What is a multivitamin?

A multivitamin is a dietary supplement containing a combination of vitamins, minerals and sometimes plant extracts or other supporting substances.

They are intended to maintain your body and supplement your daily intake of essential nutrients, especially if your diet doesn't provide everything you need.

Multivitamins are not so much intended as a solution for specific deficiencies, but offer a convenient "all-in-one" supplement for people who want to support their overall health.

Types of multivitamins

Not every multivitamin is the same. There are different types tailored to your age, health goals, or lifestyle.

For example, there are multivitamins for:

• Seniors - Designed to support changes in the body that occur as you age.
• Athletes - Focused on recovery, performance and maintaining energy during physical exertion.
• After gastric bypass surgery – The surgery bypasses a large part of your stomach and intestines, meaning you absorb fewer nutrients from your diet. A specially formulated multivitamin helps replenish these deficiencies.
• Active multivitamins - Contain vitamins and minerals in their readily absorbable form, such as 5-MTHF (active folic acid). This makes them more effective because the body doesn't have to convert them first.
• Children – Specially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of growing children. These supplements are often available in chewable tablets, gummies, or liquid form, making them easy and appealing to children.

By choosing the right multivitamin, you can give your body exactly what it needs.

Benefits of a Multivitamin

These are the main advantages of multivitamins compared to more targeted supplements:

1. Broad Spectrum – Multivitamins address multiple deficiencies at once, which is especially helpful if you don't know exactly which vitamins you're deficient in.
2. Convenience – You only need to take one tablet or capsule. This is not only convenient but also easier on your stomach than taking multiple supplements daily.
3. Balance – Good multivitamins contain a balanced mix of nutrients, so you're less likely to get too high a dose of any one substance.
4. Prevention – Multivitamins help prevent nutritional deficiencies, while specific supplements often aim to correct existing deficiencies.

Checklist for Buying the Best Multivitamins

If you're looking to buy a multivitamin, it can be difficult to know what to look for. There are plenty of options, but not every multivitamin is created equal.

That's why I'm sharing a handy checklist here to help you make the right choice. This way, you can be sure you choose a supplement that's right for your health and needs.

A good multivitamin contains:

1. Active vitamins

Active vitamins, also called 'biologically active' vitamins, are vitamins in a form that is most usable by the body.

This means they can be absorbed and used immediately, making your supplement more effective.

Many vitamins must first be metabolized by the body, which requires energy. But if you choose the active form, such as vitamin D3 instead of D2, your body can use them immediately, without any additional steps.

2. Organically bound minerals

A good multivitamin contains organically bound minerals for more effective action.

These are minerals bound to an organic substance, such as an amino acid. Your body can recognize organic minerals more easily than inorganic compounds and therefore absorbs them better and faster.

3. Safe, yet effective dosage

When choosing a multivitamin, it's important to pay attention to the dosage. Excessive doses can be harmful, but it's also important that the amount is sufficient to have a real effect.

Keep the following rules of thumb in mind:

• The recommended daily amount (RDA) is usually sufficient to prevent deficiencies.
• If you're pregnant, exercise intensively, or have a diagnosed deficiency, higher doses may be necessary.
• Make sure you read up on (or get informed about) the recommended and safe dosages of the nutrients that are important to you.
• Be careful with vitamins like B6 and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Too much of these can be harmful .

4. A balanced mix of vitamins and minerals

Many vitamins interact with each other. Some combinations reinforce each other, while others have the opposite effect.

An example is vitamin D, which supports the absorption of magnesium and calcium. However, too much calcium can actually interfere with magnesium absorption. (1)

It is therefore important that your multivitamin contains a good balance of different vitamins and minerals, so that they do not interfere with each other.

6. No unnecessary additives

Check the ingredients list for synthetic additives such as colorants, artificial sweeteners, or other E numbers.

The shorter the list of additives, the purer the product. A multivitamin with few additives is often a healthier choice, because the body has to process fewer unnecessary substances.

Conclusion

Choosing the right multivitamin is easier if you pay attention to active vitamins, organically bound minerals and a safe dosage.

Choose a good balance of ingredients, nature-identical vitamins and a short ingredients list without unnecessary additives.

When in doubt, always consult a doctor or dietitian. This way, you can choose a multivitamin that optimally supports your health.

Sources used

1. Khazai, N., Judd, S. E., & Tangpricha, V. (2008). Calcium and vitamin D: Skeletal and extraskeletal health. Current Rheumatology Reports , 10 (2), 110–117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-008-0020-y