What’s in the basic Multi-vitamin?

In this article, we will examine one of the leading multi-vitamins to see exactly what types of nutrients it contains. We’ve chosen a product from the brand name “One a Day”. We will be examining the “Today” formula, one of the company’s more prominent multi-vitamins.

First off, the formula contains 3000 IUs, or International Units, of Vitamin A. This fulfills 60 percent of the average person’s daily need for Vitamin A. This is quite allowable, considering that we get a lot of the Vitamin A that we need from the foods we eat, such as milk, eggs, and tomatoes. 17 percent of the Vitamin A provided in this formula is from a beta carotene source. This is important to note, as beta carotene is one of the most active forms of Vitamin A in humans.

Next in the supplement are the B-vitamins. There are 8 vitamins in the B Complex, and this supplement contains all of them. B-1, or thiamin, is found at a level of 1.1mg in this supplement. That accounts for 73 percent of the daily recommended value, and your diet can easily fulfill the other 27 percent. Vitamin B-2, or riboflavin, is completely covered by this multivitamin with a full 100% of the daily recommended value. Niacin is also known as B-3, and 70% of the daily recommended value is fulfilled by this supplement. B-6, B-7, B-9, and B-12 are also present in this formula. The daily values for B-6, B-9, and B-12 all are fulfilled by taking this multivitamin. B-7, or biotin, was found to be lacking in this supplement, with a mere 10 percent of the daily value being satisfied. It is important to note that you may need to fix your diet to ensure that you are getting enough of this vitamin.

Your daily recommended value of Vitamin C is more than satisfied by the 125% present in this supplement. Your body’s need for Vitamin D is also met in this supplement, with a full 100% of the daily recommended value present. Vitamin E is also spoken for in the Today formula, with 110% of the daily recommended value fulfilled. Vitamin K seems to be one of the few vitamins in which this supplement is lacking. Only 25% of the daily value of Vitamin K is fulfilled, but this is easily understandable considering the fact that the body creates its own Vitamin K in the intestine. It is also important to be wary of taking too many vitamins with high dosages of Vitamins A, D, E, or K; these vitamins are fat-soluble and can be toxic if taken too regularly.

The supplement also contains many of the trace minerals that the body finds useful. Selenium, copper, manganese, zinc, potassium, and chromium are a few of the minerals present in the mixture. While a multi-vitamin may be able to help you meet your dietary needs, doctors often recommend that you should get most of your daily values from healthy foods. This ensures that you won’t be damaging your health by pigging out on junk food and then attempting to take a supplement to make up for it.