Analogy of a multivitamin: which one should you choose?

Here’s a short humorous statement for you to chew on:

“Half the country (probably a lot more) is overweight and almost obese. I live in Michigan and I think we are the worst state in the United States … how depressing. The worst part is that there are tons of vitamins that we need. put into our body every day and we just aren’t getting it. “

OKAY; rewind the tape … are we overeating and at the same time seeing vitamin deficiencies? What are people going through? Here are a couple of vitamins that we are missing:

1) calcium

2) folic acid

3) iron

4) vitamin D

No matter how well we are trying to eat, it is always a good idea to combat these unpleasant facts by supplementing our diet with a good multivitamin.

So now comes the hard part …

“How do I choose a good multivitamin that provides the nutrients my body needs to keep running like the well-oiled machine that it is?”

Maybe not phrased exactly like that because that’s just from my own hole, but you get the point.

Here are a couple of short and sweet tips to narrow down your multivitamin candidate playing field:

1) get rid of claims; don’t go for something that overstates the benefits … a true multivitamin is not meant to cure your osteoporosis … although it would be nice if it did … true story; next question.

2) choose a brand that you recognize; if it is a nationally known company, it is most likely fine. Also check the manufacturer’s statistics … if it has the “USP” stamp on the label, you can be sure that it has been inspected for the quality of its ingredients by a non-profit organization called Pharmacopeia (I think).

3) check the ingredients and percentages of the vitamins; you need to find an adequate amount of vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, A, B6, B12, C, D, E, zinc, chromium, selenium, vitamin K, and folic acid. Make sure there is a decent amount of each vitamin in the formula and watch out for non-water soluble vitamins (like B3 and B5); those tend to build up in your system and are more difficult to excrete.

4) keep in mind that excessive is not always better; I just talked about non-water soluble vitamins in point 3. Some of the B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium can build up in your system if you take too much and cause future problems like kidney stones.

5) remember that your body is unique; we are all different and should consider these guidelines as guidelines … everyone has different needs and should adjust their intake levels based on age, health and gender. Example: men need more zinc and fatty acids than women and younger women need more iron than older men or women … wow, confused … I know, I know … bear with me; ending this shortly.

Whatever your reasons for taking a multivitamin (and everyone should take a multivitamin at least every other day), don’t expect it to be the cure for AIDS, colds, cancer, etc. Multivitamins are part of a balanced diet to keep you healthy in the long term and they are not miracle pills that will take you to the Mecca of perfect health … it takes time and consistency to balance a strong body and a multivitamin is just one piece of the big puzzle …

… for more pieces of the puzzle, stay tuned on the blog and check out past posts … can’t wait to see him strong and healthy!

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