Best Nutrients to Have in Your “One a Day” Supplement

Are you taking a daily multivitamin/multimineral (MM) supplement? Many people take MM supplements to ensure they don’t have any significant vitamin or mineral deficiencies. This is a reasonable goal for those who don’t have the resources to take a variety of supplements throughout the day. However, such supplements may not necessarily provide optimal levels of a given nutrient.

Don’t Expect Guidance from Your Doctor

Unfortunately, many medical professionals consider MM supplements to be a waste of money, so you may not receive guidance or support from them. Therefore, you need to carefully evaluate the pros and cons of a given MM supplement and decide for yourself what best serves your health.

Not All MM Supplements are Alike

Although many MM supplements are similar, each formulation is typically unique, with some ingredients not found in others and significant differences in doses among identical ingredients. Moreover, there may be significant variations among same ingredients based on the anion attached to the cation.

Three Nutrients to Avoid in Your Nutritional Supplement

Avoid calcium, iron, and copper in your MM supplement as they can increase oxidative stress in the body, unless there is a clear deficiency. In adults, it is rare to be deficient in calcium or copper. Iron supplementation is only necessary to address a deficiency due to excessive menstruation or gastrointestinal blood loss.

Avoid Supplements with Calcium, Iron, or Copper

Avoid MM supplements that contain any of the above three elements. Most MM supplements have high calcium content, which is counterproductive in the long run. Rare MM supplements like the “Two-Per-Day Capsules” by Life Extension Foundation contain only six mg of calcium per capsule and no copper or iron.

What Should You Look for in a Good MM Supplement?

The best MM supplement should contain vitamins A, C, D3, E, and B vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folate, and B12. Take note of your total daily intake of vitamin D3, as most adults don’t need more than 5,000 units daily. The “Two-Per-Day Capsules” contain 1,000 units of D3 per capsule.

Why Vitamin D Blood Testing is Important

Get your vitamin D level tested to ensure it’s within the recommended range. Too little or too much vitamin D3 can be harmful. It’s unnecessary to frequently test vitamin D levels once you’ve been supplementing for over a year as levels are generally stable over time. However, it’s wise to test a couple of times during the first year of supplementation to ensure you are where you want to be.

Additional Considerations for a Good MM Supplement

Avoid MM supplements with calcium, iron, or copper, and look for amino acid chelate forms of minerals like magnesium glycinate, which is beneficial as both a cation and anion. Some MM supplements don’t contain enough quality minerals, so it’s better to take a good multivitamin and separately address the minerals or take a separate multimineral supplement predominantly composed of amino acid chelates.

Bolstering Essential Nutrients

Even if you’re taking a good MM supplement, it’s important to supplement your intake of other essential nutrients like vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamin K, depending on your underlying medical condition.

Final Advice for Good Health

A good MM supplement can promote good health, but avoid MM supplements that contain calcium, iron, or copper. Address important components like vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamin K separately. With careful evaluation, you can find the right MM supplement that best suits your health needs.

Republished from NaturalHealth365