What Are Multivitamins?

What is a multivitamin?

A multivitamin is like a nutritional insurance policy. It may help fill in the gaps when dietary intake is inadequate. Multivitamins contain a combination of vitamins, minerals and often other ingredients such as herbal medicines, enzymes, antioxidants and oils, which help people to obtain their recommended intake of vitamins and minerals, where they are unable to get these from food. Quality multivitamins are formulated by scientists and nutritional specialists for broad applications across most conditions including stress, energy, immunity and general wellbeing. They are seen as a ‘proactive’ approach to health.

How to get the most out of your multivitamin

To get the most out of your multivitamin, make sure you choose the right formula for you. As men and women have different nutritional requirements and health concerns, it is ideal to choose a multivitamin that will target those specific needs.

Multivitamins for women and men

Multivitamins for men and women may feature ingredients designed to support the following:

• Nervous system
  Some B group vitamins (B1, B3, B6, B12) support energy levels and may assist nervous system function.

• Energy
  Magnesium and iron are vital for energy levels. Women with heavy blood loss during menstruation may require iron supplementation. The B group vitamins are also critical to the production of energy.

• Antioxidants
  Antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and beta‐carotene help to protect against cell damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin C is also essential for collagen production, which is a component of our skin, blood vessels, and bones.

• Immunity
  Nutrients essential for supporting healthy immune system function include vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E and the minerals such as zinc and selenium.
• The mineral chromium assists carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism in the body. Iodine is a trace nutrient which supports healthy thyroid gland function. The thyroid gland produces hormones that affect our metabolic rate, and body temperature.

• Bone health
  Calcium, magnesium and vitamin D are important nutrients essential for bone health and are essential to help achieve and maintain bone density.

What is the right multivitamin for me?

Some multivitamins are formulated considering the nutritional and health requirements to suit different life stages and gender. These products may contain different ingredients and/or they could contain different amounts of certain nutrients. Women’s multivitamins are created specifically to meet women’s nutritional needs. Beneficial ingredients include:

• Iron ─ Iron is needed to make haemoglobin and support healthy red blood cell production.
• Calcium ─ Calcium supports the development of bones and teeth.
• Vitamin B6 ─ Vitamin B6 may help with the relief of premenstrual tension symptoms (PMS).
• Biotin ─ Biotin may help support nail health.

Similarly, men’s Multivitamins are designed to meet men’s nutritional needs. Ingredients to look out for in men’s multivitamins are:

• Zinc ─ Men have greater zinc needs than women as it supports functioning of the male reproductive system.
• Selenium ─ Selenium has antioxidant properties and supports sperm production.

Cenovis Multivitamins include a range with products that are specially formulated for men and women and people 0ver 50.  Explore the range here.

Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional.

Learn about which Cenovis product may be appropriate for you.