Questions about women’s multivitamins

Does NutriGold offer more than one women’s multivitamin formulation?

Yes. In addition to our Prenatal Multivitamin, we offer 4 multivitamin options to support women's health - 

• One Daily Women’s Multi Gold (available in 30-count and 60-count bottles/1 capsule per day) 
• Women’s Multi Gold (90 capsules/3 capsules per day)
• 40+ Multi Gold (90 capsules/3 capsules per day)
• 55+ Multi Gold (90 capsules/3 capsules per day)

How do the different NutriGold women’s multivitamins compare?

Can individuals with a known or suspected MTHFR gene mutation take NutriGold multivitamins to get the recommended daily value of folate?

There is some controversy with regard to the form of B9 that is best suited for individuals with a known or suspected MTHFR gene variant. According to the American Pregnancy Association, some women have a defect in their MTHFR gene that doesn’t allow them to properly convert synthetic folic acid into active methyl folate. As such, women taking folic acid may not be absorbing their B vitamins as expected. For this reason, it is preferable to take folate either from whole food sources (e.g. green leafy vegetables) or supplements that contain the natural form of active folate instead of synthesized folic acid whenever possible.

However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common variant in the MTHFR gene is MTHFR C677T and these are the 5 most important things to known about this variant —

1. People with MTHFR C677T variants can process all types of folate, including folic acid.
2. Folic acid is the only type of folate shown to help prevent neural tube defects.
3. MTHFR gene variants are common.
4. All women of reproductive age who could become pregnant should consume 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid each day, including those with an MTHFR C677T variant
5. Sometimes a woman may still have a baby with a neural tube defect even though she consumed the recommended 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid; the defect may be unrelated to the MTHFR gene variant or folate status.

Supplements containing forms of folate other than folic acid (such as 5-MTHF) should not be confused with the natural food folate found in fruits and vegetables. The effectiveness of these [5-MTHF] supplements in preventing neural tube defects has not been studied. For more information on the difference between folic acid and folate, please click here.

The form of B9 in our product is not the methylated form. While it can help bridge nutritional gaps in the diet, support good health, and help minimize the risk of folate deficiency when taken in conjunction with a diet that includes folate-rich foods, we regret we do not have any information on and cannot make any recommendations regarding the use of our product by individuals with a known or suspected MTHFR gene variant. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the folate form in our products, we ask that you discuss those concerns with your healthcare provider prior to supplementation so you can make an informed purchasing decision on the form of folate that will best support your particular health goals.

Why don’t NutriGold multivitamins include any ingredients to address specific women’s health issues (e.g. fertility, PMS, menopause)?

The reason we do not include targeted health-specific ingredients in our multivitamin formulations is two-fold: (1) we are philosophically opposed to the idea of one-size-fits-all, kitchen-sink formulations because not all health concerns may be shared by everyone in the target population. We believe that a multivitamin should be, as the name suggests, a product that provides therapeutically beneficial amounts of vitamins and minerals that can help bridge nutrient gaps in diet and minimize deficiency risk; and (2) from a practical standpoint, including the full therapeutic dosages of targeted ingredients that address specific women’s health issues (e.g. cranberry for urinary tract health) will mean higher dosages; this can be a deal-breaker for consumers who either cannot or don’t prefer to take products with prohibitively high dosages.

Formulating without these health-specific ingredients allows consumers to choose the multivitamin that best fits their needs based upon micronutrient levels alone and without the distraction of ingredients that are either present in amounts too low to be therapeutically beneficial and/or are tangential to the purposes for which most consumers take a multivitamin.