VIP Supplements: Multivitamins

This is the last in a series of 5 on what we, at Damron Chiropractic & Wellness, consider to be the “Vital & Integral Players” – or VIPs – of the supplements necessary for healthy aging.

The word multivitamin certainly sounds credible.  We’ve probably heard the word since our youth with those Flintstone vitamins our mom would give us that tasted remarkably like candy.  It probably was no coincidence either that the commercials for those cute, little vitamins would happen during the actual cartoon.  Clever marketing at its best!  Nowadays, vitamins, or more specifically multivitamins, are found in every grocery store, pharmacy, fitness center, gym, and wellness boutique.  There are literally hundreds of different multivitamins available today, too.  So, how do we discern which is best, if we really need one, and what the real benefits are?

In order to survive and function optimally, our body needs a daily supply of essential vitamins and minerals.  If eating a healthy diet, then a multivitamin would not be needed.  However, the reality is how we actually live each day.  It is a fact that most Americans are not eating a healthy diet, which leaves our bodies lacking the essential vitamins and minerals it needs to thrive.  Multivitamins can help close this gap between what is and what it should be.  Now that we have acknowledged this gap, which of the hundreds of multivitamins is truly best for us?

Let’s start with the facts about how our bodies are designed.  Our body is uniquely created to eat and digest the food our good Earth provides us.  We have complicated things by taking that food and repackaging it with over-processing.  If we were to take full advantage of how our body is designed, then we should acknowledge that food in its purest form is best.  Therefore, a multivitamin that is created from whole foods (foods that are natural and in their purest form) rather than processed is the ideal. This would mean organic, too – no added chemicals or pesticides.

Another way to determine which multivitamin is best for you is to look for those that are certified.  In 2007, the good manufacturing practices (GMPs) were established by the FDA to ensure high quality supplements are produced and available to the public.  Other independent organizations took that a step further and offer voluntary certification programs for supplement manufacturers as well.  When researching the multivitamin alternatives, search for those that have subjected themselves to the highest of quality standards.  Examples of what to look for include:  the Natural Products Association, U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention, and NSF, in addition to the GMPs by the USFDA.

Remember, it is up to us to ensure or body receives what it needs to function at its best.  It is also up to us to keep it that way so we can age healthily.  We make choices every day that ultimately impact how well we stay on that path of wellness.