Ever wondered if multivitamins are truly necessary for your health? While a nutrient-rich diet is optimal, busy schedules and dietary challenges may warrant the inclusion of a multivitamin. Let’s explore why a high-quality multivitamin might be a valuable addition to your daily routine.

• Daily Diet Realities – While a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients may sound wonderful, it’s often far from our reality. Busy schedules and the prevalence of processed foods high in unhealthy fats and sugars make it challenging to consistently eat well. Even when attempting to make healthy choices, many nutrient-dense foods, like grains, have lost valuable nutrients due to depleted soils and modern processing methods. A multivitamin can serve as an insurance policy, providing essential vitamins and minerals to support optimal health regardless of the day’s challenges.
• Stress – The modern Canadian lifestyle is stressful. Balancing family and work demand combined with insufficient sleep and relaxation leaves our bodies, minds and immune systems vulnerable. Consistent nutritional support can help us endure unexpected or prolonged stressful periods.
• High Performance – Those who are active and working out physically (or mentally) at high levels demand more out of their bodies. This extra activity uses up more nutrients. A multivitamin can help to top up even a healthy diet and help our body perform at its top potential.

What’s in a Multivitamin?

Multivitamins can feel like a vague, general concept. What are the nutrients in a multivitamin that we want to supplement with daily? Some key nutrients are:

• Vitamin D – Vitamin D supplementation is particularly important for Canadians because of the limited amount of sun exposure between October and April. Plus, obtaining sufficient vitamin D through diet is not possible. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends supplementing vitamin D for all adults to reduce disease risk. A good multivitamin will provide at least 400 IU of vitamin D.
• Vitamin C – Supplementing with vitamin C is essential for adults who do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. It is important for the development and maintenance of bones, cartilage, teeth, and gums, and in the formation of connective tissue, wound healing, immune health, and works as a protective antioxidant.
• Vitamin B Complex – The family of B vitamins work together to support the nervous system, tissue formation, and to metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. People with diets high in refined sugars and starches may be depleting their B vitamins. The B vitamins folic acid and B12 help form red blood cells. Higher levels of B vitamins also help get us through periods of stress, low energy, or highly demanding physical activities.
• Vitamin A & Beta Carotene – These related compounds are important in maintaining eyesight, the development of night vision and immune health.
• Calcium and Magnesium: Calcium is fundamental to bone health; 99% of bones are made from calcium phosphate complexes. In cases of calcium deficiency, bones may break down to release calcium, resulting in weakened bones over time. Calcium is pulled from the bloodstream as the body ages, making it less available to the bones and decreasing bone density, especially during menopause. It’s more difficult to absorb calcium as we age, so consuming absorbable, plant-based forms or supplementing with calcium can help prevent deficiency. Calcium, vitamin D and magnesium work together as a bone-building team.
  Magnesium contributes directly to the structure and strength of bones, as 60% of the body’s magnesium is found in bone tissue. It also contributes indirectly as a co-factor in vitamin D synthesis and activation, thus supporting calcium absorption.

Aquamin™ is a whole food, red algae, rich in calcium, magnesium and complementary to the absorption of 72 other minerals – including potassium, phosphorus and the trace minerals boron, copper, selenium, silica, strontium, vanadium, and zinc – all of which help to bolster bone and overall health. Aquamin™ has a unique honeycomb structure with a broad surface area and buffering ability shown in extensive studies to optimize mineral absorption in the body with less incidence of gastric upset and constipation.

• Chromium – This mineral helps to metabolize fats and carbohydrates, as well as support healthy glucose metabolism.
• Iodine – Helps in the function of the thyroid gland.
• Zinc – Helps to maintain immune function and healthy skin.
• Phytonutrients – Well-formulated multivitamins often contain phytonutrients, or plant-based nutrients, that work together with more concentrated vitamins and minerals. Phytonutrients such as bioflavonoids, grape seed extract, cranberry and green tea extract offer excellent antioxidant support.

While multivitamins guard against nutrient deficiencies, finding the right formula can take some research. We may not know that our diet is deficient in nutrients because it may take time for deficiency symptoms to emerge. As we age, we become less efficient at absorbing nutrients from food, so finding the right supplementation may be beneficial.

Health First Multi One Daily Supreme With Iron and Multi Supreme Iron Free offer highly bioavailable nutrients that will maximize your multi! They contain the recommended B vitamins, folic acid, vitamin C, D3, E, A and Beta Carotene, chromium, iodine, and zinc. Both formulas feature Aquamin™ calcium and magnesium derived from sustainably sourced red algae, and One Daily Supreme with Iron includes a patented Ferrochel^® bisglycinate that’s absorbable and gentle on your stomach. Super antioxidants like quercetin and green tea are added to these well-rounded, all-in-one formulas.

Multivitamins: A Pillar of Holistic Health

The preceding sections highlight the compelling reasons to include a multivitamin as a foundational health safeguard, emphasizing its role as a fundamental nutritional pillar. However, a holistic health approach involves considering additional supplements:

• Omega-3 – Essential for cardiovascular health, brain function, and inflammation reduction, omega-3s are rarely present in sufficient quantities in multivitamin formulations due to their liquid and potentially unstable nature. Consider adding Health First Omega First capsules or liquid to your supplement routine.
• Iron – Daily iron supplementation, crucial for reducing iron deficiency anemia and supporting hormone production, is recommended by the National Institutes of Health (8 mg for adult men and closer to 18 mg for adult women). Ferrochel^®, a gentle bisglycinate iron variant, is part of Health First Multi One Daily Supreme With Iron.
• Probiotics – Vital for optimal digestion and nutrient absorption, probiotic supplements support “healthy” intestinal bacteria, benefiting overall health. Health First ProBio Supreme offers 14 research-backed bacterial strains that are natural to the human microbiome and cover the entire intestinal tract.
• Greens & Fibre: Green supplements rich in fibre and phytonutrients are a great complement to a multivitamin, assisting with digestion and antioxidant support.

Enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle and additional support from regular probiotics, greens, fibre, and omega-3’s–and life IS good! Made even better with the support of a daily multivitamin.

About the Author: Health First Network

Health First Network is Canada’s leading membership group for independent health & wellness retailers and the exclusive supplier of the premium Health First supplement brand. There are over 140 independently owned and operated retail Members across the country. Click here to learn more about Health First.