Vital Formulas provided a month’s worth of vitamins to facilitate this review.  As always, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Many of us take multivitamins on a daily basis.  But they may or may not be effective.  Efficacy depends on a multitude of factors.  Vital Formulas has tackled a key elements of this equation that no other multivitamin company has ever addressed (to my knowledge).

Synergism

See, some nutrients work synergistically.  When we get them from a whole foods diet, we don’t usually have to worry too much about this, because synergistic nutrients tend to occur in tandem.  But when we need to supplement (which most of us do, as a result of the depleted soil and other modern factors), this isn’t automatic.

More importantly, some nutrients fight each other.  In their battling it out for precedence, neither is fully assimilated.

What makes Vital Formulas’ Balanced Trio so brilliant is that it’s designed specifically with these combinations in mind.  Vitamins and minerals that aid in each others’ absorption are put together; vitamins and minerals that are antagonistic to one another are intentionally separated.  (Sounds like a time-out for vitamins that can’t get along!)  By arranging the day’s nutrients into three different combinations, the harmonies are capitalized on, as are the times of day they’re taken.

Other Factors

The forms of the vitamins and minerals used by Vital Formulas are carefully-chosen, as well.  Minerals, for instance, are chelated.  Chelated minerals are more easily assimilated by the body, so there is less “waste.”  Fish oil is incorporated, for plenty of Omega-3’s.  ConcenTrace® trace minerals – which are highly-respected – are used.  All of this is just the beginning.  The short version is that these are very well thought-out supplements, they include a well-rounded set of nutrients, and I am very confident of their quality.

One thing I really love about them is that because of the way they’re divided out over the course of the day, there’s no iron in the morning capsules.  I don’t have to worry about an icky tummy in the morning when I haven’t eaten much yet, because of iron in my vitamins.  (There is iron included; it’s just in the later-in-the-day capsules.)

The only down-side to these is that if you forget to take a dose, you’re missing nutrients you didn’t get earlier in the day (unlike with regular several-times-a-day vitamins, where you’re just getting less).  But it’s only three times a day, which coincides pretty well with most people’s routines.  And it’s certainly simpler than taking separate vitamins, minerals, fish oil, etc. and having to figure out how many of which you take when!  With these it’s three capsules/tablets, three times a day – you just pull them out of a different bottle for each dose.

(None of the combos contain wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, or corn, in case any of those are a concern for you.)

What sounds most appealing to you about these multivitamins?