The unfortunate truth is that the modern American diet doesn’t provide adequate amounts of essential nutrients. Many people turn to multivitamin pills to help fill the gap. Finding a supplement that will work for you can be tough if you have trouble swallowing tablets and capsules.
Luckily, chewable and gummy multivitamins are becoming more and more popular – not just for kids! In this article, I’ll share some of the most important things to look for in a multivitamin and my picks for the best gummy multivitamin on the market right now.
The Average American Diet
One look at the current eating habits of Americans shows that many people don’t get enough of the right foods while getting far too many of the wrong ones. Over 60 percent of individuals fail to meet the US Dietary Guidelines’ recommendations for vegetables, fruits, dairy, and oils. (source) Fruits and vegetables in particular, are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals. A poor diet means high risk of nutrient deficiencies.
Water-Soluble Versus Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamins fall into two categories: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins include the suite of B-complex vitamins and vitamin C. (source) Examples of fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. (source) The difference between the two groups lies in availability. Water-solubles are not stored in the body whereas fat soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and adipose tissue.
In practical terms, you need to replenish your body’s stores of vitamins that are water-soluble everyday. While your body has a supply of fat-soluble vitamins, you still need to keep the tank full, so to speak. Adequate intake of these nutrients is just as important as their water-soluble counterparts.
Why Take a Multivitamin?
Taking a multivitamin is a convenient way to ensure you are getting proper nutrition even if you’re not following the healthiest of diets.
While you probably know that eating fruits and vegetables is part of a good diet, the cost is an obstacle in many households. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that a healthy diet costs about $1.50 more a day than an unhealthy one. (source) If you’re on a limited budget, that amount can add up quickly. A multivitamin can help solve these issues.
If your diet includes a large portion of processed foods, it most likely lacks nutrition. The convenience of processed foods comes at a price. Processing can leach out valuable nutrients, especially water-soluble vitamins. The Center for Disease Control estimates that processed foods and restaurant meals make up to 75 percent of your sodium intake. (source)
Advantages of a Gummy Multivitamin
Many people opt for a multivitamin that includes minerals. When you need nutrients like calcium, the size of the pill you need to take gets larger. Some individuals may have difficulties swallowing large pills for a variety of reasons both medical and psychological. (source) While multiple doses offer an alternative, there’s also the risk of forgetting to take a second or third pill.
You may think halving or crushing your vitamin is a good way around it. Many multivitamins are timed release because of the different absorption rates of the nutrients. That means that using a pill cutter or crusher will result in completely inaccurate dosing. A gummy multivitamin offers an excellent—and tasty—alternative.
How to Choose the Best Gummy Multivitamin for Adults
Multivitamins are not created equal. Your nutritional needs and the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) vary as you age. (source) That means that you shouldn’t just take the same vitamin that your child takes. The RDAs for most nutrients increase with age.
Which Vitamins?
You should begin by narrowing down your choices of a gummy multivitamin by choosing one that includes the full complement of the essential 13 vitamins. The point of taking a multivitamin is to keep the number of pills you need to take to a minimum. It will keep your costs down and help to ensure that you get proper nutrition every day.
The Right Dose
Check the label for the percentages of RDA of each vitamin. More isn’t always better. A surplus offers no extra value for a water-soluble vitamin because you’ll excrete the excess. For a fat-soluble vitamin, it can lead to unhealthy high levels of stored vitamins.
This video by Allied Services IHS discusses the importance of good nutrition all through your life.
The Best Gummy Multivitamins for Adults in 2023
Conclusion
After considering the pros and cons of each gummy multivitamin, our pick is the SmartyPants Adult Complete Gummy Vitamins. While it was the most expensive, we were swayed by its nutritional profile that included fish oil.
We were also impressed by the fact that it contained organic cane sugar as opposed to corn or glucose syrup found in other products. And we had to take our hat off to a product that can make taking fish-derived oil a treat.
Leave a comment