Ideally, you get advised by professionals to take a well-balanced diet every day to feed your body the crucial minerals and essential vitamins. However, it is a no-brainer that while life isn’t perfect, your meal planning may also not be excellent. That is where the relevance of taking multivitamins comes in. They act like an insurance policy, whereby they provide you with a baseline of nutrients which supplement or act as a back up to your diet.
You ought to understand that not all multivitamins are created equally; therefore, a particular type may not work for you as it would for other people. While you still need to fill that nutritional gap, choosing the right multivitamin for yourself might be a daunting experience for you.
So how do you pick? Take a look at five key factors to consider when choosing a multivitamin.
1. Buy based on your specific needs.
With numerous advancements in the field of medicine, you will find that nowadays, there are multivitamins that are made specifically for a particular group of people. There are some made specifically for seniors, men, women, kids, etc. For instance, women may require a multivitamin, which has more calcium, while seniors need more vitamin D.
Furthermore, you can also choose a multivitamin depending on your dietary needs and restrictions. For example, if you are a vegan, you should be aware that some of these products make use of crushed bone meal or duodenum substances from cows and pigs. These are used as a source of calcium and other essential minerals. So it is always better to look for reliable sources for purchasing the best quality of multivitamins for women at a reasonable cost.
2. Formulas with both calcium and iron should be avoided.
Calcium and iron are both important nutrients in the body that are found in any of the best multivitamin products. However, they are best taken separately and not under one formula. You might be taking the iron for a specific health reason, such as heavy menstrual periods or iron-deficiency anemia.
Having a formula that has calcium in it will tamper with the absorption of iron into the body. Look for a product that has one of the two minerals – the one your body needs, and you will have to take a supplement that has the other at a later date.
3. Beware of additives and fillers.
Some manufacturers make use of synthetic colors, ingredients, and other fillers for numerous reasons. This is done so either increases the shelf life of the product or to become visually appealing. Whenever you notice some additives to the formula which you do not understand, it is best to avoid such a product. It is always recommended that you opt for one that has been made from clean, natural sources.
4. Avoid synthetic folic acid.
We are all made differently, and therefore, our bodies react to certain processes and products differently. Some people may have a genetic mutation that does not allow their bodies to easily convert the folic acid found in specific multivitamins into its active form – 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF).
You may not be aware whether or not you have the mutation, so to be on the safe side, look for a formula that has natural folate in place of folic acid, as it is an already activated form of the nutrient.
5. Check for an industry seal.
The best multivitaminis one that has undergone rigorous testing and is approved by the relevant authorities and labs. In most cases, a USP Verification is what is needed as proof that the product is safe and contains all the ingredients labeled. You should, however, be careful as substandard products may also have the seal. So you should also check the product online to ensure that it is safe for use.