Why You Need a Multivitamin Now More than Ever

The first supplements I custom-formulated for patients in my clinic was The Myers Way® Multivitamin. When I created it, I knew it was an important addition to nearly everyone’s daily routine. I have even more evidence of its importance now! More and more data suggests a  greater need to supplement the vitamins and minerals found in our food. 

Here’s why a daily multivitamin is more important than ever, even if you consume a nutrient-dense diet.

Soil Depletion

The modern cultivation practices used by most large, corporate growers focus on speeding growth, increasing size, and improving pest resistance. Increases in yield that are produced by the chemical fertilizers used by these growers tend to decrease the concentrations of minerals in plants. This is called the “dilution effect.” ¹

Modern agriculture has increased the food supply, making more food available for more people. However, it has also stripped the nutrients from the soil in which our food grows in the process. This is called soil depletion or soil degradation. Every new season of crops grown actually increases the problem.

A study at the University of Texas analyzed nutritional data from the US Department of Agriculture. This data compared 43 different fruits and vegetables for two periods that were 50 years apart. The study found significant declines in calcium, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and vitamin C. 

The sad fact is the food we’re eating now doesn’t have the nutrients it used to have because the soil nutrients aren’t there.

The same researchers believe declines in other nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, and vitamins B6 and E are also likely. Another study concluded that you’d have to eat eight oranges to get the same amount of vitamin A your grandparents got from enjoying just one! 

Together, the dilution effect and soil depletion have a double whammy on the nutritive value of our food. That’s part of the reason I advocate buying fresh, organic produce whenever possible.

Public Health Crises

You may be surprised to learn that we’re actually less healthy than previous generations. That’s despite many wonderful advances in medicine and technology. Heart disease, obesity, and diabetes are on the rise. ²

More than 30 million American adults live with some form of heart disease. ³ In 1960, about 13% of the population was considered obese. ⁴ Diabetes has increased dramatically as well. In 1960,1.59 million Americans had diabetes, while more than 21 million have now been diagnosed with diabetes.

And of course, we cannot ignore the fact that our immune systems need support to stave off bacteria and viruses. Every part of our body functions at less-than-optimal levels if we’re not getting the crucial vitamins and minerals we need. 

Outdated Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developed the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for certain vitamins and minerals during World War II. This was to ensure that Americans could get the minimum nutrients necessary during food rationing. 

The guidelines have been updated only once since and is now termed Recommended Daily Value. However, these guidelines are set at values calculated at just one milligram over the minimum amount you need to avoid illness. They’re not the amount you need for optimal health. In many cases, the amount your body really needs is far higher than the government’s standard. 

Even if you read labels and believe you’re getting the appropriate nutrients each day, you could be wrong. That’s because the FDA allows a 20% margin of error on the nutrients reported on the nutrition facts panel, which could mean you’re only getting 80% when the label says 100%.

The Myers Way® Multivitamin

I’m not only a medical doctor and a functional medicine practitioner with more than a decade of clinical practice. I have also personally experienced health problems including Graves’ disease and multiple bouts of illness from mold exposure. I understand the health challenges you face. That’s why I formulated The Myers Way® Multivitamin to be a complete source of many critical vitamins and minerals. 

Unlike many other formulas, this multivitamin has optimal levels of selenium, zinc, and iodine to support thyroid health and contains 100% of the folate you need each day. And of course, I don’t include any of the added sugars or colorings you might find in other multivitamins.

I made sure to include optimal levels of  B Vitamins that far exceed the USDA’s recommended daily value (RDV). I ensured these highly critical vitamins are methylated to ensure they’re in the most bioavailable form to promote cardiovascular and neurological health. This is especially important for those with MTHFR mutations who want to optimize detoxification and methylation. 

Finally, I included bioavailable Vitamin D3 that is not only critical for bone health, it can also modulate the innate and adaptive immune responses and support resistance to infection. 

Compare the nutrition facts label of The Myers Way® Multivitamin with others and you will see for yourself the higher levels of key nutrients designed to support overall general wellness and detoxification.