Where Are You Buying Your Multivitamin?

Today I thought I would talk a little bit about why quality is extremely important when considering nutrition supplements. Multivitamins are popular and represent a great way to get a small daily win in the game of life, so I’ll focus on them and how there are significant quality differences between products found in health food stores and those sold in mass-market retailers. I’d like to provide some specific examples that highlight those differences and establish why choosing a high-quality multivitamin from a health food store is a better investment in your health:

Ingredient Sourcing: Health food stores often prioritize sourcing ingredients from high-quality, reputable suppliers. In contrast, in order to save money, many mass-market multivitamins may contain synthetic, low-quality ingredients sourced from unreliable sources. For example, a study found that many mass-market multivitamins contained synthetic vitamin E, which is less effective than the natural form found in health food store multivitamins. Synthetic vitamin E is a by-product of the petroleum industry while natural vitamin E is sourced from plants and far better utilized by the body.

Form of Vitamins: Health food store multivitamins tend to contain vitamins in their active, bioavailable forms, which are easier for the body to absorb and utilize. On the other hand, mass-market multivitamins may contain vitamins in their inactive, less effective forms. For example, most mass-market multivitamins contain folic acid, which needs to be converted to its active form (folate) in the body, while health food store multivitamins typically contain folate directly. Many people do not have the ability to convert folic acid into folate and therefore gain no benefit.

Additives and Fillers: This one drives me nuts! Health food store multivitamins contain fewer additives and fillers than mass-market multivitamins. In contrast, many mass-market multivitamins contain artificial colors (seriously…why?) , flavors, and preservatives that are unnecessary and potentially harmful to your health. They often coat their tablets with carnauba wax which is a synthetic that is found in car wax. In contrast, health food store multivitamins tend to use natural, high-quality ingredients and avoid unnecessary additives.

Manufacturing Standards: Health food store multivitamins are often manufactured in facilities that follow strict quality control standards and third-party testing. These standards ensure that the product you are buying is safe, effective, and free of contaminants. In contrast, mass-market multivitamins may not undergo the same level of quality control and testing, because everything is about the cost in the mass market, and assuring quality adds more cost than they want.

Value: While high-quality health food store multivitamins may cost more upfront, they often provide more value in the long run. Health food store multivitamins tend to contain higher-quality ingredients in their active forms, which means your body is more able to absorb and utilize more of the nutrients. The bottom line with mass-market supplements is always the bottom line, so they tend to compete almost solely on the basis of price and are willing to sacrifice quality to do so.

Overall, choosing a high-quality multivitamin from a health food store can provide significant benefits for your health. Choosing the right quality products to sell is a job that we at Nature’s Outlet take very seriously. By prioritizing ingredient sourcing, bioavailability, and manufacturing standards, our multivitamins are often more effective and better for your body than mass-market multivitamins. You are making a health decision, and focusing on quality is the way to go because the long-term benefits and value are worth it.

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