What should you look for in a multivitamin? Should it be high potency or contain Phytonutrients? Which brand is best? How do you know if it’s effective in the long term? Let’s discuss. And if you are still unsure, ask your health care provider to check the label. Remember, men and women have different needs. So, the quality of the product you buy should not be the only thing that counts.

High-potency multivitamins

The health industry has long claimed that multivitamins and mineral supplements are health essentials. However, there’s more to a high-potency multivitamin than meets the eye. Whether or not they are actually health essentials depends on the ingredients. The life extension multivitamin, for example, contains 83% of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin A. In addition to providing important nutrients, the life extension multivitamin also contains chelated minerals for increased absorption.

Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are a great way to increase your daily allowance of these essential nutrients. Phytonutrients are found in many foods and come in several forms, including liquids, capsules, and tablets. If you are not getting enough phytonutrients from your daily diet or are experiencing side effects due to taking vitamins or supplements, phytonutrient supplements may be the solution you’ve been looking for.

Micronutrients

In the MESA study, participants were asked about their dietary supplement intake, including the types of foods they eat and how often they take them. The study included 6814 participants, of which 6237 completed food frequency questionnaires. In Table 1, the demographics of the study cohort were broken down by dietary supplement use. Supplement users were more likely to be older women, Caucasian, and college-educated. The most common types of supplements included calcium, vitamin C, and micronutrients.

Long-term efficacy

Researchers have found that multivitamin use can lower the risk of colon cancer, but it is not clear how long this benefit lasts. A prospective study in the Nurses’ Health Study II examined the years of multivitamin use of 43 641 women who had their first endoscopy in 1991. The researchers assessed the use of multivitamins through biennial questionnaires in 1989. In addition, researchers found that multivitamins could affect the development of adenoma, which is not a form of colon cancer.

Safety

When given to children, multivitamins can provide many essential nutrients, but they may come with side effects. Generally, the safety of multivitamins depends on their dosages. Unless they contain additives, multivitamins that provide 100% of the DRI are generally safe and are free of adverse effects. Side effects can occur, but they are usually minor and disappear as the body gets used to the multivitamin.