Choosing the Right
MULTIVITAMIN
FOR YOUR PATIENTS

When it comes to nutritional support, multivitamins are often the foundation of a comprehensive health plan. Recommending multivitamins to your patients is an important way to ensure they receive key nutrients that might be lacking in their daily diets due to consistently making poor dietary choices, taking nutrient-depleting medications or consuming food grown in substandard quality soils. The use of a multivitamin/mineral has been associated with a lower prevalence of inadequacy and better nutrient biomarker status for nearly all micronutrients examined.¹

Many Daily Multivitamins Fall Short

Most multivitamins on the market do not provide adequate levels of essential nutrients required to meet foundational health needs. In many cases, the nutrients listed on the label are in such insignificant amounts – commonly referred to as "window dressing" – that they lack the potency to be clinically effective. This can lead to a false sense of security and missed opportunities in achieving the best results from taking a daily multivitamin.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Even though multivitamins are known to be critical to overall health, many healthcare practitioners often recommend them without considering their patients' distinct health status. Everyone is unique with varied dietary patterns, age, gender, health status and lifestyle factors, which require specific nutrients. Therefore, the "one-size-fits-all" approach falls short when it comes to multivitamins.

For example, a young woman looking to support hormonal health will have different requirements than a middle-aged man concerned with his cardiovascular health. While a general multivitamin can provide essential nutrients, it may not include specific nutrients that are desirable for that patient.

Targeted Multivitamins: A Solution to Personalized Care

Targeted multivitamins go beyond the basics, incorporating specific nutrients that support health needs, as shown in the following examples:

• Cardiovascular Health: Multivitamins tailored for heart health may include additional nutrients such as CoQ₁₀, resveratrol, Ginkgo biloba, specific glandulars and/or amino acids.
• Blood Sugar Balance: A person experiencing a suboptimal insulin response may have a normal or elevated insulin level that produces an attenuated biological response to glucose, resulting in impaired glucose metabolism.² These patients might benefit from formulations that include nutrients such as vanadium, chromium, alpha-lipoic acid and berberine.³
• Women's Health: Women's multivitamins often consider hormonal fluctuations and other physiological demands of the menstrual cycle, fertility, pregnancy and lactation. Impactful levels of iron, calcium, folate, as well as botanicals such as black cohosh,⁴ that support hormonal balance are critical.
• Immune Health: For patients who require a boost of immune support, choosing a multivitamin that provides added nutrients such as vitamin C, zinc, and antioxidants such as quercetin and selenium can be beneficial.
• General Maintenance: The right multivitamin can make a difference. Comprehensive formulas containing foundational vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients can support energy production, healthy aging and metabolic function.

Biotics Research offers 5 different categories of multivitamins from which healthcare practitioners can choose the appropriate multivitamin for their patients. Visit the Biotics Research® website at www.bioticsresearch.com.

References:

1. Wallace TC, Frankenfeld CL, Frei B, et al. Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplement Use is Associated with Increased Micronutrient Intakes and Biomarkers and Decreased Prevalence of Inadequacies and Deficiencies in Middle-Aged and Older Adults in the United States. J Nutr Gerontol Geriatr. 2019 Oct-Dec;38(4):307-328.
2. Cefalu WT. Insulin resistance: cellular and clinical concepts. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2001;226:13-26
3. Ansar H, Mazloom Z, Kazemi F, Hejazi N. Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on blood glucose, insulin resistance and glutathione peroxidase of type 2 diabetics. Saudi Med J. 2011 Jun;32(6):584-8.
4. Lieberman S. A review of the effectiveness of Cimicifuga racemosa (Black Cohosh) for the symptoms of menopause. J Women's Health June 1998;7(5):525-9.