It’s terrible, I know, but I always assumed that multivitamins were fairly similar. I’ve always advised people who wish to take them to choose one based on their age and sex as nutrient needs vary throughout our lifespans and are different for men and women. Personally, I always read the label to ensure the nutrients I’m most concerned about are included in reasonable amounts. However, I never thought that there would be much of a difference between the traditional tablets and the newer gummies. Turns out I was wrong.

I was catching-up on my reading of Nutrition Action magazine when I saw a blurb about the One A Day Fruiti-ssentials gummy multivitamins. The blurb pointed out that these “complete adult multivitamins” are not all that complete at all. In fact, they only contain 7 vitamins and no minerals. Compare that to a “traditional” multivitamin and mineral supplement which has 13 vitamins and 9 minerals. It’s also worth noting that the dose for the One A Day gummies is two pieces yet the amounts of vitamins provided is still less than the amounts provided by the tablets. And don’t forget about the added sugar (as if we need anymore of that in our diets) as well as the importance of cleaning your teeth after consuming gummy candy. Really, when it comes down to it these are basically fortified candy.

As a woman, and a runner, and an infrequent meat-eater, I tend to be concerned about iron and calcium. If you took these gummy vitamins you wouldn’t be obtaining any of these nutrients.

I know that some people have difficulty swallowing pills, and tablets aren’t an option. Make sure that you read the labels carefully and that your multivitamin supplement is providing you with all of the nutrients you’re concerned about. There are a number of chewable and some liquid options on the market as well. Even if you’re buying a traditional tablet variety you should still take the time to read the label.