Cheesymite spread was a less-than-successful contribution to the market, but not for lack of good intentions. Why shouldn’t the Australian cult combination of Vegemite and cheese be combined into one easy-to-apply spread? Salt and pepper in the one grinder is a great idea in theory, and in actuality for those who never want one without the other. In the case of Cheesymite spread and two-in-one salt and pepper, the nutritional properties (or lack thereof) are not compromised by the combination of elements. Does this prove also to be the case with multivitamins, or is their efficacy diluted by the combination of vitamins and minerals? Let’s find out.
Before being able to answer that it might first be worth your while to determine why exactly you are taking it. Is your diet lacking in nutrients? Have you been told by a doctor that you are deficient in particular vitamins or minerals, such as iron or Vitamin D?
What the research is very clear on is what the ability to take a multivitamin everyday does to fill in the gaps in our nutrition where it might otherwise lapse. On its own, this is not a viable long term solution to a well rounded diet, but for the busy individual (that’s most of us, right?) who can find it difficult to maintain a sufficient standard of nutritional foods everyday, this is a very easy way to keep yourself on the front foot for the times when our diet becomes less of a priority.
If there are gaps in the overall recommended intake of vitamins and minerals in our diet, these could be due to a lot of factors. Some of these being;
- Inadequate sleep
- Hormonal irregularities/low mood
- DNA damage
- Compromised immune system
As we don’t always have the ability to control these concerns as much as we would like to be able to, a multivitamin is ready to step in to fill these gaps so that we are functioning as optimally as we are able. And you know what? Eating should never be a chore. So if our entire outlook becomes about checking boxes to make sure we are fueling our body with exactly what it needs, we run the risk of missing out on the fun of eating! A multivitamin will give us the freedom to eat things purely for the love of it, knowing we are fueling our bodies with the necessities all the while.
All this being said, it has been determined among professionals within the medical community that a multivitamin should only ever be referred to as such if it has at least 20 different nutrients in it. So in this case, quantity actually directly determines quality. This is great news for anyone who likes to achieve a lot by doing a little.
In Australia, every vitamin supplement that hits the market has been assessed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, to make sure that it meets their pre-approved list of ingredients according to quality and safety. Every company that does release a multivitamin is under strict instructions not to make any claims about its ability to affect the chances of serious and fatal illnesses. A multivitamin can greatly improve your general health, but it is not a lifesaving device.
There are certainly people who are at higher risk of a nutrient deficiency than others; the elderly, for whom adequate nutrition is a higher concern, can require more calcium and Vitamin D as their ability to absorb Vitamin B12 decreases with age. Pregnant women, also, have a higher nutritional requirement simply because they are providing for two. The ability to take a multivitamin daily is an incredibly advantageous one if we want to keep up our recommended nutritional baseline.
Swisse has an array of multivitamins that cater to very specific needs and stages of life. Every vitamin and mineral included has been done so off the back of extensive research and understanding of what and how much is needed of each ingredient included in the tablet, to meet the need it is targeted toward. The Swisse Multivitamin range for men includes a Men’s Ultivite Multivitamin, Men’s 50+ Multivitamin and Men’s High Potency Multivitamin.
The Swisse Multivitamin range targeted to women is slightly more extensive. It includes: Teenage Women’s Multivitamin, Women’s Ultivite Multivitamin, Women’s Pre-conception & Pregnancy Multivitamin, Women’s High Potency Multivitamin, Women’s 50+ Multivitamin and Women’s 65+ Multivitamin.
Overall, the general objective of every variation of Swisse Multivitamin tablet is to:
- Provide nutritional support for busy and active lifestyle
- Assist with energy production, stamina and vitality
- Provide support during stress and contributes to healthy mental performance
- Help fill nutritional gaps when dietary intake is inadequate
Each is met by including precise quantities of scientifically-back ingredients that support men and women’s health, in accordance with their age, stage of life and/or needs.
With over 30 different ingredients included within every variation of Swisse’s range of multivitamins, it is hard to argue against the efficacy of a multi-v, where each ingredient stands alone in its benefits to the consumer. It is important to utilise some discernment about what your body actually needs. This is because there is actually such a thing as too much. Taken in large doses, multivitamins can actually prove harmful. They should also not be taken in absence of a healthy diet but in addition to. Of course, if you have major concerns about what your body might be deficient in, you should consult your GP.
What we can confidently conclude is that, as a stone that can kill quite a number of birds (read: nutrient deficiencies), multivitamins have a very secure position in the market for their ability to help us sustain optimal levels of nutrition that it might otherwise be tricky to. So although we can forgive you for picking up a jar of Cheesymite and returning it quickly to the shelf in a state of scepticism, we think you’d be silly to not stock up on necessary multivitamins like Swisse’s, for the sake of your general health and wellbeing.
