MULTICENTRUM: RECRUITMENT AND NATURAL ALTERNATIVES

How long do I have to take the multicentrum for?

Given the premises, those who believe they need supplements such as the multicentrum should take them every day of the year. Normally, in fact, there are no dangers of toxicity from overdose.

Multicentrum is a complete supplement for both the vitamin and mineral fraction. As shown in the table, the doses approach 100% of the RDA, while the risk of intoxication from overdose becomes real at much higher percentages.

For many of the nutrients contained in the multicentrum, especially for vitamin C and for most of the vitamins of the B group, there is no possibility of accumulating considerable supplies within the organism. The small reserves would run out in fact within a few weeks of total absence from the diet (see the scurvy of the sailors).

Should you decide to stop taking the multicentrum or similar supplements, it is advisable to do so gradually, perhaps passing week by week from one tablet every day to one tablet every other day and then to one every three days. L in fact, the organism tends to calibrate the efficiency of the absorption and excretion systems on the basis of the dietary intake of the relative nutrient; endogenous antioxidant systems are also enhanced when the diet is low in antioxidants, and vice versa. Therefore the sudden passage from a regular and constant supply of these nutrients, to a deficiency or in any case to a lower supply of the same, could catch the organism unprepared.

Binding the intake of vitamin and mineral supplements only to particular periods of the year makes sense for products other than the multicentrum (which contains many, precisely because it is designed for regular and constant intake). For example, during the winter it can increase the need for vitamins such as ascorbic acid, also considering the lower consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables; during the summer, however, the need for minerals such as chlorine, magnesium and potassium may increase, due to the heat and sultry climate.

When to take the multicentrum?

On the package of the multicentrum it is recommended, for adults over 12 years of age, to take one tablet a day to be swallowed with water. It is not specified when to take the product; generally it is recommended to take it at breakfast, given that some vitamins (fat-soluble ones in particular) are better absorbed on a full stomach. It should be noted, however, that it is not advisable to use these supplements together with calcium supplements, milk, dairy products or calcium-based antacids, as this mineral can hinder the absorption of some nutrients.

Are there natural alternatives to the multicentrum?

Before resorting to multicentrum or similar supplements, it is essential to optimize your diet. The Ministry of Health reminds us of this, which imposes the "obligation to specify the following phrase on the label" supplements are not intended as a substitute for a varied diet and a healthy lifestyle ". So far everyone agrees, but as how to deal with the established decline in the nutritional value of foods? If the path of the private and self-managed garden, which would represent the only and real solution to the problem, appears to be impracticable, there are other ways to leave the supplements such as multicentrum:

prefer national or local products, shortening the production chain as much as possible; if possible, contact your trusted farmer directly, for example by arranging with friends and family to buy directly from the producer. At the same time, in the organized centers, it is possible to buy milk directly from the vending machines. all. Let's ask ourselves what sense does it make to buy a tomato puree produced in China, which before reaching our tables has: exploited and underpaid the Chinese farmer, presumably benefited from chemical fertilizers or pesticides often not allowed in our country, traveled thousands of kilometers on ships and trucks that contribute to global pollution, and enriched few people to the detriment of the economy of our country (farmers, in fact, cannot withstand this type of competition and to try to increase profits they are induced to increase production, using systems that they increase yields but generally tend to impoverish them from a nutritional point of view).

prefer seasonal fruit and vegetables;

choose, as far as possible, products where the use of pesticides has been minimal and the fruits have ripened on the plant and not in the warehouse. Organic products do not always offer certainty about this, so if possible it is much better to contact your trusted farmer directly;

increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables, distributing them throughout the day without binding them only to the evening meal, as happens more and more often for work needs;

Whenever possible, it is of fundamental importance to consume raw vegetable foods or cooked at low temperatures (in-depth study: preserving vitamins during cooking);

Going back to the premises, many recommend preferring the so-called functional foods to multicentrum-type supplements. Foods are defined as functional when, beyond their basic nutritional properties, their ability to positively influence one or more physiological functions is scientifically demonstrated. A fundamental prerogative of the same foods is to help preserve or improve the state of health and / or reduce the risk of onset of diseases related to the diet. Multicentrum and company cannot in any way approach the extraordinary richness in micronutrients of these foods, mostly of vegetable origin.