Why are vitamins and minerals so important? They are the tools your body uses to function. Think of nutrients as the building blocks to all of your tissues. Without them, your body can’t heal, repair, or maintain itself. Multiple studies have shown the relationship between vitamin and mineral deficiencies and gluten intolerance and celiac disease. It is well established that damage to the intestinal cells can lead to malabsorption and poor digestion. One study showed that celiac patients following the gluten free diet still had vitamin and mineral deficiencies after 10 years of compliance.(1) Add to this the fact that the chronic autoimmune inflammatory damage taxes the nutritional status of the body and we are left with chronically ill patients who need supplementation as part of their recovery process.(2-5) Many with gluten sensitivity have persistent health issues like heart burn, depression, IBS, low hormones, etc and take natural supplements and medications for their symptoms.
Now add to this that almost 1/4 of all supplements and even prescription medications contain hidden gluten and we have a major medical disaster.Let’s take a look at what a recent research study published in the medical journal, Nutrients(7), found: The scary part about this – not all nutrients were even tested. For example, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B8, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper, selenium, chromium, iodine, vitamin K, vitamin E, and essential omega fats were not evaluated. The reality is, these nutrients are vital to fight inflammation, repair damaged tissue, regulate immune function, produce thyroid hormones, produce digestive enzymes, replicate new cells, regulate the adrenal glands, produce energy, help with fat metabolism, and much, much more. How do you heal? How do you maintain health when these essential nutrients are deficient? The reality is this – many with gluten sensitivity take medications for other health problems. Unfortunately, the doctors don’t always talk about this problem with patients.
The problem is so big that books have been written to address the topic(8,9). Consider the following quote from a paper published in the medical journal, Pediatric Clinics of North America (10): Good clinical care extends beyond mere diagnosis and treatment of disease to appreciation that nutrient deficiencies can be the price of effective drug therapy. The major risk factors for developing drug-induced nutrient deficiencies are lack of awareness by the prescribing physician and long duration of drug therapy. The average adult over age 35 is on 3 or more medications. Some of the most common ones include drugs for pain, heartburn, depression, thyroid disease, antibiotics, cholesterol, and high blood pressure. The consequence of these medications can contribute to the loss of iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium, vitamin B12, biotin, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin B1, and folate. The sad irony here is that doctors give the drugs to “treat” disease, but by “treating” patients this way, nutritional loss ensues.
Many of the symptoms being medicated are the same symptoms caused by the nutritional loss. For example – high blood pressure drugs cause magnesium loss, and magnesium loss causes high blood pressure. How do you escape this vicious cycle? The answer is – KNOWLEDGE. Making sure your doctor tests for vitamin and mineral deficiencies is an essential first step. Nutritional supplementation while on these medications is also a priority, but beware… Don’t flush your money and health down the toilet. A recent study investigated over the counter vitamin and mineral supplements for the presence of gluten, and the results were alarming for those who are trying to follow a gluten free diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle through the use of multi-vitamins, probiotics, etc. Almost 24% of the products tested had enough gluten in them to create inflammatory damage. Here is a quote directly from the study: we investigated the presence of gluten in twenty one common dietary supplements from the national market using the immunochromatographic assay.
This visual assay proved to be an efficient rapid tool for gluten screening as an alternative to the ELISA techniques. The results have shown the presence of gluten in 23.8% of the investigated samples (vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, probiotics supplements, lactoferrin, propolis supplements). Many supplement manufactures process multiple products in their facilities. Often times, grain is used as a filler or additive. Wheat germ is a common example of a gluten based ingredient being used in supplement processing. This same problem can be seen in a number of prescription and over the counter medications. Below is a list of commonly used terms that may be grain based fillers in vitamin supplement products: If you have stayed up to date with current literature and research regarding corn gluten, then you are aware of Gluten Free Society’s stance on this problem. If you are not aware, go here now and catch up. Corn based fillers are extremely common in supplement products.
As a matter of fact, most brands of vitamin C are derived from corn. This is one of the many reasons why vitamin C formulations cause reactions in patients with gluten intolerance issues. As corn is easily hidden and disguised in many ways, I have put together a list of terms you will want to be aware of to avoid this contaminant in your supplements. If you are in need of probiotics and vitamin supplements without gluten, you can go here.This new formulation was designed to offer superior nutritional support for those with gluten sensitivity. Unlike most brands, this Ultra high-quality, hypoallergenic, multivitamin/mineral blend includes activated vitamins and minerals including: This advanced nutritional formula is free of: wheat, gluten, corn, rice, yeast, soy, dairy, fish (including shellfish), peanuts, tree nuts, egg, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives. >>> Click Here to Order Now <<< >>> Click Here to Order Now <<
The nutrients in these multivitamins are sourced from real foods — which also ups their price tag. One big reason these multivitamins went to the top of our list: In an industry filled with misdirection and misinformation, MegaFood is a beacon of transparency. Its supplements are certified as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) with NSF International, which assures “the product produced has the identity, strength, composition, quality, and purity that it is represented to possess,” and MegaFood adheres to ISO 9001 standards, meaning its labs comply with the highest standards of quality assurance and testing. Those certifications alone are more than enough to stand out from the crowd, but it doesn’t stop there. MegaFood provides links to the farmers who supply the food it derives nutrients from. It’s certified vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO. It’s herb- and pesticide-free. And its New Hampshire facilities even have an extensive network of cameras so you can personally watch its lab employees in action.
The company is so keen to show what it’s all about, it coined it’s own slogan: Big T Transparency. Advocates say they’re better because they contain fewer chemicals and are derived from real foods. But critics argue synthetic nutrients have a more reliable shelf life. What does the science say? “No one knows for sure,” said Foroutan. “The research is not there.” Beyond Big T, MegaFood has another huge distinction: its multivitamins’ nutrients are derived exclusively from fruits, vegetables, and grains, meaning the vitamin A within is extracted from carrots; the vitamin C comes from organic oranges; and the vitamin K was once inside a cabbage. Many other nutrients, including the iron in the women’s multivitamin and the vitamin B12 in both blends, were derived from a yeast known as “saccharomyces cerevisiae,” a natural ingredient commonly used in brewing and baking. While the jury is still out on the tangible benefits of food-based supplements, they are must-haves for plenty of consumers, and MegaFood delivers.
Another thing we love about these multivitamins is the super-short list of inactive fillers. There are just three ingredients used to bind the tablet together, and all are found in nature: plant cellulose, vegetable lubricant, and the chemical compound silica (basically, sand). An inactive ingredient list this short is a rarity in the supplement world, and that helped push these multivitamins to the top of our pile. (To compare, Kirkland Signature has 13.) MegaFood Multi for Men Formulated for men — notably, there's no calcium, iron, or magnesium. Across both formulas, MegaFood boasts a nice balance of ingredients. Of the 27 nutrients the body needs, Multi for Men is purposefully missing iron, calcium, and magnesium — and while it does contain potassium, it has only a negligible amount. Women’s One Daily contains all 27, although it also contains barely any potassium. What are the other big differences between the men’s and women’s blends? There are slight variations in some nutrient levels, and the women’s blend contains a suite of 16 herbal additives, including nettle leaf and dandelion root.
More notably, the women’s multivitamin contains 9 milligrams of iron, since premenopausal women need more iron than men or postmenopausal women. Finally, the women’s multivitamin requires just one tablet per day, but the mens requires two. A comparison of the nutritional info for MegaFood Multi for Men (left) and MegaFood Women’s One Daily (right). MegaFood also makes versions of these multivitamins targeted for both men and women who are over 55, which have slightly varied formulas. The MegaFood Multi for Women 55+ doesn’t contain iron and the MegaFood Multi for Men 55+ contains pumpkin seed extract, which MegaFood claims supports a healthy prostate (the science is promising, but scant). There is one clear downside to MegaFood multivitamins: They’ll cost you. The blend targeted at women costs around 68 cents per serving (one tablet) and the men’s blend costs a steep 90 cents per serving (two tablets). If you’re looking for a more affordable option, keep reading.
Kirkland Signature Daily Multi A great roster of nutrients, third-party certifications, and only 2 cents per serving. You can’t get a much better bargain than the synthetic Kirkland Signature Daily Multi from Costco. It contains all 27 wishlist nutrients, though it only has 80 milligrams of potassium — about 2 percent of the recommended daily value. Unlike MegaFood, the nutrients in these multivitamins are synthetic, meaning they’re created in a lab instead of extracted from a carrot or a head of broccoli. (This may make some people squeamish, but there’s no evidence that synthetics are better or worse than naturally sourced vitamins.) The Kirkland Signature Daily Multi is USP-certified and received a B grade from Labdoor, earning high marks for value and purity, but a few red flags for label claim variance. The worst offense was folic acid levels at 31 percent above the label claim. Again, this isn’t a dangerous level — but it shows some inconsistencies in formulation.
And one last caveat: This vitamin contains 18 milligrams of iron. That’s 100% of the RDA for premenopausal women, but exceeds the 8 milligram RDA for postmenopausal women and men. Too much iron can cause constipation, but the National Institute of Health guidelines point out an 18 milligram dosage is common in multivitamins and only warn against acute intakes of more than 20 milligrams. Nutritional info for Kirkland Signature Daily Multi. Nature Made Multi for Her A balanced formula with a slew of third-party certifications — and because its a synthetic, it's much cheaper than MegaFood. Nature Made’s multivitamins are another good choice for anyone looking for a well-rounded daily tablet that has a third-party stamp of approval. Both the men’s and women’s blends are verified by USP to ensure label accuracy, and the Nature Made Multi for Her was one of 70 tested and approved by ConsumerLab. Both the men’s and women’s formulas earned a B+ ranking from Labdoor: Each earned high marks for purity, but also showed some ingredient inconsistencies.
(Among other variations, the women’s tablet contained 51 percent more vitamin C than the label claimed, and the men’s tablet contained 175 percent more vitamin B6 than reported. These aren’t dangerous levels or ingredients, but they do indicate a little less precision with formulations.) Nature Made Multi for Him A similar formula to the women's blend, only with no iron and extra vitamin B12. Despite its name, Nature Made is synthetic. It’s cheaper than the MegaFood multivitamins, but more than the Kirkland Signature: The women’s Nature Made multi costs 11 cents per one-tablet serving, and the men’s multi costs 10 cents for the same. On the downside, it has more extraneous fillers and binders than the MegaFood options, and contains the artificial sweetener maltodextrin. Neither MegaFood nor Kirkland Signature contain maltodextrin. Regardless, both Nature Made formulas contain 26 of the 27 nutrients deemed essential by the FDA; only potassium is missing. The difference between the men’s multi and the women’s is minor.