But the big issue is that most people have no idea how vitamins and minerals actually work, are absorbed - or more likely peed right out of your system.
People taking "multivitamins" are doing the latter in most cases, because the pills - which often contain harmful additives - lump together water-soluble vitamins with oil-soluble ones. You might as well just take snake oil when you do that, because practically nothing will be metabolized by your body.
#1 rule: take vitamins and minerals separately, and preferably with food that compliments it.
Of course people take "multivitamins" because no one likes to take tons of pills. But most people don't need a laundry list of vitamins. There are several key ones.
The most important vitamin: D3. The best version of Vitamin D3 is in "nanoemulsion format (oil suspended)," which studies including this one (FR link) have shown greatly increase absorption.
The best such D3 according to ConsumerLab.com is:
Bluebonnet Nutrition Liquid Vitamin D3 Drops 5000 IU
Mrs Montag has M.S. and takes 6-8 drops of this every single morning. 12 years with M.S. and she is still in much better shape than most, with no new symptoms (Thank God).
What helps D3 work even better is if you take it with oil-rich food, such as salmon, avocado or even nuts (same for other oil-solubles like A, E, and K).
If you have any other questions, DM me, as I could go on about this all day. But here is a useful list of vitamins and minerals sorted by oil/water solubility. At the very least, just take them together, preferably at separate meals a few hours apart, and with foods that will complement them:
Some additional info on this subject:
Water-Soluble Vitamins are vitamin C and the B’s, i.e., thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12). They are well absorbed with or without food. However, B12 is better absorbed with meals. Avoid taking vitamin C and B12 together because vitamin C can reduce the absorption of B12. If you need these vitamins, take them at least 2 hours apart. Our body does not store water-soluble vitamins, so we need them daily.
"Prenatal" Vitamins such as folic acids and iron should be taken with food early in the evening before bedtime if you have morning sickness. Iron can worsen nausea.
Iron supplements should be taken when you haven’t eaten anything. Take it with fruit juice rich in vitamin C, such as orange juice is recommended. Do not take iron supplements with high-calcium foods or calcium supplements because they inhibit iron absorption. Postmenopausal people should not take iron supplements unless prescribed by a doctor.
Mineral supplements,such as zinc, calcium, and magnesium, should be taken with food but at different meals. Having them all at the same time reduces the absorption of both minerals. Do not take minerals with multivitamins or antioxidants such as lycopene or beta-carotene.