The All-in-One Multivitamin

In an earlier post we looked at the effect of various vitamins on the body. However, I felt it’s worth refreshing everyone’s memory on the importance of taking them.

There are 13 vitamins classified as either water soluble (C and B complex) or fat soluble (A, D, E and K) and roughly 16 essential minerals (although this is subject to debate and the number 16 is according to “The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements” written for the Council of Responsible Nutrition.) So as you can imagine trying to get all of these through your diet or trying to supplement them individually would prove very hard indeed, consequently the All-in-One multivitamin was created.

Here we examine what vitamins and minerals you should look for in your multivitamin and then discuss why mulitviatmins such as Myprotein’s Alpha Men and Holland and Barrett’s Super One Formula (as reviewed here) could potentially be the best supplement you could ever buy.

Firstly let’s look at fat-soluble vitamins, namely vitamin A, D, E and K these are absorbed together with fat from the intestine into the circulatory system.

Vitamin A: Maintains the health of the epithelium (internal cells) and acts on the retina’s dark adaptation mechanism and a deficiency in this can lead to night blindness

Vitamin D: Is essential to the absorption of calcium, which is essential for the maintenance of healthy bones and a deficiency in this can lead to rickets

Vitamin E: Protects tissues against damage, promotes normal growth and development and helps in normal red blood cell formation. Essentially a deficiency in Vitamin E can cause muscular dystrophy

Vitamin K: Used by the liver for the formation of healthy blood and a deficiency in this can lead to excessive bleeding due to delayed ‘clotting times.’

Secondly there are water soluble vitamins like Vitamin C and the B vitamins, these are stored in the body for a brief time (compared to fat soluble vitamins) and are excreted by the kidneys.

Vitamin C: Essential for the maintenance of bones, teeth and gums, ligaments and blood vessels. It is also necessary for ensuring a normal immune response to infection and is an anti-oxidant.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine): Is essential for an efficient running carbohydrate metabolism and a deficiency in this can cause fatigue, irritability and loss of appetite.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): Is needed for the intracellular metabolism and a deficiency in this can lead to fissures to the corners of the mouth and chapped lips.

Vitamin 12: Essential for manufacturing of genetic material in cells and a deficiency can lead to forms of anaemia which in turn can make you feel lethargic.

Equally important is the role certain essential minerals play, such as:

Calcium: Which is necessary for healthy bones and teeth and helps with nerves, muscles, immunity, blood clotting and producing energy.

Phosphorous: Put simply without phosphorus the body would be affected everywhere because it is a part of all cell functions, and is used in cell membranes.

Magnesium: Performs essential functions for the body’s use of glucose and the synthesis of chemicals needed for energy.
Potassium: Is an electrolyte that is extremely important for maintaining electrical activity for the heart. But its functions are not limited to one system; it also assists with normal growth, nerves and cellular functioning.

Copper: Helps with regulation of blood pressure and pulse, the immune system, healing and the production of haemoglobin.

I hope you found this article useful and should encourage you to start looking at your vitamin intake more seriously.

References:

http://community.myprotein.com/content/all-one-multivitamin-970/.