While quickly coming to an end, my first year in college allowed me to fully experience life on my own. Having the freedom to choose what I did in my free time, when I came home from a night out, and every other aspect in my life challenged me in many ways. One challenge included keeping a healthy diet. As a college student taking 18 hours of classes, volunteering twice a week, and working three part time jobs, I scarcely have time to sit down, let alone eat three healthy meals a day. In the past semester, I noticed that I’d barely eaten vegetables! My diet consisted of fast food, ramen, and chips, simply because of convenience. I realized that I wasn’t getting anywhere close to my recommended amount of nutrients per day, so I picked up multivitamins at my local Costco.

 Although there are disagreements in the health and medical community about how much of a difference multivitamins truly make, it is clear that they are more likely to help you rather than harm you. According to Dr. Howard Sesso from Harvard’s School of Public Health, “Multivitamin supplementation is low risk and low cost, and it helps to fill potential gaps in the diet that people might have. It is worth considering a multivitamin as part of a healthy lifestyle.” There are 13 vitamins and at least 16 minerals essential to a healthy life; multivitamins may contain a variety of these vitamins and minerals. A recent study found that among women, taking a multivitamin for at least three years was linked to a 35% lower risk of dying from heart disease. Another study found that multivitamins also lowered the risk of cancer in men by 31%.

 

When choosing a multivitamin, there are often different options depending on one’s age and one’s gender. Usually the age categories are separated into children/teens, adults, and seniors (ages 50+). This is because people of different ages and different genders require different average daily amounts of vitamins. For example, formulas for men over 50 usually have no iron because iron levels can build up over time in senior men and lead to organ damage. Formulas for seniors may include more vitamin B12 since older people may have trouble absorbing B12 from foods.

    

 

 

 

 

 

I personally have been taking One A Day multivitamins for women and have noticed subtle differences in the rate of nail growth as well as hair growth. My gums have stopped bleeding as much due to vitamin deficiency and small cuts on my skin heal much faster. There are hundreds of brands that offer multivitamins including Douglas Laboratories. Douglas Laboratories maintains their own FDA-registered GMP facility that is NSF Certified GMP, NSF Certified for Sport, and even have their own ISO accredited in-house testing facilities. They have a large variety of multivitamins, including ones made for teens. Additionally, they even have a special vitamin formula to improve hair, nails, and skin for those who may only want to target those areas. After finishing my bottle of One A Day multivitamins, I personally will look into investing in high quality supplements from Douglas Laboratories.