Multivitamins for Women and the Rest of the Family!
Best Multivitamin for Women, Best Multivitamin for Men & Best Multivitamin for Kids
Let's face it, the best way to get your nutrients is directly from your food. However, on the stereotypical American diet we don't always get the vitamins we need. This has led to a routine of taking a multivitamin daily. But what makes one multivitamin better than another? How do I know which one is right for me? And do I need to take other vitamin or mineral supplements in addition to a daily vitamin? If you’re asking these questions, read on to learn about the best choice to make when it comes to multivitamins.
What makes certain multivitamins bad?
While multivitamins are created with the intent of keeping us healthy, sometimes unhealthy additives are mixed in. Unfortunately, artificial food dyes such as Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 sometimes added to vitamins may not be so safe. These dyes contain a substance called benzidene. It is typically present in very low and safe levels in vitamins, but nonetheless it is considered a human and animal carcinogen according to Carol Potera. Furthermore, there has been some evidence that links artificial food dyes to hyperactivity in children. I’m not telling you this to make sure your child does not consume a single drop of an artificial food dye. I’m telling you this because it is important to have awareness of it.
Another group of unfavorable substances to be aware of are heavy metals like lead, mercury and PCBs. Many of you probably know that ingesting high concentrations of these substances is less than helpful. These metals are more likely to be found in fish oils. This is a process known as biomagnification. Biomagnification occurs when small fish are exposed to a small amount of the metal and retain it in their body’s tissues. Then, a larger fish comes and eats 20 of the smaller fish, meaning the larger fish now has 20 times the amount of the metal the smaller fish had. It keeps going like this up the food chain and when oils are extracted from these larger fish, they are more likely to have greater amounts of the metal. While not all fish oil supplements are like this, it’s important to be careful of which one you purchase.
So, which multivitamins are OK to buy? (Hint: don't get Flintstone's Vitamins)
Kids
- Raise Them Well
- Zarbee’s Naturals Baby Multivitamin with Iron (must be 2 months of age)
- Zarbee’s Naturals Gummies
Adults
Prenatal Vitamins
Our Pregnancy Pukeology Podcast episode 3 focuses entirely on why you should take a prenatal vitamin and exactly what to look for. Check it out below! In addition, Raise Them Well also has a Prenatal Vitamin (so you can buy your kids’ vitamins in the same place!)
Listen to "Why take prenatal vitamins? Pregnancy Pukeology Podcast Episode 3" on Spreaker.Do I need to take other vitamins in addition to my daily multivitamin?
Vegetarian/Vegan. If you are vegetarian or vegan it is very important that you are taking a vitamin B12 supplement every day. Vitamin B12 is ONLY found in animal products, so if you limit your animal product consumption you limit your vitamin B12 intake. A deficiency in vitamin B12 can lead to certain types of anemia (not having enough oxygen in your blood) which can lead to feeling chronically fatigued. Therefore, it is important to take your vitamin B12 supplement every day. These are my favorite B12 vitamin just be careful, if you’re vegan be sure to get the B12 vitamin lozenges (the capsules have gelatin).
Men & Women. Generally, if you are an adult you’ve stopped eating some of the calcium sources you had more regularly as a child. Remember the glass of milk mom always made you drink at dinner? Well now you probably aren’t having a glass of milk at dinner or get milk with your lunch at the school cafeteria. Hence, it is important to make sure you are getting enough calcium. Fun Fact: Vitamin D3 helps your body absorb calcium. So, if you take vitamin D3 simultaneously with your calcium, your body will be able to use it more effectively. In other words, calcium and vitamin D3 are best friends and you benefit from their friendship. Calcium in the form of calcium citrate also has a higher rate of absorption. Calcium can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Invest in a calcium/vitamin D or calcium vitamin today!
Now you know all about vitamins! Like I said before, while it is great to get all your vitamins through your diet, sometimes it can be difficult. So, a daily multivitamin is a wonderful benefit to our health and a great contribution by modern medicine. Now you can ensure you, your little ones and your future little ones are getting all their vitamins and minerals!
