Let’s Talk About Multivitamin Supplements

The world of vitamins and minerals can be a complex one. With so many options available in today’s market, it can be challenging to choose the right one for you.

Here we sit down with our Performance Nutritionist Tom, who guides you through the multivitamin world and hopefully makes it easier for you to digest (no pun intended ;)).

So Tom, what is a multivitamin product?

Well, a multivitamin is a quick and convenient way to get in your daily vitamins and minerals and sometimes other ingredients that ultimately contribute to nutritional balance and overall health & wellbeing. In a nutshell, it is a combination of various vitamins that are designed to give you an ‘all-in-one’ supplement that contains the vitamins needed, in the ideal dosages, for your convenience.

Who is a multivitamin for?

Well, various people won’t get enough vitamins and minerals on a daily basis from food alone, these could include those with metabolic conditions or other conditions. In that case, a multivitamin can be imperative. Some people also struggle to eat enough calories or are on low calories, so it could be hard to get enough food in to get enough of each vitamin.

In fact, a study titled ‘Public Health Aspects and the Prevention and Control of Vitamin Deficiencies’ asserts that 92% of people are thought to be deficient in at least one vitamin. So a multivitamin could be a good investment in long-term health.

Could I just buy each vitamin individually as opposed to buying a multivitamin?

There’s an array of vitamins and minerals in the supplements that all have a unique role within the body and ideally will be in optimal dosages. So, these will be dosages that will have an optimal effect on the body and not just for a label claim.

Some people prefer to take individual vitamins as opposed to a multivitamin. This can give the user more control over each vitamin they’re using. A negative could be that it’s easier to overdose and even reach toxic levels. The beauty of a high-quality multivitamin is that it is formulated to hit the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) at least. Also, the vitamins will be consumed in the ideal ratio/balance.

Are multivitamins dosed actually to have benefits or just for maintenance?

Consuming a multivitamin gives you that peace of mind that you’re consuming the RDA each day of your vitamins. So you’ll be getting basal levels of vitamins and minerals each and every day. You can just wake up and consume it and not give it too much thought. Think of it like an insurance policy to ensure you hit the recommended daily allowance. You, of course, can get more from food but it’s highly unlikely you’ll reach toxic levels unless you are supplementing with additional vitamins.

RDA represents the best guess of the amount of a nutrient that is enough to be appropriate for 97% of the population in general.

What ingredients should I be looking for in a multivitamin?

You’ll see on the ingredients list the RDA, these are a guideline of what people should consume over the day to meet their daily requirements, on average for an adult. Some will be 100% of RDA or some in excess and even dramatically in excess. This can be both good and bad.

When choosing a multivitamin supplement, you’ll want to ensure that you’re getting both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins. So the fat-soluble vitamins are your: A, D E, and K and they require fat for absorption and function within the body. 

Vitamin D is the powerhouse for the immune system, Vitamin E is used interchangeably with tocopherol. We include this for the highest biological potency. Also, Vitamin E is a heavy antioxidant.

And we need B vitamins, which collectively aid brain function, energy production, DNA and RNA synthesis and repair, gene function and neurochemicals. 

What else can I do to support my multivitamin supplement and enhance its features?

You can start by ensuring that you consume it either with or around a healthy balanced meal, which contains healthy fats to enhance the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, essentially giving you more bang for your buck.

It makes sense not to have tea at least 30 mins after consuming it.

Also, try to avoid consuming caffeine near to when consuming your multivitamin. This can have negative effects on the absorption of calcium, B Vitamins and more. So don’t have it alongside your pre-workout or coffee.

Perhaps consider limiting the number of foods from wheat seeds and legumes. These contain phytates which can block the absorption of iron, zinc, and magnesium. Foods to consider limiting during this time are bread and cereals. Just space it out from when having your multivitamin.

Should I take a multivitamin every day?

Quite simply put… yes.

It should become a habitual daily supplement, there’s no harm in taking it every day and you wouldn’t need to cycle it or anything like that. Take it on a daily basis to have an insurance policy and to bridge gaps.

What makes DY Nutrition’s multivitamin so good?

Our range includes a full complement of essential vitamins, minerals and natural extracts to support and boost immunity, muscle function and everyday wellbeing.

Just some of the benefits also include immune defence, elevated mental energy and clarity, support for healthy ageing and longevity, eyes, hair, nails and more. 

Every serving of our multivitamin delivers 24 vitamins and minerals and helps to contribute to optimal health and wellbeing. We’ve also included other ingredients like Panax Ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba for additional benefits.

As mentioned earlier, we don’t super dose on our ingredients. This allows us to give people the margin to take other supplements and not fear that they’re gonna reach toxic levels. For example, with Vitamin D you can go vastly over the RDA, essentially we give more flexibility without having to worry.

In summary, at Dorian Yates Nutrition we used only the best ingredients. We use the biologically available forms of each vitamin and mineral. These are in optimal dosages so they are not too high whereby they can cause damage to the body. We put them in the right quantity so you get synergistic effects. We do this by pairing them correctly so that you get 24 essential vitamins and minerals. Oh and we use natural ingredients to get what nature intended.

So there you have it, a multivitamin offers numerous benefits to health and wellbeing. Find out more about our DY Nutrition Multivitamin and explore our full range of supreme supplements.