Are All Multivitamins Created Equal?

A multivitamin easily serves as one of the critical foundation products for optimal health. It is no secret that our diets today are significantly lacking the basic vitamins and minerals needed by our bodies. Not only are our diets deficient, but our soil is diminished of the key nutrients it once carried.

Because a multivitamin can help fill the nutritional gaps that our diets leave open, it is important to choose one that provides the right ingredients at adequate amounts, while also being delivered in a way to provide the maximum benefits. All multivitamins are NOT the same; certain aspects should be considered when choosing a product.

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One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a multivitamin is the delivery system. Many products in the form of tablets and capsules exist on the market today, but do these provide the most effects? Optimal nutrient absorption is easily attained when ingredients are delivered in an isotonic form. Isotonic solutions help control the rate at which nutrients move from the stomach to the small intestine, allowing for the appropriate amount of time for proper absorption. Ideally, multivitamins should be delivered in a way where little nutritive value is lost and efficiency of nutrient absorption is at its best.

In addition to the product’s delivery form, it also helps when the nutrients themselves are in a form which allows for maximum absorption and usability. For example, some of the B vitamins are available in forms which allow some conversion steps to be eliminated and optimal utilization to occur. Specifically, the liver must convert cyanocobalamin, the form of B12 most commonly used in supplements, into methylcobalamin, before it can be properly utilized by the body. By supplementing with methylcobalamin in your daily multivitamin, this step can be eliminated.

This is also the case with folic acid. Folate (or folic acid) must go through a series of chemical conversions before it becomes metabolically active to be properly utilized. Folinic acid is an active derivative of folic acid and does not require the action of certain enzymes, again eliminating this step the body would usually have to complete.

Some minerals, like iron, also offer more bioavailable forms. Combining highly bioavailable ingredients with an advanced delivery system gives a unique advantage for your multivitamin.

It is imperative to choose a multivitamin which contains each of the key vitamins and minerals. Not only are these nutrients necessary components for numerous processes within the body and assist in the normal functions of our bodies, but deficiencies in these key vitamins and minerals can have detrimental effects on your health. Vitamins A, C, D, E and each of the B vitamins each help contribute to the basic micronutrient foundation. A multivitamin should contain each of these.

Additionally, including a variety of minerals such as calcium and selenium in your multivitamin can help establish a more rounded multivitamin complex. A formula that simply contains the vitamins and minerals is not enough; you must ensure your product contains 100% or more of the recommended daily values (also known as DVs). A multivitamin helps lay the basic foundation for your dietary supplement regimen, but it must contain the key nutrients at effective amounts.

Isotonix MultiVitamin

Exemplary quality control is a critical component when choosing any dietary supplement, not just a multivitamin. High standards and adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are mandatory for ensuring the highest level of quality control is being performed. Only choose health and nutrition products that are produced under strict GMP standards and feel confident knowing this high quality control system helps guarantee your product meets specifications and ensures consistent manufacturing with regard to purity and performance.

Now more than ever, good health begins with the practice of good nutrition, and a multivitamin has become a key component of this practice. Directing a careful eye towards not only the quantity of ingredients in multivitamins, but also their quality, is one of the surest steps towards a healthier lifestyle.

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Crystal Shelton

How to Choose a Multivitamin

How to Choose a Multivitamin 
from Scientific Affairs

While it’s generally agreed that a balanced diet is the best foundation for health, some studies suggest that to receive the required amounts of all vitamins and minerals we would need to consume approximately 3,000 calories worth of very specific fruit and vegetable combinations on a daily basis. For anyone who is not free to cook—and eat—for the majority of the day, this is not a viable option.

For these reasons among others, it’s no surprise that a study conducted by The Council for Responsible Nutrition shows that a daily multivitamin is the first choice among dietary supplements. Adding to healthy eating with the missing vitamins and minerals not only helps prevent deficiencies related to disease; it also promotes optimal performance in everyday life. As a result, multivitamin supplementation continues to increase, as do the available choices. When it comes to making the right choice, the following points will provide solid guidance.

MultiVitamin

• Most multivitamins will contain approximately 100 percent of the RDA recommendations for 20-25 individual nutrients—in general, the most important of these are the B-complex vitamins, Vitamin D and Vitamin E, and these can certainly be present in higher amounts.
• Biotin is critical for B-complex absorption, but is often included in minimal amounts for reasons of cost—a quality multivitamin will contain 100 percent of the RDA.
• Zinc is regarded as increasingly important in recent studies, and obtaining the entire RDA from food can be challenging; a quality multivitamin should contain approximately 50 percent of the RDA to make up the difference.
• Iodine helps to ensure proper thyroid function, which is foundational to proper metabolism—a sound multivitamin formula will contain 100 percent of the RDA.
• Despite debate about iron supplementation, it is almost certainly advisable for pre-menopausal women; their RDA is set at 18mg, while men require 8mg.
• Selenium has demonstrated particular potential for men’s health, specifically prostate function, but intake must be moderate, regardless of gender—a balanced formulation will contain 75 to 100 percent of the RDA.

As the last two points suggest, varied vitamin and mineral needs have been shown in certain populations, such as higher amounts of B-complex for athletes, Vitamin D for adults over 65, and other categories based on individual genetics and lifestyle habits. Assessing those needs and taking the next step towards custom nutrition may prove useful for those individuals.

All of the above, however, will definitely prove useful in selecting a good general-purpose multivitamin. In times when many of us find ourselves struggling to reach the top of the food pyramid, this simple measure can deliver a much-needed nutritional boost.