Brown, K. H., Rivera, J. A., Bhutta, Z., Gibson, R. S. et al., International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group (IZiNCG) technical document #1. Assessment of the risk of zinc deficiency in populations and options for its control. Food Nutr. Bull. 2004, 25, S99–S203. ← For example, Centrum Advance is a standard one-a-day vitamin but it only contains 200mcg of folic acid and 5mcg of vitamin D per daily dose, both of which are insufficient for pregnant women. Additionally, there were so many supplements out there, how was the average consumer meant to know what to choose?

Calcium is an important dietary mineral that protects bones, joints, muscles and the nervous system. A deficiency can cause osteoporosis in both men and women, but calcium is generally easy to obtain from milk and dairy products. The British Nutrition Foundation says you should also avoid foods that have vitamin A added to them - they may say 'fortified with vitamin A' on the label. However, you can eat fruit and vegetables that are high in carotenoids such as beta carotene from foods like carrots, pumpkin and mango. Johnson EJ. Role of lutein and zeaxanthin in visual and cognitive function throughout the lifespan. Nutr Rev. 2014 Sep;72(9):605-12. ← The point of a quality multivitamin supplement is to combat deficiency in any essential nutrient and to provide additional doses of anything that could benefit you further. Best Multivitamins for WomenA more unusual but helpful inclusion in a multivitamin, vanadium is a trace metal that helps to regulate blood sugar and may help to treat diabetes (granted at higher doses). This is a safe dose. Final Word: How to Choose the Best Multivitamin for You Where to start? The manufacturer behind the Performance Lab range — Opti-Nutra — is known and praised for its nutritional expertise. Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi has special formulas for both men and women with generous dosages, making it a quality natural multivitamin supplement for overall health. It’s vegan-friendly and is made with superior ultramodern manufacturing techniques with an emphasis on a clean, safe and ethical product. Almost all vitamins will tell you what percentage of your recommended daily intake they contain. This will allow you to plan your diet around the tablet, to ensure that you are taking in a wide variety of nutrients and minerals from different sources. What do you want to improve? However one thing is clear: the need for a range of vitamins and minerals to help support your body’s natural function. Take 1-2 capsules per day or as advised by a healthcare professional. Probiotics are best taken before breakfast, with a cold or room temperature beverage, as live bacteria may be damaged by heat. Although you should take the capsule(s) with a cool beverage, there is no issue with having a hot drink afterwards. If you forget to take them earlier in the day, you can have them with other meals, though we don’t advise taking them after a meal.

Vitamin C: Although not specifically recommended when pregnant, this vitamin helps iron to be absorbed. The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology says: 'This may be of benefit during pregnancy, at a time when women are at risk of becoming anaemic.' Providing nutritional support through all three trimesters of your pregnancy as well as while you’re breastfeeding, it uses evidence-based recommendations for optimal maternal nutrition. Our tailored blend of 26 ingredients includes: We are constantly looking for ways to improve our formulations as new research emerges, however, health is about so much more than just supplements. Inessa started life as a clinical practice, so the next few months will see us come full circle and we'll be introducing more in depth evidence-based health content, digital functional medicine protocols, and more personalised health and fitness services, for a 360 degree approach to health and wellness.

Why does my urine change colour after taking multivitamins?

A year later I was confirmed in remission - a combination of diet & supplements had fixed me where drugs had failed. My medical consultants assured me my remission was temporary (I was given an estimate of a year to relapse), but it is over two decades on, and I have not had to take immunosuppressant drugs since.

Folate is an incredibly important vitamin for both men and women. It may help to protect against heart disease because it prevents the build-up of homocysteine – heart and circulatory diseases account for 27% of all deaths in the UK, that’s one death every three minutes. The official guidance is for pregnant and breastfeeding women to take a 10 microgram (mcg) supplement each day to give their baby enough vitamin D for the first months of life. Most people haven’t heard of vitamin K – and many inferior multivitamins don’t include it – but vitamins K1 and K2 are important for health, and deficiency could even be the missing link between diet and some chronic diseases. K1 is important for blood clotting while K2 promotes bones and heart health. [3]

Devirian TA, Volpe SL. The physiological effects of dietary boron. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2003;43(2):219-31. ← It also plays a few extra roles in women’s health, no doubt why levels are higher in NutriGenesis® Multi for Women than for Men. Magnesium is important during pregnancy to build and repair tissues; it may also help to prevent leg cramps and improve PMS symptoms. A magnesium deficiency may also play a role in postmenopausal osteoporosis. The first thing to look for is a multivitamin that has a wide range of active ingredients, ie, vitamins and minerals. This should help to ensure you’re not deficient in any nutrient, and will also hopefully supplement others that you may benefit from. Scaglione F, Panzavolta G. Folate, folic acid and 5 methyltetrahydrofolate are not the same thing. Xenobiotica. 2014 May;44(5):480-8. ←