A multivitamin used to be a staple of the healthy morning ritual, right alongside a hot cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal for breakfast. But today, we know there are several things wrong with this picture, especially the cereal — but it has nothing to do with the coffee.

While coffee has now been dubbed a disease-fighting beverage and a rich source of daily antioxidants, the same can’t be said for the average multivitamin and a breakfast food like cereal. Cereals, even the whole-grain variety, are processed, starchy carbs known to spike blood sugar and contribute to chronic inflammation in the body. Consistent blood sugar spikes, i.e., eating cereal day after day, can cause alarming insulin surges that may lead to diabetes.

The morning multivitamin has also been getting a bad press — some doctors have gone so far as to call multivitamins a “waste of money”. This judgement may sound harsh, but after examining the poor formulation of the standard multivitamin supplement sold at chain retailers, we can’t help but agree. Most multivitamins are ineffective and may not be worth the time and money spent taking them, simply because they lack the complete formulation of nutrients needed to support all body functions on a day-to-day basis.

After conducting several studies on market multivitamins that did not live up to their claims in preventing early death and chronic disease, researchers said, “Enough is enough,” in a 2013 editorial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Multivitamins are a waste, Dr Guallar argued, if they aren’t able to improve health and prevent disease.

WAKING UP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BED

These recent studies are worth weighing up and considering, as very few vitamin and mineral supplements can live up to their claims. Multivitamins in particular, made with a combined vitamin and mineral formulation, deserve even more scrutiny. The right multivitamin has proven ingredients with a wide spectrum of nutrients that can address all human health needs — essential vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and amino acids to replenish stores in the body that are naturally depleted each day.

The right multivitamin may also contain a few “All-Star” ingredients that can live up to specific health claims, with research to back them. An ingredient like Folate 5-MTHF, far superior to synthetic folic acid that is difficult for the body to absorb and use, is hard to find in a daily multi. Folate 5-MTHF is the active form of folic acid that can be used by the body, providing benefits to support the heart and stabilise mood.^2ß This converted form of folic acid is most beneficial to the general population, where up to 60 percent of people may have a genetic enzyme defect that does not allow them to convert folic acid in the body completely.

Other superior supplement ingredients, like L-OptiZinc, with higher antioxidant properties than other forms of zinc, and lutein and zeaxanthin, two of the most eye-protective carotenoids available, may be impossible to find in the average multivitamin.45

We can’t disagree with the general consensus on multivitamins. Most, if not all, over-the-counter cheap multi formulations sold at stores are not worth your money. It is the multivitamin with the widest spectrum of critical nutrients (130) and research-backed ingredients that is worth waking up to in the morning.