Are you choosing a safe multivitamin? We rely on multivitamins and other supplements to provide nutrients that we are not getting from our diets, so choosing the right multivitamin is incredibly important.
The overflowing supplement shelves in supermarkets and health food stores do not make this task any easier. These supplements are often generic vitamins that don’t offer much nutritional value and are not very high quality. This problem makes it even more important to choose a high-quality vitamin and know how it is processed.
How Does Your Multivitamin Stack Up?
Learning how to choose the right and safe multivitamin for you can involve some work and research. First, you should look at the ingredients in the vitamin you are considering…but do you know what to look for? By glancing at all the labels on the vitamins, many can look the same. However, the vitamins you find at the supermarket and health food stores often use cheap, synthetic ingredients that are not absorbed by the body very well and are usually stuffed with fillers that do nothing for your health. At best, these ingredients lack nutritional value and, at worst, are harmful to your health!
You may think picking up supplements at a pharmacy or bix-box store would get you a good quality supplement. Think again! These, too, are usually filled with cheap ingredients, fillers, and sometimes even artificial ingredients. These will not deliver high-quality, bioavailable vitamins to your body.
Quality Matters In Safe Multivitamins
Different vitamins have different formulations and are complex chemical compounds and minerals. High-quality vitamins are those that include micronutrients that are effective and bioavailable. Figuring out the quality of vitamins usually involves some research and maybe even some digging. It consists of looking at the raw ingredients, where the ingredients are sourced, and how they are processed. You should also learn a bit about the company that makes the vitamins and their standards. These things all make a big difference when it comes to finding a quality and safe multivitamin.
It can take a lot of time and effort to go through all this information, as usually, it is not easily found on the bottle or the company’s website. Let us help you with this! We have already done all the digging and vetting for the company we recommend, Xymogen. Xymogen’s ActivNutrients is their multivitamin that we recommend. We also include some of the things to look for, specifically when you choose a vitamin.
Vitamin B12
Avoid Cyanocobalamin: This is a synthetic form of Vitamin B12 and made from cyanide! Many manufacturers use it because it is cheap, but it is also poorly absorbed.
To read more about Vitamin B12 and Cyanocobalamin, check out Why Do Vitamin B12 Supplements Contain Cyanide?
Look For Methylcobalamin: This form is not made with cyanide and is better absorbed, especially if you have an MTHFR gene mutation.
Folate (Vitamin B9)
Avoid Folic Acid: This form is not absorbed well. In addition, many people have the MTHFR gene mutation, which prevents an enzyme from working. This enzyme is needed to break down this vitamin properly.
Look For Methylfolate (5-methyltetrahydrofolate): This is absorbed by the body well, even for those with the MTHFR gene mutation.
Magnesium
Avoid: Some multivitamins do contain magnesium; however, not enough. This is because magnesium is bulky, so adding the correct dosage to the vitamin would make it too big. For this reason, it is best to supplement with magnesium separately.
Look For Chelated Magnesium: This form is bioavailable. Magnesium has many, many benefits in the body, and most people are deficient.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Avoid: This should not be included in your multivitamin. It is best to take this separately. Many fish oils contain heavy metals and pesticides. Furthermore, some are hard to digest, giving you a “fishy” aftertaste/breath.
Look For: A high-quality fish oil with responsible and clean sourcing without the toxins the cheap brands have. Look for a product that is easily and fully absorbed. Omega MonoPure has been proven in tests to be 3x more absorbable and is a very well-sourced and clean product.
Conclusion of Choosing a Safe Multivitamin
These are some tips and tricks to help you find a safe multivitamin and generally the best supplements. Taking high-quality supplements that are well formulated makes a huge difference!
If you don’t want to go through all the time and trouble to vet the supplements yourself, don’t worry! We have already done a deep dive into Xymogen’s products and have found that they meet the highest standards. In addition, they have very synergistic formulas and patented formulas you won’t find anywhere else. All of their products are highly bioavailable and are processed carefully, preserving their potency. You can check out their products here.
If you have any questions or would like to find a personalized supplement program for you, please give us a call at 303-794-1737 or schedule an appointment here.
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