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Related Experiment Videos

Search for the most complete multivitamin.

Vanessa E Furlong1, A Stewart Truswell

  • 1Human Nutrition Unit, Biochemistry Building, G.08, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia 2006.

Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|August 28, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Most multivitamins lack all 13 essential vitamins. Centrum Complete and Centrum Select 50+ are recommended for containing nearly all vitamins at appropriate levels, ensuring nutritional requirements are met.

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Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The term "multivitamin" does not ensure inclusion or adequate levels of all 13 essential vitamins.
  • Many commercially available multivitamin products fail to meet complete vitamin requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the composition of registered multivitamin products in Australia.
  • To identify multivitamin supplements that provide all 13 essential vitamins at levels close to Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDIs).

Main Methods:

  • Reviewed stated compositions of vitamin products registered with the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration.
  • Excluded products with fewer than five vitamins, non-culinary herbs, amino acids, or specific formulations (children, pregnancy, powder, injections).
  • Scored 163 eligible multivitamins based on the presence and quantity of 13 vitamins relative to RDIs.

Main Results:

  • Only two products, Centrum Complete and Centrum Select 50+, contained all 13 vitamins near RDIs.
  • Five products contained 12 vitamins, with Avon Women's Complete scoring highest.
  • Many multivitamins contained fewer than 13 vitamins or scored below 10.

Conclusions:

  • Consumers seeking comprehensive vitamin supplementation should choose products containing all or nearly all 13 essential vitamins.
  • Centrum and Pluravit are recommended for their completeness and availability.
  • Suggests improved listing and dispensing of complete multivitamins in healthcare settings.

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