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Nutritional Supplements Table

 
 
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Having over 30,000 different vitamins and mineral supplements on the global market presents so much choice it becomes overwhelming for the average consumer to make informed buying decisions. What is required is for the scientific community to provide a comparative guide for consumers. Fortunately, seven Canadian and American biochemists, led by Lyle MacWilliam, produced exactly that by separating and measuring each ingredient (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other components) in multivitamins.
 
The research team identified over 1,000 multivitamin products which they then short-listed to 510 for detailed analysis. The results of their research were published in MacWilliam’s Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements which is focussed upon the North American market, but includes 63 of the more popular multivitamin products available in New Zealand.
 
How is the Comparison made?
14 criteria were used to compare the short-listed 510 multivitamin products, namely:
  1. Completeness
  2. Potency
  3. Bioavailability
  4. Bioactivity of Vitamin E
  5. Cardiac Health Triad
  6. Homocysteine reduction Triad
  7. Bone health Complex
  1. Antioxidant Triad
  2. Glutathione Support
  3. Metabolic Support
  4. Bioflavonoid Profile
  5. Phenolic Compound  Profile
  6. Lipotropic factors
  7. Potential Toxicities
 
From these 14 criteria a % Score was calculated for each product. A score approaching 100% represents a product possessing characteristics of “optimal nutrition”, including how absorbable the vitamins were, whether they were in appropriate amounts and appropriate form, the range of vitamins and minerals, and having the vitamins in the right combinations for the body's needs.


Nutritional Supplement Comparison Table
Product  (by ranking) --- 3rd Edition
Score
NZ Table Rank
Usana Health Sciences Essentials
 73.7% *
1
Solgar Omnium
56.5%
2
Thorne Research Al's formula
46.9%
3
Clinicians Vitamin & Mineral Boost
45.1%
4
NFS Nutraceuticals Ultimate Sports Multi
44.5%
5
Thorne Research Basic Nutrients V
44.4%
6
Thorne Research Basic Nutrients III
38.7%
7
Solgar VM-2000
37.9%
8
Amway Nutriway Double X
27.3%
9
Phramanex Lifepak Women
25.6%
10
Neways Orachel
24.1%
11
Solgar Formula VM-75
23.1%
12
Radiance Multi-Power
22.6%
13
Nutra Life Active Men's Multi
22.3%
14
Pharmanex Lifepak Prime
21.0%
15
Thompson's Multifort
17.5%
16
Thompson's Immunofort
16.9%
17
Nutra Life Active Woman's Multi Plus
16.4%
18
Eagle Tresos B PluSe
16.4%
19
Kordel's Men's Multi (without Iron)
15.4%
20
Blackmores Women's Vitality Multi
14.1%
21
Metagenics Multigenics
14.1%
22
Red Seal Women's Multi
14.0%
23
Nature's Own Daily Multi Peak Performance
14.0%
24
Mannatech GlycoLEAN Catalyst
13.9%
25
Metagenics Multigenics Phyto Plus
13.5%
26
Natural Nutrition Mega Potency Fifty Plus Multi Vitamins
13.4%
27
Red Seal Men's Multi
13.3%
28
Blackmores Sustained Release Multi Vitamins and Minerals
11.5%
29
Swisse Women's Ultivite Formula 1
11.5%
30
Thompson's Men's Muti with Antioxidants
11.3%
31
Golden Glow Senior's One A Day Multi
11.1%
32
Swisse Women's Ultivite No Iron or Iodine
10.9%
33
Swisse Men's Ultivite Formula 1
10.8%
34
Blackmores Sustained Release Multi Vitamins and Minerals + Selenium
10.7%
35
Melaleuca Vitality For Women
10.6%
36
Reliv Now
10.4%
37
Good Health Men's Multi Plus
9.1%
38
Kordel's Women's Multi Plus EPO
8.6%
39
Thompson's Femmefort
8.3%
40
Microgenics Mega Mutivitamin
8.0%
41
Melaleuca Vitality For Men
7.5%
42
Reliv Classic
7.5%
43
Nutrition Care Formula 33SE
7.5%
44
Microgenics Women's Pro Active Multi Vitamin
6.8%
45
Golden Glow Super One-A-Day
6.7%
46
Blackmores Men's Performance Multi
6.2%
47
Good Health Women's Multi Plus
6.0%
48
Vitaplex Professional One a Day Multivitamin
6.0%
49
Amway Nutriway Daily
4.2%
50
Microgenics Men's Essential Multivitamin
4.1%
51
Red Seal Total Multi with Minerals
3.9%
52
Healtheries Men's Multi High Potency
3.9%
53
Centrum Complete From A to Zinc
3.9%
54
Cenovis Multivitamin and Minerals
3.4%
55
Cenovis Women's Multi
3.1%
56
Blackmores Multi + Ginkgo for 55+
3.0%
57
Healtheries Women's Multi
2.7%
58
Red Seal One-A-Day Multi & Minerals
2.6%
59
Golden Glow Men's One-A-Day Multi
2.5%
60
Cenovis Men's Multi
2.5%
61
Myadec Multivitamins and Minerals
2.4%
62
Nature's Own Multivitamin & Mineral
2.4%
63



  •            * The new Usana Health Sciences Essentials formulation was  released in New Zealand in October 2008 and was evaluated by NutriSearch Corporation using the same scientific criteria established in Lyle MacWilliam's 'Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements' (4th Edition) which now boost that score to 97.8% (optimal levels of selenium have been added to this product).
  •             Disclosure of Interest: In the period 2003 – 2006 during which the 4th edition of the 'Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements’ was being researched and written, Lyle MacWilliam was a member of the Usana Health Sciences’ Medical Advisory Board.

 

4th edition (launched March 2007) of the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements (ISBN: 0973253800) written by Lyle MacWilliam, BSc, MSc, FP. This is the most comprehensive, science based comparison of multivitamin products published to date.

Lyle MacWilliam is a respected biochemist and a former member of the Canadian Parliament. He was commissioned by the Canadian Minister of Health to develop a new regulatory framework to ensure people have access to safe, effective, high quality nutritional products. This guide is the culmination of 6 years of research and analysis in this area.


 

Article Nutritional Supplements Table written by the Kiwi Families team.