Multivitamins: A buying guide

In today’s fast-paced world, it can be very difficult to get all the necessary vitamins and nutrients from diet alone. Even if you are able to maintain a well-balanced diet, there’s a good chance you’re still missing out on some key vitamins. That’s why multivitamins have become such an important part of our daily routine. Vitamin deficiencies can cause all sorts of health issues, from mild to severe, depending on what the deficiency is and how long your body has been without it.

Even if you’re one of the few people who does manage to eat a well-balanced diet, it’s still likely that you are not getting all the nutrients you need, in the quantities you need it. On the flip side, taking a multivitamin does not completely excuse you from maintaining a healthy diet, so just because you popped a few Flintstone Vitamins, doesn’t mean you can eat fast food all day without consequences.

But what do you look for in a multivitamin if you’ve outgrown those Flintstones chewables? The answer to that question depends on many different factors, but to start with, your gender and age are probably the most important determinants. Met and women have different dietary needs that change as we grow older. That’s why so many multivitamin makers target age and sex-specific groups.

But regardless of your age/sex, there are some essential things to look for when choosing a multivitamin. It’s always a good idea to check with your doctor or nurse practitioner before selecting a multivitamin, since you may have specific deficiencies that you need to target or it’s possible that taking a multivitamin is not recommended due to health concerns. Once you hone in on what nutrients you need most, you can then target specific multivitamins based on your needs, age and sex. From there, look for quality manufacturers, ones that are made in a GNP certified, FDA approved facility.

If you’re a man, you want to look for a multivitamin that contains selenium and zinc. Selenium has been studied for its ability to protect the body from cancer while zinc helps with sperm production. One of the best, most complete multivitamins on the market for men today is Alpha-Multi, from Vivid Health Nutrition. This premium daily multivitamin has everything an adult male needs for optimal health and can help with maintaining a healthy weight while providing a boost for your libido and virility. It also supports optimal cardiovascular and prostate health, which becomes more important the older you get.

So if you decide that a multivitamin is right for you, remember to look for something that is targeted toward your age and sex. And don’t forget to include your doctor in the decision making process.