Buzz
Here are 4 reasons why Multivitamin pills may not work effectively.
Ingredient conflicts
Not all types of vitamins can be taken together as some may hinder absorption and compete with each other. This reduces the effectiveness of absorption for some types of vitamins.
For example:
Calcium is a mineral that you may not want it present in your Multivitamin jar as it will hinder the absorption of zinc, iron, and manganese.
Similarly, Zinc will also obstruct the body from absorbing iron and other amino acids because many people tend to take Multivitamins with meals, and when we eat, we often intake protein and amino acids. If you take it at this time, the amount of important amino acids for muscles will be lost.
Next up is Magnesium, if this is present, it will impede calcium absorption, so you may need to consider eliminating products containing both Magnesium and Calcium together.
Missing or overlooked components
Many types of Multivitamins lack some essential nutrients that are crucial for gym enthusiasts.
Take for instance Vitamin K, it aids in blood clotting regulation, bone repair and building, influences insulin sensitivity, and blood sugar levels.
Next up is Vitamin B, which is highly important for athletes as it promotes healthy nerves and blood cells.
However, most of them are deficient or overlooked in the composition of various Multivitamins.
It's not the right type of Vitamin you need.
You need specific types of Vitamins or minerals for each specific need. For instance, in general Vitamin supplements, Crom is often absent or poorly absorbed (Crom Chloride). The well-absorbed form of Crom is Picolinate. Check the labels of multi-Vitamin supplements to see if they contain it.
Secondly, ensure that the Vitamin A you're taking is all-trans-beta carotene. This form of Vitamin A helps prevent toxicity and provides the necessary amount you need.
Other forms of Vitamin A such as retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate can become toxic when overdosed.
Lastly, let's talk about Vitamin K. Vitamin K exists in 3 forms: K1, K2, and K3. There's still debate over which form, K1 (Phylloquinone) or K2 (Menaquinone), is more effective. Therefore, if possible, opt for a synthetic Vitamin containing both in a 1:8 ratio (For example, 5mg of K1 and 45mg of K2).
Poor absorption
Many types of Vitamins and minerals are poorly absorbed in supplement form. Hence, you'll need to consume a wider variety of foods to obtain these nutrients.
If you want to enhance the absorption of synthetic Vitamins, you can try some tricks to boost their biological availability.
For instance, you can utilize some spices containing piperine (Bioperine®), capsaicin, or ginger.
With piperine, you can find it in extracts of black pepper seeds which have been shown to enhance the absorption of many types of Vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin B, Beta Carotene, and Selenium.
Other methods to increase absorption include dissolving it in water. By drinking plenty of water with microencapsulated activity or taking synthetic vitamins on an empty stomach combined with a fatty meal (helping absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, E, D, K)
References
- DiNicolantonio, J. J., Bhutani, J. & O’Keefe, J. H. (2015). Exploring the health advantages of vitamin K. Open Heart. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2015-000300.
- Badmaev, V., Majeed, M., & Norkus, E. P. (1999). Piperine, an alkaloid derived from black pepper, enhances serum response of beta-carotene during 14 days of oral beta-carotene supplementation. Nutrition Research, 19(3), 381-388.
Posted by: Nguyễn Phương Dung
Keywords: 4 reasons why your Multivitamin purchase might not be as effective as you think
