Multivitamin Buyers Guide - How to avoid scams and what simple things to look out for on your vitamin's label
Multivitamins are the cornerstone of the vast majority of supplement stacks. When most people start looking into starting a supplement routine the first thing they often reach for is a multivitamin. And this makes sense given they are convenient and readily available both online and in just about every grocery store/big box retailer. That said, unfortunately most multivitamins out there are... well let's just say less than optimal.
Although I can talk about how great our Multivitamin is, what's most important is knowing what to look out for on any brand's label so you know you're actually getting the benefits you're paying for. Whether it's your first time purchasing one, or you want to take a closer look at the brand you're already taking, without further ado, let's dive in!
The Label
Here are three of some of the most popular brands of multivitamin available today. There are a few nutrients to look out for that many brands cheap out on that can give you an indication of their overall quality. If they are cutting corners on these they're unfortunately not likely to be doing much better on the rest. These include; B12, Folate, Magnesium, and Zinc.
(I have removed any branding to avoid trash talking any brand in particular. Hopefully, with time, these brands can reformulate and do better in the future)
Feel free to click on the images above to get a closer look for a moment. I've highlighted the nutrients in question to help them stand out as, although some brands list the form of the vitamin prominently, others unfortunately obfuscate by placing them at the bottom in a block of text that's hard to decipher if you aren't already familiar with what nutrient is which in their chemical terms.
B12
B12 is always where I start personally so let's take a look. As you can see each of these brands use Cyanocobalamin. This is a synthetic form of B12 that not only isn't found in nature, but also has to be broken down by our body and converted into its active form to be utilized effectively. In fact, depending on genetic factors, we can only really absorb around 6-8 percent (or less) of the B12 from Cyanocobalamin before it's already out of our system. So when looking at the label keep an eye out for Methylcobalamin. It's the active form our body will attempt to convert the Cyano form into anyhow, so it's best to take the version the body can use right away.
Folate (or B9)
Folate is always what I check for second, although if a brand is going cheap on the B12 they are likely to do the same with Folate, it's still worth taking a look. The most common form of Folate used today is Folic Acid. As with Cyanocobalamin, Folic Acid is a synthetic form of the B Vitamin Folate that is inexpensive to produce but needs to go through two separate conversion steps in the liver to get it into an active form our bodies can use. L-Methyltetrahydrofolate, 5MTHF, or Methylfolate (depending on how the brand wants to display it) is the form you want. Although more difficult to produce, Methylfolate is already in its active form meaning your body doesn't need to convert it and it's ready for immediate use.
Due to differences in genetics, the liver may be slower in converting and processing Folic Acid out for some people. This means, taken at high doses, Folic Acid can overwhelm our bodies ability to break it down, meaning that the excess synthetic Folate can float around in our bloodstream, which some researchers have linked to potential immune and metabolic issues. To me this makes the Methylfolate our bodies can use and process out as needed the superior choice in my personal opinion.
Minerals like Magnesium and Zinc
Next lets look at some essential minerals. Although there are many good forms to choose from when it comes to bioavailable minerals the one type common across the board that our bodies struggle with using the most are Oxides. Magnesium Oxide and Zinc Oxide are always two to look out for. Again, like the above B Vitamins, using an oxide form is the inexpensive route taken by many brands at the expense of bioavailability. These oxides are both water insoluble making it difficult for the body to breakdown and use. Quality versions to keep an eye out for are Magnesium Citrate/Glycinate and Zinc Citrate/Picolinate. These have the benefit of being both water soluble and bonded to compounds that boost our bodies abilities to shuttle them where they need to be.
Tablets vs Capsules
After taking a look at some of the nutrients included, and which forms are included, the next thing I look out for is whether its form of delivery is a capsule or a tablet. The main benefit of tablets is they are cheap to produce and you can fit a whole lot pressed into very little space. Now, although convenient, this does come with some drawbacks. Two notable ones are:
Absorption Availability
Because tablets are so tightly compressed our stomach acid, enzymes, and the peristaltic motion of our intestines need extra time to properly break them down and release their nutrients. This can become a problem for those with compromised stomach acid or other digestive issues. Capsules on the other hand, generally speaking, start breaking down immediately upon entering our stomachs allowing the nutrients inside to break down and absorb into the bloodstream much faster giving your body more time to take advantage of any it may need.
Filler Ingredients
Tablets unfortunately often rely on binders and other additives to help them keep their shape and prevent breaking apart during manufacturing, shipping, and handling. These excess binders and fillers can have an effect on how quickly it can break down and may affect nutrient absorption. Some tablets can also be coated with artificial coatings and sweeteners to mask bitter tastes whereas capsules are tasteless and therefore don't need any added flavors.
Conclusion
Although by no means covering every potential decision that can be at play when picking out a multivitamin, I hope this guide was able to help inform you on some of the major items to look out for when shopping for your next multivitamin, or for inspecting the one that's already sitting on your shelf. To take the guesswork out of your shopping we've formulated our own multivitamin which uses all the bioavailable forms of the nutrients listed above while also being encapsulated to ensure ready usability by your body. If you are interested in picking up a bottle feel free to check out its product page by clicking the product card below. And, as always, I want to thank you very much for taking the time to read this quick guide and hope you have a fantastic rest of your day!
"Capsule vs Tablet: Differences, Pros, Cons & Manufacturing Guide"
"Comparative Bioavailability and Utilization of Particular Forms of B12 Supplements With Potential to Mitigate B12-related Genetic Polymorphisms"
"Excessive folic acid intake and relation to adverse health outcome"
"Adverse Effects of Excessive Folic Acid Consumption and Its Implications for Individuals With the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T Genotype"
"Magnesium bioavailability from magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide"
"Comparative Absorption and Bioavailability of Various Chemical Forms of Zinc in Humans: A Narrative Review"
"Zinc Absorption by Young Adults from Supplemental Zinc Citrate Is Comparable with That from Zinc Gluconate and Higher than from Zinc Oxide"
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