Hands down, almost all of us know the importance of Multivitamin and Mineral Supplements nutrition for healthy living . Of course, with a well-balanced diet, we can derive the needed nutrition from food. But, how many of us consume a well-balanced nutritious diet?
Some of us may have healthy home-cooked meals all three times a day. But, does that include a right serving of fruits and vegetables? Some don’t even have access to homemade healthy food as they tend to live in a different city for their studies or work. No blaming game; it’s tiring to cook a healthy meal after a hectic day at college or work. No wonder nutrition deficiencies are more common now.
Apart from these normal and healthy busy individuals, few people undergo nutritional deficiencies more than others. Yes, some people cannot reach the recommended amounts of essential nutrients without incorporating fortified foods or supplements.
In fact, the need for supplements starts right from infants. A baby often needs a supplement by four months for an additional source of iron. Thus, the pediatrician recommends a supplement or fortified infant cereals for babies over six months.
Similarly, a woman needs 400 mg of folic acid during pregnancy which cannot be met by food intake. Moreover, pregnant women are also at risk of developing other nutritional deficiencies like iron, choline, and iodine. Thus, a doctor often prescribes a multivitamin and mineral supplement for pregnant ladies.
Older adults often have poor nutrition absorption due to aging. And people with specific medical conditions are also at increased risk of nutritional deficiencies. So, yes, many people can benefit by taking a multivitamin & mineral supplement, for sure.
However, that doesn’t mean you can buy some XYZ supplement over the counter and start popping it. You need to pick the best multivitamin and mineral supplement to get the maximum benefit.
So, how to choose the best multivitamin and mineral supplement? What are some of the most trusted multivitamin & mineral supplement brands? This blog has all the details sorted out for you!! Read on.
How to choose the best Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement?
Consider the following factors while choosing the best multivitamin and mineral supplement brand for you:
- Third-party Testing: Multivitamin supplements are sent to a third-party lab. The lab professionals test whether the supplement contains all the ingredients and is free from harmful and specific high-risk contaminants. We need to make sure the third-party labs mentioned on the supplement bottle are reliable. For instance, Consumer Lab, NSF International, and U.S.Pharmacopeia are some reputed and trustworthy certifications.
- Certifications: Apart from third-party testing, always look for brands that offer non-genetically modified organism (GMO) verified or certified gluten-free or vegan products.
- Ingredients, Potential Interactions & Contraindications: Read the ingredient list and nutrition facts carefully and understand the recommended daily value of the ingredients. You can review the supplement label with your healthcare provider to know whether there are any potential interactions between the ingredients and other supplements or medications you intake. Plus, some nutrients may decrease the absorption of others. For instance, iron and calcium compete for absorption; that is why most high-quality multivitamins will not have both.
The mineral you need also depends on your diet. Moreover, many multivitamins contain herbs, enzymes, and also probiotics. Thus, the efficacy and safety vary for every additional ingredient. Hence, it is ideal to consult with your healthcare provider before choosing the multivitamin.
Multivitamin Dosage:
Ideally, there is no perfect dose for multivitamins. However, most manufacturers use daily values (DVs), dietary reference intakes (DRIs), and adequate intakes (AIs) for determining the dosage of each vitamin and mineral.
Some emerging research says that there are additional benefits from higher doses. Moreover, nutrient bioavailability (level of nutrients your body absorbs from supplements) varies by vitamin or mineral type and form. Hence some manufacturers include a higher amount of specific nutrients assuming that your body will not absorb the entire dose.
Excess Multivitamins or Toxicity:
It is crucial to make sure that no nutrients in your multivitamin exceed the upper limit defined by the National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
Your body can filter and eliminate the excess water-soluble vitamins like Vitamin B and Vitamin C. So they will not harm your body. However, fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A, E, D, and K can get stored in fat tissue. Hence, it can be risky when consumed in excess.
So, always consult with your healthcare provider before you start taking any multivitamin. Taking multivitamins that do not contain unwanted additives and sticking with a reputable multivitamin brand is always safe.
Price:
Of course, the price varies with each brand. So, go for high-quality supplements that add value to your health.
Best Multivitamin & Mineral Supplements for most people:
Here is a list of the best multivitamin and mineral supplements suitable for most people.
Pure Encapsulations:
Pure Encapsulations is a trustworthy brand that offers products free of gluten, fillers, and additives. It is one of the multivitamin supplements that is approved for its quality by third-party labs. It contains all the needed multivitamins, probiotics, omega-3s, prenatal, single nutrients, and sports supplements.
Pure Encapsulations provides safe and sustainably sourced supplements. It is formulated to contribute to the nutritional needs of the body. All the products from this brand are free of unwanted fillers, additives, gluten, GMOs, and other allergens. Plus, each supplement undergoes strenuous third-party testing for the presence of contaminants and harmful components to ensure safety.
Moreover, apart from single-nutrient supplements, Pure Encapsulations provide various products for digestive health, immunity, optimal brain function, hormone imbalance, and more.
Thorne Research:
Thorne Research provides an extensive range of supplements, adhering to manufacturing standards. Thus, all products are of optimal quality. The brand has optimal vitamins like multivitamins, probiotics, omega-3s, prenatal, single nutrients, and sports supplements.
Nevertheless, the Thorne Research brand uses only high-quality ingredients free from contaminants, fillers, and heavy metals. Moreover, all Thorne Research products are manufactured in a facility certified by NSF International and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
Thorne provides a variety of health supplement products like protein powders, multivitamins, probiotics, and fish oils. Thorne supplements are ideal for healthy aging, bone and joint health, enhanced immunity, women’s health, and increased energy levels. Additionally, most of these supplements are vegan, gluten-free, and free of soy or dairy.
LIFETRACK® Multivitamin & Mineral Supplement:
Multivitamins are not about incorporating all the vitamins and minerals. But, it’s all about blending the specific vitamins and minerals perfectly in the right amounts. That will improve the efficacy of the multivitamin drastically. LIFETRACK® multivitamin & mineral supplement is one of the most effective supplements that support the immune system.
LIFETRACK® multivitamin & mineral supplement contains multizyme for optimal digestion and circulatory benefits. It also has activation ingredients that balance and activate all vitamins and minerals.
Providing all the vitamins and minerals in the right amounts, LIFETRACK® multivitamin & mineral supplement is ideal for people of all ages.
Ritual:
Ritual offers high-quality multivitamins specifically formulated for men, women, and children of all stages. The Ritual multivitamin and mineral supplement contain all vitamins, including multivitamins, prenatal, and protein powders.
Moreover, the Ritual brand specializes in making high-quality vitamins that are free of artificial colors, flavors, and fillers. The brand is highly transparent and gives detailed information on the nutrient sources, including the supplier and specific form of each micronutrient.
Above all, Ritual offers a wide range of products for people of all ages, including prenatal and postnatal vitamins, protein powders, multivitamins for men and women, and kids of all ages.
The Ritual Essential for Men Multivitamin is perfectly formulated to meet the needs of men over the age of 18. Additionally, Ritual products are vegan, non-GMO, and are free from dairy, sugar, nuts, or gluten. Plus, all of the Ritual products are tested by an independent lab for heavy metals, allergens, and microbes.
Now:
Now is one of the most affordable multivitamin and mineral supplement brands that manufactures products in a third-party certified facility. Includes all the vitamins like multivitamins, probiotics, omega-3s, prenatal, single nutrients, and sports supplements. Moreover, all Now products are natural supplements free of GMOs and artificial ingredients.
Every Now product is tested thoroughly in the company’s in-house lab for purity and the presence of heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminants. Now supplements are certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a third-party company that verifies facilities to ensure that the process adheres with good manufacturing practices.
Now also provides a wide range of single-nutrient supplements like Now Foods Chewable Vitamin D3 5,000 IU. On their website, you can sort supplements that are vegan, vegetarian, organic, gluten-free, and other specific allergens.
Final Thoughts:
If you are unable to meet your nutritional needs from your diet alone, you can always take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Of course, you can enjoy immense benefits right from your hair, skin, and digestion to overall improved health. But, the market for vitamins is not as straightforward as drugs. Yes, vitamins are not regulated by the FDA as they don’t have strict regulations like drugs. Hence, you need to be careful, read the labels, check with your doctor, and undergo medical tests if necessary before taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement.
Hopefully, this blog has answered all your doubts regarding multivitamin & mineral supplements. Feel free to use the tips and tricks discussed in the blog in picking the best multivitamin & mineral supplement suitable for your nutritional needs.
