To stay healthy, it is common for people to take a daily multivitamin. You can find many, many different brands of multivitamins nowadays at any grocery store, health store, convenience store, or the like. Most people probably like that the cost of their multivitamins is usually fairly low. For example, a generic multivitamin at Target costs $4.12, Walgreens $11.49, and at King Soopers $5.92.

While the lower price may seem like a great deal for a multivitamin, unfortunately you are probably not receiving the most benefit from them. This is because usually the less expensive multivitamins are not bio-available. Bio-availability means how well your body can actually absorb and utilize the nutrients. There are two processes that assist in making nutrients more accessible for your body to absorb (or more bio-available). The two processes are:

1. Methylation (more specifically methylated B vitamins)
2. Chelation (more specifically chelated minerals)

Methylation 

To process B vitamins, your body has to undergo five processes or steps to make the B vitamins ready for your body to use. Methylated B vitamins have already undergone those five processes and are already “activated” and available for your body to absorb and utilize. Methylation essentially is a shortcut for your B vitamins. To know you are getting the most out of your B vitamins, look for:

• Vitamin B6 as 5′-phosphate
• Folate as 5-MTHF
• Vitamin B12 as Methylcobalamin

Chelation

Chelation is a similar process to methylation in that it helps make minerals more bio-available for your body to absorb more effectively and efficiently. A chelated mineral is one that is bound to an amino acid. Minerals that bind to other compounds are: magnesium, copper, chromium, and zinc for example. To know you are getting the most benefit out of your minerals, look for:

• Magnesium diglycinate
• Other minerals in a glycinate chelate form

In the Medicinal Store here at The Healing Gardens, you can find our multivitamin that has both methylated B vitamins and chelated minerals. We want you to be getting the most benefit out of your supplements to support your health!