Vitamin C. Vitamin A. Potassium. Manganese. These are just four of the vitamins and minerals contained in multivitamins, which is termed as a supplement for dietary intake. They are packaged for adults, for kids, for subgroups like vegans and vegetarians, and even special blends for fitness junkies. And they are popular in America.
According to estimates, one-third of Americans take a multivitamin. They first were sold in the 1940s and today account for one-sixth of all dietary supplements and 40% of the vitamin and mineral market. The idea is fairly simple. The American diet is not well-known for vitamins and minerals. People don’t eat their vegetables and rampant high-density calorie food has led to a rise in obesity.
That may be starting to change. Sales of all dietary supplements in the United States totaled around $37 billion in 2014. $14 billion of that can be categorized as vitamin or mineral supplements, with $6 billion being for multivitamins. About two-thirds of Americans take at least one dietary supplement. And 10% of adults say they follow a vegetarian based diet. That’s 23 million people focused on eating plant-based foods like vegetables.
Multivitamins come in many forms, allowing for personal preference in choosing the brand and the method of ingestion. For instance, a vegan protein shake mix may have more than just the standard 20 grams of protein per serving. The protein itself will be drawn from plant-based sources and the mix may have numerous vitamins and minerals associated with it, enough for a full day’s worth of vitamins.
There are natural vitamins and supplements as well, and some that are targeted towards youth, even children. Children have health needs, as much as adults do, and perhaps more. A growing child may need a certain amount of a vitamin or nutrient that may be tough to come by–especially in a household that follows a vegan or vegetarian diet.
For instance, the Institute of Medicine, which is part of the National Academy of Sciences, recommends that adolescents get 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day. Often, those in a vegan household will resort to soy milk as a calcium substitute, but there are calcium supplements as well.
A multivitamin for children often looks and tastes attractive compared to adult models. There are popular lines of the “chewable” multivitamin for children that tastes like gummy candy and has a vibrant color, which makes the experience less arduous for the child. Even the bottle for the multivitamin for children will have attractive cartoon characters.
For the older age bracket, there is an anti aging multivitamin. These supplements use vitamins–such as Vitamin C or Vitamin E–to combat the signs of aging on the skin. The prevented signs include wrinkles and dullness.
Finally, many choose to opt out of the strict pill process and go for protein shakes like the vegan one mentioned above. A whole food multivitamin powder can provide the nutrients in a plant-based formula that is flavored.