate guide starting with the benefits of multivitamins.

Benefits of Multivitamins

Apart from the obvious benefit of providing an affordable and proactive way to maintain health and wellness, a multivitamin can act as the following:

  1. Dietary Doctor: Multivitamin can act as a dietary doctor helping to replace what your diet is lacking. Since most American diets tend to fall short of the daily recommendations, Dickinson, MacKay, & Wong (2015) from Nutrition Journal suggest how the majority of U.S. adults use multivitamins and other dietary supplements as one “means of improving nutrient intakes” (https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-015-0053-9).

Schardt & Scarmos (2013) even label a multivitamin as “insurance against a less-than-perfect diet” (https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Multi+dilemma%3A+should+you+take+one%3F-a0369320121). When you carefully consider your diet, you will see how much you need a dietary doctor.

  1. Mind the Gap: You will understand this expression better if you’ve ever visited London. It’s just a way of saying, think of your multivitamin as a mindful way to fill in your nutritional gaps within your own food pyramid. Research commends a multivitamin for filling voids in our intakes of iron, vitamins B-12 and D, and folic acid, as well as vitamins D and B-12 that one may not be getting enough from one’s food” (https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Multi+dilemma%3A+should+you+take+one%3F-a0369320121).
  2. One Direction: Multivitamins are beneficial since they allow people to regulate their health in the right “One Direction.” As a matter of fact, it has been discovered that users of dietary supplements and multivitamins tend to have better diets and adopt healthier habits in the form of increased exercise, more sleep, and improved mental health.
  3. Dairy Dudes or Divas: Multivitamins can make up for the calcium you’re lacking in your diet. While children can derive calcium from their special foods, adults do not get enough.
  4. Be my Sunshine: Vitamin D which is derived from sunshine is often lacking in adults. Scholars credit multivitamins for adults for fulfilling “nutrient needs when desirable intakes are not achieved through food alone” (https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-015-0053-9). Besides, Vitamin D is often associated with lowering the risks of cancers, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, memory loss, depression, and more (https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Multi+dilemma%3A+should+you+take+one%3F-a0369320121).
  5. Go Green: For all the vegans and vegetarians who typically lack B-12 from not consuming dairy, eggs, seafood, poultry, or meats, a dose of B-12 from a multivitamin or fortified food is highly advantageous. Because plant foods have no B-12 (https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Multi+dilemma%3A+should+you+take+one%3F-a0369320121), a vitamin B-12 deficiency can possibly lead to irreversible nerve damage and dementia. Think of a multivitamin as your best line of defense.
  6. Prenatal care: Multivitamins are so critical for pregnant women to deliver safely by providing necessary nutrients like “vitamin C, folic acid and other B vitamins, and iron.” Ensure your little one is developing appropriately.
  7. Save nine: You know the popular saying that a stitch in time saves nine, save on your upcoming summer vacation since multivitamins can result in fewer lost work and school hours from sicknesses, decreased dollars dished on remedies, treatments, and prescriptions.

What To Look For In a Multivitamin

If you walk into any retail grocery chain or pharmacy today, you might be confused about which multivitamin to choose from. So, let’s consider what to look for in a multivitamin:

  • Delight with D: Vitamin D keeps your bones buff and tough and also strengthens those chompers.
  • The Skin You’re In: For a sensationally clear, glowing, and youthful skin, look for Vitamins A and E since they not only address dermatological health, but also eyes and hair. They also provide your body with a large dose of antioxidants and energy.
  • Hair Up: Boost your hair with biotin. Spradley (2016) cites how biotin can help with cellular health and hair growth (https://www.questia.com/magazine/1P3-4039049171/hair-today-gone-tomorrow). So, there is hope for that bald head with biotin.
  • Here comes the Bs: Boost your health with B vitamins: B1 is useful for immunity, heart support, and mental wellness; B2 improves energy, hair, skin, and eye health; B 3 regulates memory, mood, and heart; B5 may lower cholesterol and can nourish skin; B6 is great for mood, heart, and sleep. B-12 helps to improve mood and energy.
  • Super Man/Woman: Channel your super powers with iron. Experts commend multivitamins for producing hemoglobin (Weil, 2016, p. 22).
  • See for Yourself: Vitamin C is critical for immunity and antioxidant aptitude. See for yourself in the multivitamin mirror!
  • The trickster: Trick illnesses with folic acid since it’s linked to better cell maintenance and DNA protection.
  • MOOve and Groove Calcium: You don’t need to live on a farm to kick it with calcium for strong bones and teeth, nerve and muscle health, gastrointestinal support, and energy.
  • Life of PI: Look out for PI as in Potassium and Iodine (PI). On one hand, Potassium offers heart and digestive protection, pH balance, athletic endurance, muscular health, strong bones, and healthy joints. On the other hand, Iodine assists with metabolic health and thyroid control.
  • Get Selenium: Selenium should be present in your multivitamin. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that fights oxidative stress and defends from chronic diseases.
  • Think Zinc: Zinc is your best shot as far as its skin, immunity, heart, bones, eyes, digestive health functions. Think zinc, ya’ll!
  • M& M: The first M is for Magnesium (for mood, heart, sleep, bones, energy, digestion) and Manganese (for metabolism, blood sugar, decreased inflammation, and reduced premenstrual cramps) is a rock star!
  • BC: Beta Carotene (BC) represents a critical component for your multivitamin. Rife with antioxidants, it might be your fountain of youth!
  • Hello Molly: This Molly is for Studies link it to antioxidant activation (Ortiz & Herrera, 2012). Check for it.
  • OK with Vitamin K: Transform your health by merging with Vitamin K for blood clotting, bone metabolism, and cardiovascular benefits, as recommended from (2015) Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter (https://www.nof.org/2015/02/02/finding-new-health-benefits-for-vitamin-k/).

Multivitamin Buying Guide/ Key Points

Multivitamin supplements come in various forms such as gels, liquids, chewables, capsules, tablets, and powders. Gummies for adults are now becoming very popular.

Before buying, here are a few pointers:

  • Watch the Fluff: Avoid “overstuffed” brands. Watch for fluffy words like “advantage,” “ultra,” and “mega” (Mahoney, 2010) since they can contain higher doses than you truly need.
  • Put your reading glasses on: Carefully read the labels, so you never OD on your multivitamin. Avoid those with 100% or more of the daily value for vitamins A, E, K, folic acid-unless you’re pregnant.
  • Granola Guy or Gal: Ensure that the nutrients are properly listed on the bottle with the correct amounts to avoid unwanted flavors, sugar, colorings, etc. Go granola for purity!
  • Peruse the Pros: Many experts credit these “pros” as great bets based on contents as well as affordability and accessibility. Choose one based on your specific needs as far as gender, age, dietary objectives, lifestyles, etc.
  • Center With Centrum and CVS: Centrum Men Under 50 , Centrum Silver Adults 50+, Centrum Silver Men 50+, CVS Daily Multiple Tablets for Men, CVS Spectravite Adult 50+ Multivitamin
  • Equations for Health: Equate Complete Multivitamin Adults 50+ Equate Complete Multivitamin Men’s 50+ Equate Complete Multivitamin Women’s 50+ Equate One Daily Men’s Health
  • Mother Nature: Nature Made Multi for Her 50+ , Nature Made Multi for Him, Nature Made Multi for Him 50+ , Nature’s Bounty ABC Plus Senior, Nutrilite Daily Multivitamin Multimineral
  • One Day at a Time: One A Day Men’s 50+ Healthy Advantage , One A Day Men’s Health Formula, One A Day Women’s 50+ Healthy Advantage
  • Target Practice: Target Up & Up Adults’ Multivitamins, Target Up & Up Women’s Daily Multivitamin
  • Wally World: Walgreens A thru Z Select Multivitamin, Walgreens One Daily for Women
  • All Sun: Sundown Advanced Formula SunVite, Sundown Naturals Complete Daily with Iron

References:

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Benefits of Multivitamins
  • What To Look For In a Multivitamin
  • Multivitamin Buying Guide/ Key Points