How To Find The Best Multivitamin For You

Why do you need a multivitamin? | What to find in a good multivitamin | The best multivitamin

Multivitamins have a bad name in the health community and rightly so. They are often full of fillers and additives, too low-dose, too generic, and formulated with cheap and even harmful forms of vitamins and minerals. Although there are very few good multivitamins on the market, it doesn't mean they are all bad. You will learn here how to distinguish a good multivitamin and why you need a multivitamin in the first place. 

Why do you need a multivitamin?

Modern life requires higher needs

A lot of stress calls for a greater need for nutrients. Whether this is stress from exercise or work — your body doesn't notice a difference. Even if you're a couch potato, your body is paying a price for the stresses of modern life, such as artificial light and toxins - that increase your need for nutrients to fight the daily battle. 

Soil depletion

98.8% of our food depends on soil. The plants we eat need soil to grow, and the animals we eat need plants to grow. Without soil, we cannot survive. [*] 

Rapid population growth is putting pressure on soil. Add to that mismanaged agriculture, and the nutrients in the soil are dwindling.

Nitrogen reserves have declined by 42%, phosphorus by 27% and sulfur by 33%. Plants need these nutrients to grow optimally. [*]

As a result of declining soil fertility, the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables has also been affected. A 2022 study analyzed historical changes in the mineral content of fruits and vegetables in the UK from 1940 to 2019. All minerals except phosphorus declined. The largest overall declines during this 80-year period were sodium (52%), iron (50%), copper (49%), and magnesium (10%). [*] 

Also the magnesium content of wheat in the UK has declined by as much as 23% since the 1930s. [*] 

But it is not only the UK soil that suffers. The content of trace elements (including zinc, copper, iron and manganese) in Finland has declined over the past three decades. [*] Soil erosion is a concern in European countries [*] — reducing soil nutrients. [*], [*] 

We need vitamins and minerals to function properly. So this is worrisome. 

Grain-fed animals 

Not only are our plants less nutritious, so are our animal products. We consume more products from grain-fed animals than from animals fed entirely on grass. And as a result, we are missing out on a number of important nutrients, such as:

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

A 1999 study showed that grazing animals have 3-5 times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than animals fattened on grain in a feedlot. [*] 

Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants 

Grass-fed contains more vitamins, such as vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B12, and minerals. Grass-fed beef also tends to be richer in other antioxidants. [*] 

Omega 3

Although fatty fish is the highest source of omega-3 fatty acids, grass-fed animal products also contain certain amounts. Omega-3 is up to 5 times more present in grass-fed animals than in grain-fed animals and in proper ratio to omega-6. [*] 

You can check out NoordCode’s grass-fed products here, and here.

The concern of non-stressed plants and pesticides

 

Besides the fact that pesticides, and in particular glyphosate, is dangerous to human health [*], it also makes plants exposed to pesticides lower in precious polyphenols (form of antioxidants) compared to organically or biodynamically grown produce. [*] A diet rich in polyphenols from plants, tea, coffee, chocolate and olive oil has been considered to help against oxidative stress. [*] 

Long-distance produce and handling

Transportation time for grown fruits and vegetables varies from a few days via air freight to several weeks in refrigerated transport by ship. In grocery stores, fruits and vegetables may sit in the display case for 1-3 days before being purchased by consumers, who can keep them for up to 7 days before consumption. Fresh fruits and vegetables consumed long after harvest are less nutrient-dense. This is why fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market are best. [*] 

Changes in nutrient composition between harvest and sale depend on post-harvest handling and storage. Machine harvesting can cause more stress on the plant, leading to more damage than harvesting by hand. Nutrients are best preserved when fruits and vegetables are handled carefully and then stored at high relative humidity and in the refrigerator. [*]

Pasteurization and irradiation

Food safety processes such as pasteurization and irradiation will protect you from microorganisms, viruses and bacteria and prevent foodborne illness. But it will also rob you of some extremely healthy benefits. Raw milk products, for example, promote the production of "glutathione," our body's own antioxidant system. Pasteurization also results in a loss of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. [*], [*]  

The use of irradiation is limited in the EU but allowed in many countries. There are regulations for organic foods in the EU. These are excluded from irradiation. [*]  

Wrong cooking methods

Cooking methods also have a major impact on nutrient loss. [*] The cooking method can significantly alter the content of the beneficial substances in broccoli (called sulforaphane - and then there are a number of other valuable compounds) and can be preserved by lightly steaming broccoli florets or eating them raw. [*] 

Another example is folate. When you wash your vegetables, you flush the folate down the drain. If you cook your folate-rich vegetables, you should do so carefully. Steaming is always better than boiling. Folate leaks into the cooking water, so it is always better to consume the cooking water as well. Just don’t consume the cooking water of folate-rich spinach (and other nitrate-containing veggies like beets and endive). [*]

Freezing vegetables will drastically reduce folate content. [*] Freeze-drying fresh fruit has also been shown to affect the amount of antioxidants. [*] However, other nutrient levels remain fairly stable after freezing.

Now that we've discussed why you may need to consider taking a multivitamin, let's get into what you should find in a good multivitamin, shall we?

What to find in a good multivitamin

Folate in the right form

Folic acid is the most common form of folate used in nutritional supplements and fortified foods. However, a significant percentage of the population has trouble converting folic acid to folate, which is the natural form found in foods. A good multivitamin should use a form of folate called Quatrefolic® (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate to ensure folate is absorbed. 

But there are a few other bioactive, high-quality forms as well. For example, folinic acid. This is a bioactive and natural form that often appears on supplement labels as Folate, or may be written as “folinic acid” or “calcium folinate.” [*] 

Other B vitamins in the correct form: B6, B3, B12, B2

Most multivitamins skimp on B vitamins — because they are simply misinformed, or go for the cheap alternative. Here's what you need to know:

• Usually you will find Pyridoxine HCl in most multivitamins, which is not the active form of vitamin B6. Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate (P5P) is the right form to look out for. [*] 
• There are different forms of B3 that all have their own benefits. So there is no bad form of B3. However, you may want to look for a supplement that has multiple forms in a formula. For example: niacin and niacinamide. 
• Riboflavin HCl requires an additional step in the liver to be converted to the active form. Riboflavin 5'-Phosphate is the bioactive form of vitamin B2 that does not require any additional steps in the process. [*] 

Chelated minerals

Minerals are unstable and must be bound to an amino acid or an organic acid to be better absorbed. This is called a chelated mineral. Therefore, you should look for chelated minerals in a multivitamin. Examples of chelated minerals are magnesium taurate (magnesium bound to taurate), copper citrate (copper bound to citric acid) and chromium picolinate (chromium bound to picolinic acid). 

Still, chelated minerals are no guarantee of success. Chelated minerals often contain more of the other compound than of the mineral itself. For example, magnesium citrate is only 13% magnesium and magnesium taurate is 10% magnesium. That's why it's important that a label tell you exactly how much of the mineral you're getting.

A good label says "Magnesium (as magnesium taurate) 25 mg," so you know you're getting 25 mg. A misleading label will say "Magnesium taurate 250 mg," making you think you are taking in much more magnesium than the 25 mg it contains (since the remaining 175 mg is taurate and not magnesium). [*]

A broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, and additional anti-aging components

You want a multivitamin that contains a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals. For example, most multivitamins use only K1 and no K2 at all. You also want a formula that contains antioxidants, herbal extracts and amino acids. Think curcumin, trans-resveratrol, COQ10 and N-acetyl L-cysteine. 

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Proper dosing and balance between nutrients

As you read above, the quality and form of a compound is essential. Next comes the dose and interaction of the nutrients. A multivitamin should contain meaningful amounts of each ingredient. Some manufacturers will use very small amounts of expensive nutrients so they can list them on the label or use too much of a cheap ingredient. 

At the same time, the supplement formulator must consider interactions between nutrients. So that you don't get too much of some nutrients and too little of others.

Save inactive ingredients

Then there are inactive ingredients. Common inactive ingredients in supplements are binders, coating agents, flowing agents, flavoring- and coloring agents. [*] It has been reported that additives, flavoring and coloring agents may cause potential health complications such as skin rashes, migraines, asthma, sleep disorders, and stomach upset. [*] A safe inactive ingredient is actually MCT powder, which is used as an anti-caking agent. Rice flour is also often used as a safe allergen-free filler. 

Secondly, many multivitamins are made with binders that can make it difficult for your body to absorb the nutrients. We will go deeper into this in the next section. 

Capsules vs. tablets 

Little is known about the fact that tablets are much harder to digest. Tablets need more binders to hold them together, which makes them take much longer to break down in the digestive system. Most of the nutrients in a multivitamin must be absorbed in the stomach.  So if a tablet takes too long to be broken down in the stomach and ends up in the intestinal tract, the contents will be much less broken down and absorbed.

A capsule, on the other hand, is broken down within minutes after it enters the digestive tract. [*] 

The best multivitamin

By now you will understand that the form, interaction between nutrients and dosage distinguish high-quality from common multivitamins. NoordCode Everyday Essentials (formerly Master Formula) belongs to the top quality multivitamins. But a multivitamin is more than just the daily recommended intake of vitamins and minerals. We actually call the Everyday Essentials a micronutrient formula - a vitality supplement - with a little extra for the health span. Here's why:

• Everyday Essentials is designed by a scientist who specializes in creating high-quality formulas — so you know you are getting a well-thought-out formula. The effective dosages of the ingredients were chosen based on scientific research — taking into account the interaction between nutrients. 
• With 45 ingredients, it is one of the most complete multivitamins on the market.
• It contains the most active and bioavailable forms of vitamins and minerals.
• Natural folate (5-MTHF) instead of folic acid. 
• B vitamins in their bioactive form.
• Chelated minerals to ensure optimal absorption.
• Vitamin K1 and K2 
• It is enhanced with trans-resveratrol, curcumin, COQ10, PQQ, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
• It contains MCT powder from coconut as a safe inactive ingredient. It is formulated without wheat, corn, gluten, yeast, dairy products, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, lactose, magnesium stearate, palmitic acid, or stearic acid. 
• It comes in a capsule.
  
  

Modern life asks a lot of us. It is not always possible to get all the nutrients from food. That is why it may be useful to take a multivitamin. However, it is important to pay attention to the quality, the right quantities and the bioavailability. NoordCode Everyday Essentials has been specially designed to provide a safe, high-quality supplement to a healthy lifestyle.

Sounds almost too good to be true, huh? See for yourself — below is the full ingredient list.

RI = Reference Intake.
* RI unknown