
Multivitamins
What are Multivitamins?
Multivitamins are known as an "all-in-one" supplement that provides people with the full spectrum of the essential micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in one or two small capsules or tablets.
Do I need a Multivitamin?
This a common question that is frequently asked by many people. First, it is important that you do not take your advice from online sources, and consult with your physician before taking supplements. Multivitamins are beneficial for some groups of individuals that may be at risk of nutrient deficiency. This includes the elderly, athletes, gastric surgery patients, individuals with digestive issues or disorders to name a few. For a variety of reasons, the essential vitamins and minerals are not consumed or absorbed sufficiently in these groups and so supplementing with a multivitamin is a safe and viable course of action. If you, however, have been told that you have a single nutrient deficiency e.g. iron, then you should maybe check out our specific vitamin/mineral range.
What Multivitamin is best?
That is a great question and a very important one at that. You always want to check the label to ensure that there is sufficient, but not excessive, doses of each micronutrient. The products that we have carefully chosen for our store all boast a balanced profile of these.
When should I take a Multivitamin?
Because of the wide range of vitamins and minerals that require a nutrient transporter, it is best to take them with food, a meal, or drink.
Key Nutrients in Multivitamins
Most multivitamins will contain all the essential vitamins and minerals along with some other healthful compounds such as lutein or CoQ10 to name a few. the label 'essential' indicates that we require these nutrients to survive and cannot produce them in the body. Therefore, it is crucial that we consume them in our diet. While it is safe to assume that most brands will have the entire range of nutrients, as mentioned above, it is crucial to ensure that they contain sufficient doses of these.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
The water-soluble vitamins are those that can be transported by water in the body. These include vitamin C and all the B-vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12). Vitamin C is important for immune support, especially in athletes, and acts an antioxidant in the body. The B-vitamins are known as the energy-producing vitamins. They are responsible for the efficient release of energy from our food.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
As you may have guessed, these vitamins are transported by dietary fats, which are packaged up into small capsules in the digestive system and passed into the bloodstream. These include vitamins A, D, E, and K which are all important for a variety of different functions in the body including antioxidation, reducing inflammation, enhancing calcium absorption and more! Minerals
Minerals are the other class of micronutrients, and these can be further split into macro and micro minerals. The macro minerals are needed in larger amounts and include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. The microminerals or trace elements include zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), chromium, iodine, manganese, and molybdenum. Once again, these are all essential for our survival, even if needed in very tiny amounts!