For two decades, the daily multivitamin has reigned supreme as the most popular dietary supplement among American adults. Today, over 70 percent of supplement users include a multi in their regular routine, according to a recent consumer survey.¹

If you count yourself among these health-conscious consumers, you can feel confident knowing your action is helping to close any nutrient gaps between what your diet provides and what your body needs. If not, you’ll want to know about new research that reveals this daily habit is needed more than ever.

According to the latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, most Americans fail to consume an adequate intake of several nutrients to meet even their basic nutritional needs.²

The researchers call these “shortfall” nutrients. Among them are essential vitamins and minerals, some consumed in such low amounts that the gaps between what we consume and what we need are serious.

For example, the researchers found that almost all adults (more than 90 percent) fail to consume enough vitamin D. Most women (94 percent) and men (85 percent) fail to get enough vitamin E.

And, about half of adults fail to get enough vitamins A and C.

Potassium tops the list of shortfall minerals with 95 percent of men and more than 97 percent of women failing to consume an adequate intake. Over half of all adults fail to get enough magnesium. Both women (57 percent) and, to a lesser extent, men (28 percent) fall short of an adequate calcium intake. Iron is also a shortfall mineral for women of childbearing years (and teenage girls).

What’s your best defense to fill these (and other) nutrient gaps? It’s a two-step approach that starts with your diet. After all, no amount of supplementation can fix a poor diet.

Step 1: Start with food to nourish your body

Turns out, the typical diet is low in key food groups – vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and dairy – that are important sources of shortfall nutrients. Adding more of these foods to your daily plate is a good first step to closing any nutrient gaps.

For this, we’re partial to the Mediterranean-style diet because its health benefits are backed by sound science, and it’s a delicious way to get the nutrients your body (and brain) needs.

If you need inspiration to channel your inner Med chef, check out Good Food, Great Medicine. With over 180 recipes, you’re sure to find a few to add to your menu as you learn why a Mediterranean-style diet delivers so many health benefits.

Step 2: Add a daily multivitamin to fill any nutrient gaps

It can be tough to eat a nutrient-dense diet day in and day out. That’s the beauty of a daily multivitamin. It’s like dietary insurance for your body, especially on days when you are unable to make the best food choices.

To get the most out of your daily multi, you’ll want to choose a product with these key features:

Choose a delivery form with optimal absorption

A sustained-release tablet is ideally suited for a multivitamin that you take every day. Why? The slow and steady release of nutrients, especially water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B vitamins, helps ensure your body will actually absorb (and retain) optimal amounts.

(If you’re unfamiliar with sustained-release tablets, here are a few basics to get you up to speed.)

Choose a high-potency, broad-spectrum formula

Choose a formula that provides at least 20 essential vitamins and minerals. Look for amounts that provide 100 percent of the Daily Value for most of them – at least two-thirds – including the shortfall vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, C, and folate).

You’ll also want to make sure the formula is safe and doesn’t exceed the tolerable upper safety intake limit (UL) for any nutrient.

Choose a clean formula

Choose a formula free of unnecessary ingredients like sugary coatings, artificial colors or flavorings, and preservatives. This is especially true for sustained-release tablets where synthetic polymers are often used to control nutrient release. (By contrast, our sustained-release tablet technology is derived from natural vegetable sources.)

Choose a budget-friendly formula

If you’re serious about taking a daily multivitamin every day, you’ll want to choose a formula that provides serious value, but doesn’t break the bank. Tablets deliver on that promise for pennies a day. And since it’s a daily habit, consider buying a larger size, which typically offers more savings.

By contrast, sugary gummies, sticky chews and other fanciful delivery forms can ratchet up the cost – some over $1 a serving – without adding any real nutritional value.

Choose a convenient formula

One of the simplest ways to shape this daily habit is to choose a product you take just once a day, and then get into a routine. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Of course, our ENDUR-VM® tablets are specifically formulated with all these features in mind. Plus, the product is available with 18 mg of iron (100% DV) to support the nutritional needs of women of childbearing years as well as without iron for men and postmenopausal women, who generally do not require iron supplementation.*

Whether you want to take a daily multi to promote overall wellness, nourish a healthy lifestyle or age gracefully, one thing is true: A daily multi could make the difference between getting the nutrients your body needs every day and falling short.

And, now that you know what to look for, you can choose the right product for you. That’s a level of confidence that should make you feel very good.

References

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.