Do You Need A Multivitamin?
In our modern world there are a great many different factors that contribute to a person not being able to get all the nutrients they need from their food. The most common factor is people eating a poor diet and not taking the time to give their bodies food that they need. Most of the U.S. has a diet that consists of a lot of calorie dense, fattening, very sugary food and a high amount of meat and dairy consumption as well. On top of that few of them eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, less drink enough water to keep their bodies hydrated and on top of that fewer exercise which leaves toxins and sludge backed up in their body from the awful foods their eating. You also have to take into consideration that the quality of our food has gone down significantly. Our food doesn’t provide half the level of nutrients that it used to and the much of it is due to the depleted mineral and nutrient content of our soil. Food that we grow simply isn’t as good for us as it used to be so for many people the only answer is to supplement their diet with a multivitamin.
There is a great deal of misconception about multivitamins and a lot of people think that as long as they are popping a few of these every day that they can eat whatever they want without worrying but this isn’t how it works at all. A multivitamin is meant to supplement - to compensate for any deficiencies that may be in your diet, it’s not meant to support the weight of your nutrition all on it’s own and in fact, it can’t. There are so many important aspects of nutrition, like water content, and fresh enzymes, for example, that can’t be reproduced in a vitamin and must come from the food you eat. However, because nutrition isn’t exactly at the top of the list when it comes to medical education there are few people that realize just how important it is to eat well and what the limits of a multivitamin are. If you are eating well and do understand that a multivitamin is more like a bit of padding in your bank account than your actual retirement fund - you’re off to a good start but there are still a few things to be aware of.
The first is that not all multivitamins are created equally. Many of the commercial brands have little in the way of usefulness and are often packed with fillers and commercially made stuffing that doesn’t give your body much at all. Many of them are also held within molds that don’t break down easily in the body or can be toxic or cause allergic reactions. Some of them even contain scientifically altered or manufactured forms of different nutrients or minerals which never hold up to the real thing when under any kind of scrutiny. There are also tests available now that can determine how much of any given vitamin your body is actually able to absorb and make good use of - some of them are shown to be less than fifteen or twenty percent which is extremely wasteful especially if you’re spending a lot of money on “designer” vitamins.
Because of all of this it’s important to be sure that you’re getting the best quality of vitamin out there and the one that will be the most effective for you as well as work within your lifestyle. It’s been shown that taking a multivitamin regularly (that’s the key here - it must be taken daily) can do all sorts of wonderful things for you. You can reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and all sorts of other degenerative diseases so it’s important that you take the choosing of your multivitamin seriously and make sure you find the best one you can and be dedicated in your taking of it. The best way to do this is to find a company that is known for making good vitamins - according to their consumers, not their in house labs or developers - and make certain you check off a few important things before choosing one. First you want to find a vitamin that comes in capsule form. Capsule form is far better for multivitamins then tablets since most tablets are almost indigestible for many people. Capsules on the other hand dissolve quite easily and allow their contents to be quickly absorbed into the body. If you’re very dedicated you may want to look into vegetable based capsules but many people choose gelatin capsules because of their lower prices and their are kosher gelatin capsules available.
You also want to take into consideration how many multivitamins you’re willing to take each day. For some people it’s difficult enough to remember to take one vitamin a day let alone any more but its extremely difficult (read: impossible) to get all the nutrients, minerals, concentrates and so forth just out of one pill let alone any herbal extracts, macro minerals, or superfood powders. The best thing you can do is be willing to take a few more multivitamins a day such as those that come in a three-a-day, six-a-day, or even twelve-a-day capsules. If however you can’t manage to take any more than one a day it’s important to get the very most out of your vitamin that you can and do to it while getting the best value of your money. Besides, once you’ve learned to take a vitamin once a day it’s not that hard to get in the habit of taking them with each meal or something to that effect. Start out with as many as you think that you can reasonable manage in a day and then work up from there as you go. Make sure however that whatever vitamin you pick is designed to be taken however many times a day you are planning on using it. Don’t just pick up any random brand because not only will it probably not be any good it will also have too much of certain vitamins in it for you to take more than the specified number of times and you can get sick, seriously sick, from too much of the concentrates of certain nutrients so be careful and pay attention to what you’re choosing.
It’s also important to make sure that you get the best quality vitamin you can afford. This isn’t a place to skimp or try to save money, after all it’s you’re health and it’s all you’ve really got so make sure you do the most you can in the way of vitamins. The key here is to be able to find a balance between your vitamins being affordable and being of high quality. Ideally you want the best of both worlds and the only brand I’ve found that does a good job of this is Synergy. They have options for people who like to take different numbers of vitamins and several different varieties suited to certain types of people and their healthy concerns. The vitamins are pretty inexpensive but they’re extremely good quality - especially when you factor in the price. I personally take these and I’m very happy with them but they may not be the best for everyone. If you can afford more there are other brands like LEF and Wellness Resources that are also of high quality but a bit more expensive than Synergy is. Find a brand that works best for you and then stick with it for a few months so that you can determine any improvements or negative effects. Be sure to take the appropriate number of vitamins and at the recommended times and always take then with food. When you’re absorbing such a heavy dose of nutrients it’s quite common to feel a bit sick to your stomach so try and take them with a meal or at least a decent snack so that you don’t end up feeling awful. It’s also important to remember that it can take a minimum of a few weeks before you start seeing any effects of the vitamins. Some vitamin companies say that six weeks to two months is the minimum amount of time a person should commit to them before looking for changes or results and this is probably a good length of time though you can always check with your vitamin company to be certain and see what time span the recommend to start looking for results. Most people say they feel better, have more energy, sleep better and so forth. Lots of people see improvements in their skin, their hair, their nails, digestion, ability to focus, strength and endurance and so forth. It may take a while but the effects of the vitamins you are taking will definitely show themselves and they’ll continue to do so if you remain vigilant over the years as they will help protect you from many diseases and conditions.
Overall a multivitamin is something everyone should be taking in this day and age and it really shouldn’t be sidestepped by anyone looking to improve their health, now and for the rest of their life.