The Best Multivitamins
Multivitamins are amongst the most popular products when it comes to supplements. We decided to take a look at why so many people choose them and also the best in category products.
What is a Multivitamin?
A multivitamin is a combination of different ingredients. The goal is usually to give you a wide range of nutrients which should then help you to feel healthier in a variety of ways.1
The vast majority of multivitamins contain the essential nutrients; Vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K. Most multivitamins also contain a range of essential minerals; Copper, Chromium, Zinc, Magnesium, Boron, Selenium and Iodine. Some multivitamins also include things like herbs and botanicals too.
Multivitamins being so popular has also given rise to a range of different formats; typically they are either tablets or capsules but in many cases now multivitamins also come in gummy form, liquids, powders or sprays.
Are there different types of Multivitamins?
Yes there are multivitamins which target something specific in many cases. The most common types are:
General Health
These are trying to target nothing specific but are aiming to have an effect on anyone who uses them. Usually they contain a lot of Vitamin B12 and Vitamin C because B12 helps people feel more energised whilst Vitamin C boosts immunity.
Pregnancy
These are aimed at helping people to conceive, women who are pregnant and in some cases also aimed at nursing mothers. They usually contain 400mcg of either Folic Acid or Folate as this is the recommended reference level for women trying to get pregnancy.
Fitness
Some formulas are aimed at those who work out a lot or are playing a lot of sport. These usually contain amino acids which help muscles to recover and rebuild and sometimes also contain things like Green Tea or Garcinia Cambogia which can aid weight loss or fat burning goals.
Are Multivitamin gummies as good as tablets or capsules?
Typically no. Because of the way gummies are made they can rarely be packed with the same levels of nutrients that capsules, tablets or liquids provide. If you’re looking for a big health boost, particularly if you aren’t leading the healthiest lifestyle possible, then gummies are likely to have a lesser impact on your health than taking a multivitamin in a different form which has more ingredients or at least the same ingredients but at higher reference values.
When to take a multivitamin?
Most multivitamins are packed with B-Vitamins. Typically it’s sensible to take them at the start of the day because B-Vitamins tend to make you feel quite energised. If you take a multivitamin in the evening you may find it harder to sleep.
How long does a multivitamin take to work?
There are some nutrients that are typically found in multivitamins which have an almost instant effect. The obvious example is Vitamin B12 where a big dose of it can have an almost instant effect. Vitamin B12 then continues to have a long term effect as the levels in your system build up over time.
There are other ingredients like Vitamin C which many people don’t really notice any change from. That said just because you don’t notice a change it doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Vitamin C is a great antioxidant that serves many purposes; from building the immune system to supporting collagen formation which is important for both the joints and the skin.
Like with almost all supplements, multivitamins require consistent use to really notice a difference. Taking it consistently for a long period will unlock more and more benefits. They’re not going to solve all your problems; if you regularly eat extremely unhealthy food and drink lots of alcohol they might mitigate some of the negatives around this but won’t counteract it completely. Don’t expect miracles but do expect incremental improvements. Those improvements are supercharged if you combine a multivitamin with a healthier lifestyle and regular exercise.3
Which multivitamin is best for men?
The best multivitamin for any man depends on a range of factors.
For Men over 40 years old we are big fans of Solgar’s Male Multiple. This multivitamin is made specifically with older men in mind and is an extremely high quality multivitamin which supports healthy ageing for men with a particular focus on maintaining a healthy prostate and other common issues that affect men of a certain age.
For men who want a sports focussed multivitamin you could consider the Viridian Sports Multi. This contains a range of amino acids that help muscles to build stronger and recover from training quicker.
Men looking for a general multivitamin can consider Pure Encapsulations O.N.E Multivitamin. It’s an ultra high quality product which sources the cleanest ingredients and nothing else. Their products are vegan, gluten free and manufactured with no binders or fillers.
Which multivitamin is best for women?
The best multivitamin for a woman depends on a range of factors. In many respects age plays an important role for a woman’s choice because if she’s menopausal then this is going to play a big factor in what multivitamin she chooses. Let’s look at some good options based on lots of factors.
If you are menopausal then it’s worth considering a menopause focussed supplement. Solgar’s VM-Prime for women combines a range of essential nutrients that help women during menopause. That said it contains no herbs or botanicals and some women prefer to try that approach to cope with the symptoms of menopause. In this case you can consider VitaRite Meno-Forte Plus which is one of our most popular and highly reviewed botanicals for women going through menopause.
For women trying to conceive there are lots of broad spectrum fertility supplements. Bud Nutrition is a brand that focuses especially on fertility and their Women’s fertility product packs a real punch in terms of the number of ingredients they’ve researched and included as well as the reference levels. Given the price I am not sure there’s anything better value or higher quality in the market.
Woman over 40 can consider Lambert’s FEMA 45+; a comprehensive multivitamin and mineral formula that is ideal to not only feel your best but also slow the signs of ageing.
What is the best multivitamin for a child?
For children the ideal is to combine ease of use with quality ingredients. It’s not good trying to give a supplement that kids hate the taste of or that is in a form they can’t take.
The most comprehensive and most popular vitamins for children tend to be the Animal Parade and Animal Parade Gold Vitamins. These two vitamins are unrivalled in terms of the wide range of nutrients they provide. The gold version, in particular, comes with a greens complex that includes super foods like spirulina as well as flax seeds and a fruit complex too. These ensure that your child is getting all the optimal nutrition they need to thrive.
What is the best multivitamin for a baby?
NaturesPlus Baby plex is suitable for us from 6 months old and provides all the key vitamins and has a delicious flavour and an easy dosage pipette. I favour this because it’s so easy to give on a daily basis because of the pipette and because your child will love the taste.
What percentage of a multivitamin is absorbed?
This varies a lot depending on many factors. Many of these are not in our control (e.g. Age, or Pre-existing health conditions can negatively impact absorption) but one of the big factors that we can control is the quality of the multivitamin that we choose.
There are companies who focus on making vitamins as cheaply as possible. They source the lowest quality ingredients and don’t test their products to see how well they’re absorbed. In addition companies can get away with putting less than the stated value in their products and it’s not considered false advertising as long as it’s within 20% of the stated levels. That means that if you’re buying 1000mg of Vitamin C, it could contain as little as 800mg from a low quality brand.
Landys Chemist don’t tend to carry brands who are focussed on making products to a low standard. Our focus is on quality and efficacy. You’ll find multivitamins from us that are food grown, liposomal, methylated and many other things. The focus with all these different products is ensuring maximum absorption and bioavailability. Whilst there are so many personal factors that result in differing levels of absorption amongst different individuals, taking high quality supplements tends to maximises your chances of getting as much as possible out of the supplements.
References
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7019700/
