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Types of Multivitamins

Multivitamins consist of numerous vitamins and minerals that are packed together into one pill for convenience to boost any nutritional deficiencies in your diet. Your vitamin intake should compliment a healthy balanced diet and adhere to the Recommended Daily Allowance or Adequate Intake. There are separate categories of multivitamins on the market catered to the nutritional requirements of individual groups. These target groups consists of men, women, children, and seniors.

  1. Children's Supplements

    • Typically these supplements contain vitamins A through E, Biotin, Folic acid and the mineral Zinc. It is common for children's multivitamins to come in a sweet-flavored chewable form to make taking them more agreeable. Evidence conflicts over RDA of vitamins in children. Some experts say they don't need them at all while some argue that they do, but they agree that a balanced and varied diet is key to your child's health. Avoid multivitamins which contain iron as they can be harmful to children. Statistics show that iron poisoning is the main cause of death through accidental overdose in children.

    Men's Supplements

    • Vitamins and minerals help keep the immune and digestive systems healthy. Men require more magnesium than other target groups as they have a higher proportion of muscle mass than women. Magnesium can also protect against heart and prostate problems later on in life. There is a difference in requirement for men and women's vitamin and mineral intake, mainly due to the levels of hormones in each gender and the physiological differences between the two, but it is agreed that both sexes require vitamins A, C, E and zinc to assist in maintaining a healthy body.

    Women's Supplements

    • Women go through a range of physical disturbances such as menstruation, pregnancy and menopause and it is because of this that their vitamin and mineral requirements are adjusted to suit these processes. Loss of blood in the monthly cycle means that a woman may be deficient in iron and will need to replace this with a supplement. Taking B6 and niacin, calcium and manganese can also alleviate menstrual cramps. Multivitamins with black cohosh or Isoflavones (phytooestrogens) can also help at the time of the menopause and can balance out hot flushes.

    Senior Supplements

    • Multivitamins aimed at seniors contain B6, B12 and folic acid because the elderly are often lacking in these vitamins and minerals which, among other things, help create red blood cells and repair damaged cells. B6 supports the nervous system and can prevent fatigue and anemia. B12 is known for supporting every cell in the body and also protects against anemia, while folic acid can prevent dementia. Older people are nutritionally deficient in comparison to younger people because they do not eat as much as the appetite decreases and the metabolism slows down.

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