Write a commentMultivitamins are a mixture of individual vitamins combined together using inactive ingredients as a bonding compound to give you many different types of nutrients and vitamins needed for overall health.
Many people consider their multivitamin an essential part of their day. So, are they really getting their bang for their buck?
Many people like to ask whether or not they need a multivitamin to stay healthy. The truth lies in how you eat. The "gas tank" analogy best explains the average person. If you drive your car until it runs out of gas, it will no longer run. Fill the tank back up and the car starts to run again.
So, is more gas better? Would you overfill your tank until it spills all over the ground and expect your car to run even better? No, of course not; you would just be letting your hard earned money spill onto the ground. This is also true for vitamins. If you already have enough to run your engine, what benefit is there to overfilling the tank? If you are eating a wide variety of foods rich in fiber and color and consuming lean health protein sources, than the likelihood of your multivitamin pushing your health over the edge is about the same as you over filling the tank, the extra is just going to run down the drain-literally!
What if you are someone who is constantly on the run and find it very difficult to sit down for a balanced diet? Many people are deficient in nutrients and are not aware of it In this case, it would be best to meet with a certified nutritionist or someone qualified to evaluate your nutritional health. This will save you time and money and keep you from flushing dollars down the drain.
A good nutritional evaluation should have some key components which include, weight and body analysis, family history, current health concerns, current medication and a symptom survey. All of these will help evaluate your risks and deficiencies. It will also allow your caregiver to recommend vitamins that are most appropriate for you and your specific needs. This prevents you from taking and wasting supplements you do not need.
No time for a nutritionist, well consider the old adage, "You get what you pay for." Multivitamins come in every size, shape and color. Manufactures use different forms of ingredients to prepare their proprietary blends and not all ingredients are created equal. Generally speaking, the cheaper the price of the multivitamin the cheaper the forms utilized in the mix. Opt for "bioavailable" forms or forms and mixtures that are more easily used by the body. Examples of this include vitamin D3 which is more readily used by the body than vitamin D2. Another example is calcium citrate versus calcium carbonate, which the latter does not absorb well in the digestive tract.
In the end, a little research can save you a lot of time and money. Also, try to keep it simple and do not buy overly processed or overly packed vitamins because your body will just excrete them when they are not absorbed. As always, consult your health care provider before taking any supplements to prevent accidental interactions or adverse health risks when taking supplements and vitamins.
