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There’s a lot of confusion about multivitamins out there, and it’s not surprising. After all, the shelves of health food stores – and many “big box” stores – are filled with many different formulas.

However, when you scratch the surface of most of these multiples, you’ll find that the so-called “specialized formulas” are really just window-dressing ingredients added to a very basic formula. Essentially, there’s no real difference between most of them. Many multiples provide at least some of the nutrients you need every day – vitamin A, vitamin C, and so forth. But most of them don’t provide the forms of critical nutrients you need. In fact, most multiples are dumbed down with lowest-common denominator ingredients that your body probably won’t absorb, and therefore, can’t derive any benefit.

In this Terry Talks Nutrition^®, we won’t cover all of the nutrients you need every day – that’s pretty familiar turf for most people. Instead, we’ll take a look at the crucial forms of the nutrients you need, and what to look for when selecting a truly effective multivitamin.

Important B Vitamins

A lot of people are deficient in B-vitamins – even if they’re taking a supplement. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that some people can’t absorb B-vitamins well. As we age, malabsorption of vitamin B12 becomes more prevalent due to changes in protein and enzyme levels and in the digestive tract. For instance, if pancreatic enzymes are in short supply, a specialized protein in the stomach, called intrinsic factor, won’t support vitamin B12 absorption. This is not an uncommon situation. In fact, it affects about 10% to 15% of individuals over 60 years old.

Not All B-Vitamins are the Same!

The second reason may surprise you: it’s estimated that up to 30% of the total population cannot fully utilize the B-vitamins from food and supplements, so getting the right forms of B-vitamins – especially those which need no conversion by the liver – is vitally important.  B-vitamins support healthy energy levels, blood pressure, carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid production, nerve signal transmission, healthy muscle response and exercise recovery – you name it. And women who are pregnant or nursing absolutely need to get B-vitamins plus folic acid (better yet, folate) in their regimen to help prevent birth defects.

Three absolute “must-have” B-vitamins include:

B6 as P-5-P (Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate): Vitamin B6 is available in multiple forms, but only one is the bioactive form of vitamin B6 used in the human body – Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate, or “P-5-P”. By providing this necessary nutrient in the P-5-P form, it doesn’t require conversion by the liver, so it can bypass that step.

B12 as Methylcobalamin: The vitamin B12 you’ll find in most supplements isn’t all that usable by the body. It’s usually in the cyanocobalamin form, which requires conversion by the liver, so its value can be limited. However, by supplementing with the methylcobalamin form, the nutrient is already in the ultimate form that the body needs. It provides much more targeted support for your nervous system, vision, and heart than you’re going to get with cyanocobalamin, which has to go through a cumbersome conversion and absorption process, rendering the actual amount of usable B12 quite a bit smaller than the milligram amount listed on the bottle.

Folate as Methylfolate: Like P-5-P and methylcobalamin,  methylfolate is an active form, versus the more common folic acid. Folates are critical for everybody, but especially for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. You don’t want to guess whether or not you are an efficient converter of folic acid, so it’s very important to use the methylfolate form. This active form of folate goes to work in the body right away, like the other bioactive B-vitamins I’ve recommended. Aside from its well-known value in preventing birth defects and supporting cardiovascular health and the activities of B6 and B12, recent research shows that methylfolate may help people with depression. It’s not surprising, given that approximately 70% of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) also show a genetic predisposition to folate deficiency. Even those who aren’t struggling with depression could use a better form of folate – deficiencies can lead to irritability, general weakness, mental fogginess, and fatigue.

Amino-acid Chelated Minerals

Why chelated minerals? Because minerals are difficult for the body to absorb. A “chelate” is a bond between a mineral (often called “inorganic”) and an organic molecule structure, called a “ligand” that helps the body absorb the mineral during digestion. Amino acids are excellent “shepherds” of minerals through the intestinal wall, because this form can be transported directly into the cells of the body, so it can get to work right away.

Minerals are essential. For example, if you’ve been hearing about “metabolic syndrome” – the clustering of weight, blood pressure, and diabetic problems into one, part of the reason could be a deficiency of magnesium. Being deficient in magnesium makes you more susceptible to stress. Because stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, your body will release more insulin to break down sugars which are intended to provide more energy for the “crisis.” Your adrenal glands become burned out, too, which creates a spiral of poor response to stress as well. When this happens frequently, you’re on your way to insulin resistance and high blood pressure, two of the hallmarks of metabolic syndrome.

Magnesium reduces the inflammation associated with these stress responses, and helps the body regulate blood pressure as well. Unfortunately, even for people who use some form of supplementation, the magnesium is poorly bound and difficult for the body to absorb and use properly, leaving them susceptible to  metabolic syndrome, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, and many other problems.

And that’s just one mineral!

Imagine how much better you’d feel if all of your daily minerals were well absorbed. Consider zinc. We usually think of this mineral as an immune-booster and healing agent for muscle, skin, and other tissue damage. But did you know that your intake (or lack of) zinc can affect the way your mind works?

Zinc deficiency has been linked to depression and anxiety disorders, so boosting your intake with a truly absorbable form of zinc may be exactly what you need to make your days more even-keeled, productive, and enjoyable.

Research has shown that zinc chelated to amino acids is much better absorbed and is much more bioavailable compared to other forms of the mineral. One study comparing the absorption and bioavailability of zinc glycinate and zinc sulfate found that the glycinate form was better absorbed (51% versus 44%) and 16% more bioavailable than the sulfate (non-amino acid) form!

Calcium is the body’s most abundant mineral. Beyond bone health, there’s emerging science that shows that calcium keeps blood pressure numbers healthy, and cholesterol in balance, too. Other research has investigated calcium and vitamin D therapy for colon cancer prevention.

Vitamins

Recently, mainstream medicine has revised its opinion on Vitamin D3, the “sunshine vitamin”. People are more deficient in the vitamin than was previously thought, and vitamin D3 performs even more important work for our health than had been realized. In northern climates, and among those who have limited mobility and don’t spend  much time outdoors, vitamin D deficiencies are common.

That can be a real threat to overall health, because vitamin D is a daily required nutrient that helps calcium build our bones and teeth, keeps the immune system strong, reduces the effects of inflammation and physical wear and tear in the joints, and protects our brain cells.

In fact, clinical trials show that higher levels of vitamin D are associated with improved mental function and ability. Additional research is looking into vitamin D levels and its effect on the cognitive skills of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, too.

Since we know how important vitamin D3 is for so many reasons, make sure to find a supplement that doesn’t skimp on this crucial vitamin. I’d suggest a 1,000 IU level each day as part of your basic multiple vitamin and mineral formula.

While vitamin E is a common ingredient in most multivitamin formulations, you’re typically not getting the full value of vitamin E. The best way to get them is as d-alpha mixed tocopherols because the complete family of tocopherols – alpha, beta, delta, and gamma – is the way that nature intended, and the spectrum we find in vitamin E-rich foods.

Vitamin E protects our skin and cellular structures from damaging free radicals, and supports our cardiovascular system by preventing the oxidation and build up of “sticky” cholesterol in the arteries. Its cellular-protective abilities may extend to keeping nerve cells healthy as
well, so vitamin E can be a valuable nutrient for the brain and for anyone concerned with neuropathy. Its support of the body’s immune defense extends well beyond helping ward off a cold or a sniffle: studies in Finland indicate that vitamin E reduced the incidence of prostate cancer and may protect against the cellular “misfires” that lead to lung cancer as well.

Three Times a Day = Three Times Better

I am frequently asked about once per day vitamins. I understand the desire to take one tablet and be done with it. However, if you want truly outstanding health, you need your multivitamin and mineral formula dose throughout the day for some important reasons. First, humans are designed to acquire nutrients several times a day, which is why our bodies tell us to eat meals more than once per day. Water soluble vitamins are quickly flushed from the body, and you need your vitamin C and the B family as much at 6:00 p.m. as you do at 7:00 a.m. Also, vitamins are small, but minerals are huge by comparison. You cannot obtain meaningful amounts of minerals in a once per day formula. And there are more mineral deficiencies in the U.S. than vitamin deficiencies! In order to deliver truly superlative nutrition, you need to take more than one tablet and more than once per day.

Nutrients Everybody Needs

Admittedly, there are a lot of multivitamin and mineral supplements available, but you may not be getting the right forms of those nutrients. Plus, there is a lot of marketing hype that tries to convince people that only a so-called ‘tailored’ formula will do. That’s why I stress how important it is to make sure that your daily formula is intended for everybody, and one that contains a diverse range of nutrients in the forms that your body can truly use. If you’ve been used to “window dressing” multiples in the past, getting these ingredients in your regimen will make an amazing difference!

** Daily Value (DV) not established                                † US Patent No. 7,947,662