Despite some recent negative studies, consumers still love their multis. Here’s a glimpse of what’s trending and what’s available to choose.
It’s almost as if some of them want vitamins to fail. In a case of “here we go again,” two meta-analyses published this year concluded that multivitamins don’t prevent heart disease.
Yet, millions of Americans take them religiously. According to www.statista.com, in 2017, approximately $36.1 billion was spent on multivitamins and other supplements, up from $35 billion the prior year. Also, in 2017, according to Statista, 73 percent of adults surveyed said they took multivitamins; and of the top letter vitamins, 37 percent took vitamin D, 32 percent took vitamin C, and 24 percent took vitamin B.
Despite the occasional negative study (see above), people want their multis and their supplements overall: the American public is convinced and they believe in the powers of vitamins and other supplements, drowning out the naysayers.
Take the gummy revolution: originally a children’s candy, gummy technology turned out to be a perfect matrix to deliver vitamins and minerals (and now many other nutraceuticals) for kids who couldn’t yet swallow pills. But now, adults are enjoying gummy vitamins in droves.
In fact, according to an AARP March 3, 2017 article, “Gummies for Grown-ups” by Candy Sagon, “Pills still predominate, but gummy products have jumped more than 25 percent in sales since 2015, the New York Times recently reported. Pharmavite, makers of the brand NatureMade, reported in 2014 that 65 percent of its gummy sales were for adult products, with only 35 percent for children.”
Tim Hitt, supplement manager for Fiesta Nutrition Center of Monroe, LA, has seen growth in availability and customer demand for gummy multis, but there’s a huge quality difference in what’s available. “Gummy multis available in big box stores usually list their first ingredient is gelatin, etc. But in the past few years, brands such as Garden of Life and Nature’s Plus are offering gummy vitamins whose first ingredients are organic apple, or other fruit. Tablets and capsules aren’t selling as strong because Americans love their treats. So, I will advise customers to take their gummies in the afternoon as a snack instead of a candy bar.”
And there are other consumer demand trends in multivitamins.
For example, Susan M. Piergeorge, MS, RDN, LDN, nutrition education manager, Florida-based Rainbow Light, said that consumers are increasingly seeking customized and value-added options in their multivitamins—eg., age, gender and lifestyle specific. “Extra energy, balance for lifestyle, cognition, brain support and antioxidant protection specific to gender, age groups are also trending with consumers,” she said.
Marita Schauch, ND, health educator on behalf of Natural Factors, observed that in her practice, patients are looking for more concentrated vitamins to reduce the number of pills they have to take daily. They’re also looking for more bioactive and whole-food forms.
Compared to even 10 years ago, medical and nutritional advancements have identified food sensitivities that people have realized they have, and the food industry has accelerated research, development and marketing of foods that are “safe” for those with sensitivities. A recent example is a2 Milk, which does not contain the a1 protein showed to produce gastrointestinal effects in those individuals who are sensitive to it. And though many people are lactose intolerant, previous to the discovery of a1 protein’s action, it was believed that everyone who suffered gastrointenstinal disturbances from milk (and other dairy) consumption was responding unfavorably to lactose.
Hitt said he is also seeing dramatic forward motion in the category. “Customer knowledge of multis and single vitamins has risen dramatically in the past couple of years, because people are using their phones and computers to research and learn. But also, we are seeing more customers whose physicians are recommending vitamins and supplements. This is a big deal.”
With greater understanding of diet and health, as well as specific diets based on choice or culture, vitamins become more necessary. According to Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA, senior nutrition education manager, Illinois-based NOW, recent surveys show that more than 20 percent of American adults are on voluntarily restricted diets, such as gluten free, paleo, keto, vegan, kosher, halal and raw foods. Additionally, many people have restricted choices by where they live, work or travel. For example, the vegetarian, who travels frequently for business, said he eats a lot of meals in airports or hotels, which restricts his diet to limited choices. “I’m frequently looking for protein, fiber, omega-3 fats, vitamins B-12 and D, and other nutrients that may be lacking in a vegetarian diet far from home,” Levin related. “Taking vitamins helps me make up for these expected or anticipated nutrition gaps.”
Keeping it Clean
Consumers want clean products, Levin and others asserted. These are multis and other letter vitamins that are free from anything artificial, including petrochemical excipients and GMO (genetically modified organism)-sourced materials. “Artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners are avoided by more and more consumers, especially Millennials and those who have natural lifestyles,” Levin noted.
The clean-label trend has accelerated so swiftly that companies have confidently reformulated. For example, last September Utah-based NutriGold responded to consumer demand with the launch of its reformulated Multi Gold line of products, according to Corinna Bellizzi, senior vice president, sales & education. With this reformulation we transitioned away from using USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia) vitamins in a base of foods with the yeast S. cervisiae to nutrients that were sourced from certified organic and Non-GMO Project Verified whole foods. “The new Multi Gold products don’t use any non-nutritive fillers, binders or flow agents, the only ‘other’ ingredients are the vegan capsule and an organic rice extract,” she described. Our Multi Gold product line is also the first and only multivitamin line to be certified C.L.E.A.N (conscious, live, ethical, active and nourishing) by a third party, offering further support and assurance to consumers.”
Also, she added, since NutriGold has removed magnesium stearate and other non-nutritive fillers, binders, and excipients from its product line, the company recently discontinued the use of an ingredient in its weight-management products because it contained magnesium stearate. “With this change, we can now confidently say that our line is 100 percent magnesium stearate-free,” she said.
There’s a challenge, as creating clean-label whole-food multis and letter vitamins is not that simple, according to Levin. While many products in this category have natural foods in their bases, he explained, encapsulating vitamins into foods is somewhat difficult due to the challenge of cost-benefits. One question is whether infused vitamins are truly different, other than being encased in a food matrix that may inhibit their former bioavailability because digestion is now an additional requirement of accessing these nutrients. NOW “has a tendency to add natural bases to products that traditionally used only starches or cellulose for the capsule fillers,” he commented.
Pediatrician Murray Clarke, MD, founder and president of ChildLife Essentials, formulated the ChildLife supplements for his patients in his Children’s Clinic in Santa Monica, CA. “My intention was, and still is to provide the best, nontoxic support for my patient’s health and wellbeing,” he related. When he opened his clinic in 1988, he said, he couldn’t find clean, pure supplements for babies and children, and this was complicated by what he saw was non-transparency of the labels. At the time, some natural products on the market contained some toxic chemicals in them, such as hexane. “It is hard to address the child’s issues when you are providing a product that has chemicals they must fight first before they get to the healing stage,” he stated. “My philosophy has always been to provide my patients with supplements, which will support their journey of healing themselves. Clean labels are helping parents and consumers to know what is best for their children and themselves.”
For Schauch, clean labels and product purity of multivitamins is priority as a naturopathic physician. Contaminants, heavy metals, and GMOs can be found in many raw ingredients, so testing for these is essential. Natural Factors has third-party testing performed through ISURA, which uses mass spectrometry to rule out heavy metals, GMOs and any other contaminants.
Lettering in Multis: Choice Selections
Of course, there are several hundred quality brands to carry with new ones launching at a rapid clip. Some of the venerable company brands have continued to progress by reformulating based on science and consumer demand, not an easy tightrope to walk.
Rainbow Light’s multivitamins include its signature features, such as its organic Rainbow Light Vibrant Foods Blend containing ingredients like organic spirulina, beet root, broccoli, kale, spinach, blackberry, blueberry, carrot and cranberry, according to Piergeorge. In addition, the products come in a variety of formulations such as tablet, capsule and gummy. Most of Rainbow Light’s multis and single vitamins are vegetarian, non-GMO certified, organic and gluten free.
Piergeorge explained that the company’s multivitamins are formulated to provide total family wellness for all ages and genders. For example, its prenatal Vibrance First Thousand Days is a research-based supplement designed for preconception through postnatal and baby through the first two years of life. It is trimester specific, based on changes that naturally occur during pregnancy. The line has also introduced Precious Gems, the company’s new prenatal vegan gummy. The company also provides many choices specifically for men and women of all ages, children and teens.
Rainbow Light’s single vitamins include Gummy Vitamin C Slices in tangy orange flavor, which Piergeorge said plays a role in supporting healthy skin, gums, bone, cartilage, ligaments, tendons and immunity. Vitamin D is known to be very important for immune, bone, teeth and muscle health, and Rainbow Light offers a number of vitamin D doses in gummy flavors—its Sunny Gummies come in Tangy Mandarin Orange (400 IU), Yummy Lemon (1,000 IU) and the company’s Juice Raspberry (2,500 IU). And the Rainbow Light’s Complete B-Complex provides support for energy metabolism and the nervous system. It also contains the superfoods bee pollen and spirulina, along with additional vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, zinc, magnesium, manganese and calcium.
Natural Factors’ Bioenergetic Whole Earth & Sea formulas are supplements delivering raw, whole-food nutrition, according to Schauch. Many of the vitamins and minerals in the multiples are sourced from plants, such as amla, lichen, algae, kelp, natto, garlic, tomato and sunflower. “Food-sourced nutrients are more easily absorbed and used by the human body,” she said.
Further, said Schauch, every Whole Earth & Sea formula contains “meaningful amounts of each vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient—not just the minimum required to list it on the label!” Each serving starts with 200 grams of Farm Fresh Factors sourced from fresh raw plants, whole sea vegetables, cruciferous sprouts, fruit, and herbs, many of them grown on Natural Factors certified-organic, non-GMO farms. Schauch added that Natural Factors’ proprietary EnviroSimplex processing keeps the temperature below 118 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in raw nutrition. EnviroSimplex technology ensures consistent, high potency concentration of the ingredients while preserving the integrity of the plant constituents. During liquification, a bioactivation process occurs, whereby the enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics help culture the ingredients, promoting their nutritional benefits. State-of-the-art drying technology involving high-vacuum pressure helps minimize the loss of active compounds.
“The vitamins and minerals in the Whole Earth & Sea formulas are chosen for their ability to be easily absorbed and utilized,” she explained. The food-based nutrients are enhanced by including additional vitamins and minerals, choosing ‘free state’ forms where the molecules are unbound, highly bioavailable, and in the ‘active’ form.
NutriGold’s multivitamin line, Multi Gold, is, described Bellizzi, a line of plant-based whole-food multis in easy-to-swallow capsules that are USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)-certified organic, Non-GMO Project verified, vegan and kosher certified, verified allergen-free, and contain no chemical additives, preservatives, fillers, binders, or coatings. “With Multi Gold products, consumers receive 100 percent or higher DV of 12-plus essential nutrients, including a broad-spectrum vitamin B12, the biologically active vitamin K2 as MK-7, whole-food sources of folate and iodine, and astaxanthin for its antioxidant benefits for adults 40-plus,” she said. The Multi Gold product line includes Prenatal Multi Gold, Men’s & Women’s 1 Daily Multi Gold, Men’s & Women’s Multi Gold, Men’s & Women’s 40+ Multi Gold, Men’s & Women’s 55+ Multi Gold, and Vitamin B-Complex Gold.
NOW also offers a wide range of targeted multivitamins and single vitamins. Some are unisex like the Liquid Multi Softgels, Liquid Multi, Kid Vits, Eco-Green, Special Two, Daily Vits, Multi Food 1 with organic food base, and True Balance to support healthy blood sugar levels. Others are gender specific: Adam, Eve, Prenatal Gels with DHA, and Men’s Extreme Sports Multi. The company also offers a large selection of letter vitamins. For example, its selection of vitamin D formulas is extensive, as is our vitamin B-12 selection.
According to Levin, NOW has always sold natural vitamins, including those that are synthesized but that the body converts into the active forms (such as B1, B2, etc.). What most people don’t realize, he pointed out, is that the body doesn’t utilize these traditional isolated forms as they are, instead the body uses them as raw materials to synthesize its own preferred forms, like coenzyme phosphorylated or methylated vitamin metabolites.
NOW evolves its formulas with the goal of purity and clean label fulfillment. For example, Levin offered, NOW added naturally sourced mixed tocopherols and mixed tocotrienols to some of its vitamin E complex formulas to balance them according to the latest understanding of how these various related compounds work together in the human body. It also added coenzyme forms of letter vitamins, such as methylfolate as a folic acid alternative, and offers formulas with both coenzyme forms of B-12, “as methylcobalamin is not the whole or even the primary form of active B-12in our bodies,” he explained.
Also offering a line of B vitamins (and others) is California-based Continental Vitamin Company, Inc. with its Superior Source No SHOT B 12 MicroLingual Instant Dissolve Tablets. This is a line of several combinations of B vitamins that work together to provide numerous health benefits B vitamins are known for. According to the company, the combination of B vitamins can help combat symptoms and or causes of stress and low mood, as well as support cardiovascular health, increase metabolism, help maintain healthy skin and muscle tone and support nervous system function and the immune system. And its MicroLingual Instant Dissolve tablets are suitable for adults with pill fatigue, and they dissolve instantly.
Although not intended for adults, most of ChildLife’s supplements, including its multivitamin/mineral formulas are a liquid delivery system because, said Clarke, these are highly absorbable and easy to take. “ChildLife also has the only clean label Organic D3 and Organic K2 on the market for babies. Vitamin D3 and K2 are the only supplements mandated to be given to babies from day one,” he described.
Multi Vitamin and Minerals with an Orange Mango natural flavor provides the vitamins and minerals children require for healthy grow; these essential vitamins and minerals must be delivered in the right amount, in the right form every day, and ChildLife Multi Vitamin and Mineral formula contains all 16 “essential” vitamins plus the primary minerals.
Keep in mind, Clarke emphasized, “children are not simply little adults. Their bodies and minds are undergoing construction as they develop physically, mentally and emotionally. Proper nutrition for a child is critical for lifelong health.”
Ideally, he added, children would obtain all these nutrients through food, but this is no longer likely as today’s food is not as nutritious as it used to be. “Modern farming methods have depleted our soils of the nutrients necessary to grow nourishing food. At the same time, environmental pollution has created an increased need for these essential nutrients,” he explained.
A further concern, Clarke added, is that foods rich in vitamin D are also limited. Dietary supplements are commonly used to help get the recommended daily dose. Of the two vitamin D forms (D2 and D3), Clarke noted that most experts now believe that the only form that should be purchased is vitamin D3 as it is considered the most natural and more potent form; it is also more shelf stable than D2. ChildLife’s Vitamin D3 and the organic version are available in easy to use drops with a delicious natural mixed berry flavor. Children need supplement D3 for immune health, bone support, respiratory health and cardiovascular support.
Although this category can be “decidedly dull,” said Bellizzi, it serves as a strong, common entry point to many other supplements and functional foods and beverages. She recommends that retailers “consider cross-merchandising whole food-sourced vitamins and minerals near juice bars, or in produce, showing the direct connection of the ingredients in the vitamin to the foods they sell. This disruptive approach to merchandising can help reignite consumers who may have stopped taking multivitamins in favor of juicing or if they try to get all their nutrition from food.”
No doubt that, to the letter, everyone needs a quality, clean multivitamin! VR
For More Information:
ChildLife Essentials, www.childlife.net
Continental Vitamin Co., www.cvc4health.com
Natural Factors, www.naturalfactors.com
NutriGold, www.nutrigold.com
NOW, www.nowfoods.com
Rainbow Light, www.rainbowlight.com
