9 Vital Tips for Choosing The Best Multivitamin to Take
Consult any current medical journal and you will find that it is widely accepted that most adults should be taking a daily multivitamin. This is largely due to modern day diet and farming methods, meaning that we don’t get the nutrition we once did from our daily food intake. With so many options how do you choose the best multivitamin to take?
1. FAST AND EASILY ABSORBED CASE/COATING
The best multi-vitamins are easily absorbed by your body and should be coated by something that is easy to break down in your stomach – such as a rapid release capsule shell. If the vitamin coating is too robust, it will pass through you and into your toilet before anything of nutritional value has been released into your stomach.
2. FAST AND EASILY ABSORBED CONTENT
Food form vitamins and minerals such as provided by plants and herbs are the best quality and are easily recognised by your body. Through the ages your body has been used to absorbing vitamins from foods, but does not easily recognise or process synthetic chemically manufactured drugs, vitamins and medicines. If the nutrients aren’t absorbed by your body quickly then they will pass through you before any benefit can be derived.
3. CHEMICAL OR FOOD FORM?
Chemicals can be brilliantly effective and many aspects of life are dependent on them – but they are not useful for nutrition. If the supplement you choose has a list of ingredients as vitamin names and minerals, with no sign of food sources, then you can assume it is chemical base. A food form vitamin will have a list of food sources and may not even mention specific vitamins by name – as you’ll see later in the article this isn’t something to worry about.
4. SUITABLE AND TIGHTLY SEALED PACKAGING
Obviously a tightly and fully sealed container should be a given with any supplement so if you receive a product not sealed then do not use it. The vitamins should be able to be stored and kept cool, ensuring they do not break down before you get a chance to use them. This is especially an issue with chemically manufactured vitamins.
5. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
Although not always this is usually true in most aspects of life and certainly is when it comes to vitamin supplements. The cheapest way to make multivitamins is chemically and the most expensive is using food forms such as spirulina, alfalfa, barley grass and wheat grass etc.
As food form vitamins absorb a lot better than chemicals, although you pay more, you generally get much better value.
6. LIQUID OR SOLID FORM?
Despite claims from some companies (usually favouring one form or the other) this does not make any difference. The body does not absorb one form better than the other. It is what the multi-vitamin contains that is important – not what form it comes in.
7. DOSAGE AMOUNTS
This is a minefield and often a source of great confusion for people shopping for multi-vitamins. Packaging usually contains an RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) which is a minimum recommended amount. There are many health ‘gurus’ out there eager to tell you that you need so much of a specific vitamin, otherwise something horrible will happen.
The reality is dosage is largely theoretical anyway so shouldn’t be a primary concern – unless you have concerns about overdosing. The amount of nutrition your body absorbs is the key – not the amount that has been chemically manufactured into the supplement in a lab. If you have a supplement which looks very strong but which your body can’t absorb then it is pointless taking any notice of the label.
As mentioned you should be aware of overdosing though. Vitamin K, B complex, A and E can be dangerous in high doses.
8. WHAT’S NOT IN IT?
What’s not in your supplement is another factor to consider when looking for the best supplements. You should avoid multi-vitamins that are full of complex sugars or chemical colour additives. You’re buying a health supplement – not a child’s cereal or a toy.
9. EVERYONE IS PHYSIOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT
Every person has different needs and reacts differently to nutrition absorbed. Nutrition is often a personal thing so just because one product works great for you it doesn’t mean they will be great for everyone. Obviously the opposite is also true.
It may be that the first multivitamin you try is not for you. You may find that you get a reaction you don’t want such as hyperactivity (ginseng can cause this) or excess gas (sometimes associated with alfalfa). Quite often such reactions go away once your body has time to adjust so it is worth persevering for a while. You should also expect an initial uplift in energy levels.
Once you have chosen a vitamin give it a try for 2-3 weeks. If you are still getting reactions you’re not happy with then try a different one. Remember – finding the correct multivitamin for YOU is what you are really trying to achieve.
CONCLUSION
As you can see there is a lot to consider when looking for the best multivitamins. Look for something which will easily be absorbed and preferably in food form as opposed to chemically manufactured. Don’t get too worried about vitamin content as it is what your body absorbs which counts. Good multivitamins will most definitely not be the cheapest but will probably offer the best value. Even good supplements may not be right for you so try different ones if necessary until you find the best multivitamin for you. Its piping rock coupon.