Vitamins and minerals are the building blocks of your daily diet — the good stuff you need to fill your plate with each and every day. But sometimes it’s easier said than done! You get busy at work and eat a lot of takeout, you’re running kids around and eating drive-thru fast food, or you change your diet or suddenly develop a food sensitivity and can’t eat the same things you used to. It happens!
That’s why multivitamins exist: to help you feed your body the vitamins and minerals you need, even when life gets in the way. But what makes up a quality multivitamin, anyway? What should you look for on the label, and how do you know you’re buying something made with quality ingredients?
What is a multivitamin?
A multivitamin is a daily formula made with vitamins and minerals, intended to help fill nutritional gaps.
Multivitamins are made with a variety of ingredients, which can vary from product to product. Some are labeled “complete,” which means it contains many or most of the recommended Daily Value of vitamins and minerals. Some are specially formulated for gender or age, like men’s formulas, prenatal vitamins, or formulas for older adults. Some may not include ingredients like iron, but there are typically a few vitamins and minerals that show up in every formula.
Which ingredients do I need in a multivitamin?
Before starting a multivitamin, you may want to check in with your doctor or practitioner for more insight into what your body needs. Many multivitamins contain vitamins A, C, D, and E, as well as B-vitamins like B6 and B12; these are vitamins you should be getting from your diet, but may not always hit the recommended Daily Value from food alone. Other formulas may include minerals like zinc, calcium, and magnesium. Each addition plays a different role; for example, vitamin C supports immune health, and calcium helps support strong bones.*
You’ll want to pay attention to the Recommended Daily Value chart on the label of your product, as well as the serving size, to make sure your chosen multivitamin fits into your schedule and you’re not getting too much of one ingredient. Again, this is a great conversation to have with your healthcare provider, who will be able to share insight into which nutrients you need.
What is the best multivitamin for me?
That depends! There are so many different formulas that finding one that works for your life should be simple. You can try tablets, softgels, gummies, chewables, or a liquid multivitamin. Floradix Epresat® Adult Liquid Multivitamin is a vegetarian formula infused with vitamins A, D, E, and several B-vitamins, including niacin, riboflavin, and B6. The energizing fruit and herbal juice contains cola seeds, which are traditionally used for energy support, and milk thistle, traditionally used for liver support.* For children who may need a little help getting extra vitamins and minerals, try Kinder Love®, which includes vitamins A, B6, B12, D, and E with calcium.