The primary ingredients of multi-vitamins are made of vitamins and minerals. These ingredients are essential micronutrients your body needs to function properly and optimally. We can’t survive without these vitamins and minerals. 9 out of 10 people are deficient in one or more of these essential nutrients. When we don’t get enough vitamin and minerals through our food, we need to supplement.
Multivitamins have been around since 1930s. Conceptually, it made sense. However, the technology wasn’t ready. For decades, multivitamins were poorly absorbed. Fortunately, technology in the supplement industry advanced and improved.
What factors differentiates a premium “good quality” vitamin supplement from the typical “poor quality” vitamin?
The ingredients and its bioavailability and absorption rate.
Premium vitamin supplements utilize premium ingredients and meticulously formulate their supplement for optimal benefits. Bioavailability is the name of the game, and it is one of the most important measurements when quantifying the quality of an agreement.
With low quality ingredients, only a fraction of nutrients is absorbed. and reach systemic circulation.
- Supplements and ingredients that have poor bioavailability and absorption offer low value
- Supplements that have high bioavailability and absorption offer high value
Poor absorption of cheap vitamins is a well a known issue that has been criticized for years. Despite criticism, companies still use these ineffective form of vitamins. Many of these poorly absorbed vitamins remain to be popular because of their low price and they make up a significant portion of the vitamins on the market.
Thanks to the information age, and a new found interest in health and wellness. Consumers are more educated and are more demanding when it comes to health and wellness products. There is a rising demand for quality products. Surveys are showing that quality is a higher factor than cost when it comes to purchasing supplements. This is a shift in mindset from ten years ago.
What specific ingredients do you look for (or look out for) in a premium supplement or multivitamin?
I wrote the following articles to help people evaluate ingredients in their supplement or multivitamin:
Water Soluble Vitamins (B Vitamins + Vitamin C)
Fat Soluble Vitamins (Vitamin A, D, E, and K)
Macrominerals (Calcium and Magnesium)
Trace minerals (Iron, Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Iodine, Chromium, Maganese)
- What forms of Trace minerals should I look for in a supplement?
dōTERRA’s Multivitamin Microplex VMz
After doing research, I found a handful of multivitamins that met the criteria I was looking for.
My top choice is dōTERRA’s multivitamin: Microplex VMz.
Full Disclosure: I am a dōTERRA rep, so I may be a little bias, but don’t take my word for it. Check out the ingredients and decide for yourself.
Looking at the supplement facts label is overwhelming, I broke it down and simplified in the following charts comparing Microplex VMz to typical multivitamins:
Water Soluble Vitamins
| Vitamin (Water Soluble) | dōTERRA Microplex VMz | Typical Multivitamin |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) | Glycoprotein Matrix form | Thiamine HCl |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | Glycoprotein Matrix form | Riboflavin |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | Glycoprotein Matrix form | Calcium d-Panthothenate |
| Vitamin B5 (Panthothenic acid) | Glycoprotein Matrix form | Pyridoxine HCl |
| Vitamin B6 | Glycoprotein Matrix form | Cobalamin |
| Vitamin B7 (Biotin) | Glycoprotein Matrix form | d-Biotin |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 5-MTHF | Folic Acid |
| Vitamin B12 | Glycoprotein Matrix form | Cobalamin |
| Vitamin C | Calcium Ascorbate Magnesium Ascorbate (Buffered form of Vitamin C) |
Ascorbic Acid |
If you want to read more details on why I prefer these forms of water-soluble vitamins, please read the following articles:
Fat Soluble Vitamins
| Vitamin (Fat Soluble) | dōTERRA Microplex VMz | Typical Multivitamin |
| Vitamin A | Retinyl Palmitate (~14%) Beta-carotene (~86%) |
Retinyl Palmitate, Beta-carotene, or combination |
| Vitamin D | Cholecalciferol | Cholecalciferol |
| Vitamin E | Natural mixed tocopherol Natural mixed tocotrienol |
dl-alpha-tocopherol (synthetic Vitamin E) |
| Vitamin K | Glycoprotein Matrix form | Phytonadione |
If you want to read more details on why I prefer these forms of fat-soluble vitamins, please read the following articles:
Macrominerals
| Mineral (macromineral) | dōTERRA Microplex VMz | Typical Multivitamin |
| Calcium | Dicalcium Malate DimaCal® Natural Coral Calcium |
Calcium carbonate |
| Magnesium | Diamagnesium Malate | Magnesium oxide |
If you want to read more details on why I prefer these forms of macrominerals, please read the following articles:
Trace Minerals
| Trace Minerals | dōTERRA Microplex VMz | Typical Multivitamin |
| Iron | Amino Acid (Glycine) Chelateform TRAACS® | Oxide, Sulfate, Citrate, or Gluconate form |
| Iodine | Potassium Iodide | Potassium Iodide |
| Zinc | Amino Acid (Glycine) Chelate formFerrochel® | Oxide, Sulfate, Acetate, Orotate, Citrate or Gluconate form |
| Selenium | Amino Acid (Glycine) Chelate | Selenomethionine, Sodium Selenite, Sodium Selenate |
| Copper | Amino Acid (Glycine) Chelateform TRAACS® | Oxide, Sulfate, Citrate, Amino Acid Chelate or Gluconate form |
| Manganese | Amino Acid (Glycine) Chelateform TRAACS® | Oxide, Sulfate, Citrate, Amino Acid Chelate or Gluconate form |
| Chromium | Amino Acid (Glycine) Chelate form TRAACS® | Picolinate, Nicotinate, Polynicotinate, Chloride, or Histidinate form |
If you want to read more details on why I prefer these forms of trace minerals, please read the following articles:
- What forms of Trace minerals should I look for in a supplement?
