What’s the right multi-vitamin? It depends on what is going on for you. For children under 6 years, it is more important to get the electrolytes than it is to get hard minerals found in multi-vitamins. They are building the inside of their bones and their organs. The larger minerals in a multi-vitamin can harden their bones too soon before all the nutrients are built inside the bones. Food-based greens and mixes can be a good addition to the regular diet. There are several forms of multi-vitamins that are food-based and tablet-based. This can be a good option for those who are on the go or choose not to mix powder into water daily.
Many specialty multi-vitamin are available, varying from male teens to Longevity Nutrients, athletes to PCOS. There are also multi-vitamins that are designed for diabetics with added herbs to help with insulin resistance; these vitamins work well. MTHFR patients need methyl-folate in their formula instead of the typical folate and several companies are not catering to their needs.
Most importantly, we need to consider the ingredients and their sources. Companies with integrity and independent testing will ensure that the product is from a clean source and has the value that is listed on the bottle. Some companies go the extra step and ensure that the source is not being exploited or becoming endangered. They will also avoid putting harmful ingredients, known as exceipients, into the formula as fillers, binders, coatings, lubricants, emulsifiers, or preservatives. These items are used to make the capsules meet the volume size to fill the capsule, hold a tablet together, keep the ingredients mixed, and to make them more appealing. The best companies are creative enough to make the product work with natural means. Another example of safe ingredients is the use of cyanocobalamin, a synthetic version of B12. Does anyone recognize where cyano might come from? You might tolerate some cyanide if you are detoxing well but it will build up if you are not detoxing.
These excipients are considered safe:
- Magnesium steartate (some studies show it can cause immune suppression avoid it as a coating but consider it when added as a filler)
- Silica
- Microcrystalline cellulose
- Gellan gum
- Gelatine
- Hypromellose (vegan alternative to gelatin)
- Lactose
- Maltodextrin
Adverse effects are associated with these fillers:
- Titanium dioxide
- Silica
- Parabens
- Lactose if you are reactive
- Maltodextrin
- MSG
- Talc
- Microcrystallin cellulose
- Gelatin
- Gellan gum
- Tartrazine
- Allure Red
- Indigotine
- Artificial flavours
Check your labels. Avoiding harmful ingredients is perhaps more important than ingesting the good. In general, I recommend my patients rotate their multi-vitamins occasionally so their body gets a variety much as they should in their diet.
For any questions about vitamins, call to schedule an appointment.
