Although we’d like to believe our healthy diet provides all the nutrients we need, the sad fact is that it probably doesn’t. Here’s a few reasons why, and how a multivitamin can amp-up your vital nutrient levels!
1) Most of us could use a little energy boost
One of the benefits of a good multivitamin is that it contains the entire family of B vitamins. We use B vitamins for our get-up- and-go; they support the production of energy in cells. For example, thiamine (B1) and niacin (B3) are co-factors in the storage of energy through the production of ATP (energy) in mitochondria (the cell powerhouse). When we’re under long term stress, it drains our supply of B vitamins, causing fatigue. For that reason and many others, it’s wise to get extra B vitamins from supplements.
Here’s a trick for remembering which B vitamin number matches up with each name- use this mnemonic: TRN (think “train”). T (thiamine) is B1, R (riboflavin) is B2, and N (niacin) is B3. Did you know folate and biotin are also family members? Folate is B9 and biotin is B7.
Multivitamin products can utilize different forms of B vitamins ranging from inexpensive and poorly absorbed to more expensive forms that are well- utilized by the body.
2) Unless you’re healthy and in your twenties, absorption may be a problem
As we get older, nutrient absorption rates decline. One of the reasons is because stomach acid levels drop off as we age, which adversely effects food digestion as well as the extraction of vitamins and minerals. Some nutrients, especially minerals, require gastric acid to “free” them to allow for absorption.
Another obstacle is the condition of the GI tract. If gut bacteria is off balance, which it often is due to issues like Candida or medication use, or if the gut is damaged (such as colitis), the percentage of nutrients that get absorbed into the bloodstream will be limited. In these cases, it helps to take the most absorbable forms of nutrients possible.
3) Sometimes our diet isn’t quite perfect
Most of us are health conscious and try to eat “right”… right? Even with our best efforts, a few nutrients just aren’t abundantly accessible in the typical American diet. For example, vitamin K is mainly found in fermented foods (think miso, kimchi, and natto) and in leafy greens, but to a lesser degree. Many people are unknowingly deficient in vitamin K and can use a boost. Another nutrient with a high deficiency rate is vitamin D, found in uncommon foods such as liver and fatty fish. We can also get vitamin D from the sun, but sunscreen and clothing blocks that source.
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