Are you currently taking a multi vitamin? If so, why? Most people take multivitamins every morning simply because that's what their doctor or nutritionist told them to do or maybe even their friends or family members suggested it's good for their health.  If you're not taking a multivitamin, I ask the same question, why? Most people will claim they eat perfectly healthy and don't require a multi while others may be intimidated by the the array of options and stand clear.  Well, I'm here to clear up all concerning thoughts and questions around multi vitamins, how they can benefit you and how to ensure you are choosing your supplements wisely. Let's first discuss the reason why behind the multi! Over 80% of adults fail to eat the recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables, that is 6-8 servings a day.  The nutrient density of our food supply has diminished drastically since the mid 1900's resulting anywhere from 20 to even 80% lower in vitamin and mineral quantity and quality.  Those percentages are especially important for those who actually eat a textbook healthy diet.”  Even if you eat the exact amount of daily recommended foods, since the food quality has increasingly declined over the years, it is nearly impossible to not only consume, but absorb the sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals from our food supply nowadays. If a doctor or nutritionist recommended you start a multi vitamin, did they recommend a specific brand or advise you on what to look for on the label?  The supplement world can be a very scary, slippery slope, containing fraudulent labels and even harmful ingredients.  It's up to you to understand what you are looking for, make an educated decision and weed out the nonsense. For starters, the multi vitamin you are consuming should be a capsule.  If you are opposed to pills and have been consuming gummy vitamins, here is why you should stop immediately! By switching to a multi that's in a gummy format you are consuming cheap, poorly absorbed nutrient content where the minerals are virtually absent, contain artificial colors/flavors and added sugars,  comprised of gelatin which is poorly digested, and result in low dose formulas which physically cannot meet the needs of active individuals. Now, if taking pills is a challenge for you, not to worry! Simply break the capsule and pour its ingredients into a small glass of water and stir or mix into any food of choice.  With barely any flavor, it's a much easier method for you to consume a credible source. If you've been consuming tablet vitamins because they are cheaper in cost, here is why you should stop immediately! There is a reason as to why they are less expensive than capsules, cheaper ingredients cost less!  These compressed tables require binders, fillers and even glues during the manufacturing process to bind the ingredients together which poses much more complication on absorbing the nutrients and on your digestive system.  Not to mention these tablets also come in much smaller dosages of vitamins and minerals. With that being said, here's why capsules are a far healthier, wiser choice.  Capsules are typically a well-tolerated vegetable base delivery which poses no harm on the digestive system and actually dissolves effortlessly in the stomach within just a few minutes upon consumption. Capsules allow pure, high quality vitamins and minerals to be packaged without containing any binders, fillers or glues and also accommodates high potency formulas for even the most elite athletes.  With the delivery system of a capsule, its simple to consume in its entirety or even pour ingredients into any food or beverages. Now that you understand which form of multivitamin to get, here's some quick tips on what to look out for when reading the labels.  Synthetic vitamins usually contain Vitamin B-6 as Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Folic acid instead of folate, Vitamin B-12 as Cyanocobalamin, oxides, carbonates, and/or mineral salts” within the Supplement Facts.  As far as the ingredients you can detect a synthetic vitamin by its unnecessary binders, fillers and glues that may be labeled as Magnesium Stearate, Polyethylene glycol, and/or lactose.  If you notice any synthetic colors such as FD & C, Brilliant Blue, etc., as well as artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame, Sucralose, Ace-k, etc., stay away!  Because most of these words sound like vitamins and minerals, why would we question it, right? That is how consumers are tricked into purchasing unhealthy and even harmful substances. Everyone and anyone needs a multivitamin for a magnitude of reasons.  You will require a multi vitamin if you exercises regularly, lack nutrient density in your diet (which we've discussed is everybody), are restricting calories, live a demanding lifestyle, take medications daily and/or drinks alcoholic beverages daily.  A multi vitamin will help fill in the nutrient gaps, improve general health, support immune function, enhanced stress resilience, promote healthy energy levels, support cognitive function and improve recovery. To get your high quality multivitamins today, click here for women's multivitamins, men's multivitamins, or for high performance training multivitamins.