What You Did Not Know About Centrum Multivitamins

Why We Need Multivitamins

In order for our bodies to function properly on a regular basis, there are a number of vitamins (and minerals as well) that we have to take in daily.  These are vitamins and minerals that our bodies require to function but cannot produce ourselves.  These are referred to for this reason as essential vitamins and minerals.  Centrum multivitamins are one of the most popular multivitamins on the market.

All About Centrum Multivitamins

So what's so great about Centrum multivitamins?  On the package you will find their slogan (From A to Zinc), implying that one tablet provides all of the vitamins and minerals that you require for good health. 

Here is a breakdown of the vitamins and minerals included in a single table of Centrum multivitamins (percentages are of Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)  * Refers to those that have no Recommended Daily Allowance:

Vitamin A (70%)                                                  Vitamin C (100%)
Vitamin D (100%)                                                Vitamin E (100%)        
Vitamin K (31%)                                                  Thiamin (100%)
Riboflavin (100%)                                                Niacin (100%)
Vitamin B6 (100%)                                               Folic Acid (100%)   
Vitamin B12  (100%)                                            Biotin (10%)
Pantothenic Acid (100%)                                       Calcium (16%)
Iron (100%)                                                        Phosphorus (11%)
Iodine (100%)                                                     Magnesium (25%)
Zinc (100%)                                                        Selenium (100%)
Manganese (100%)                                              Chromium (100%)
Molybdenum (100%)                                            Chloride (2%)
Potassium (2%)                                                   Boron *
Nickel *                                                              Silicon *
Tin *                                                                  Vanadium *
Lutein *                                                              Lycopene *

This includes all of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs, as well as a number of others that we require.

What You Did Not Know About Centrum Multivitamins

While the list of vitamins included in Centrum multivitamins is quite impressive, there are some things you should know about them.  For one thing, the vitamins and minerals included in Centrum multivitamins are synthetic, that is they are chemically devised.  They are not extracted from natural substances.  While research is not conclusive, many believe that naturally derived vitamins are more effective than synthetic vitamins and minerals.

Secondly, Centrum multivitamins are composed from a powder base, and include several extra ingredients not required by the body in order to give them their pill form.  Studies have shown that our bodies are not very efficient at absorbing vitamins and minerals from powder based pills.  In fact, some sources show that we only absorb 10-20% of the vitamins we take in pill form.  That means that 80-90% of the nutrients in Centrum multivitamins we take are not being absorbed!

This does not mean we should take more Centrum multivitamins.  It is possible to overdose on multivitamins, which can lead to vomiting, nausea, even death.  However, we might want to look for better multivitamin sources.  Naturally made, liquid based multivitamins can often be better for us than Centrum multivitamins (although they are also more expensive).  Absorption rates of nutrients from liquid based supplements have been shown to be as high as 98%!