Multivitamin and mineral supplements

Understand the connection between nutrition and energy, and what to look for when considering a multivitamin.

Photograph of blueberries, tomatoes, an orange and leafy greens.

What they do

Vitamins and minerals help your body work normally. For example, calcium helps maintain bones, and iron helps carry oxygen in your blood. A multivitamin and mineral supplement provides several of these nutrients together.

When one may help

A multivitamin may help you get enough nutrients when your food choices are limited or you regularly eat too little.

What it cannot replace

It does not replace a varied diet or provide all the benefits of food, including fiber.

Taking more vitamins does not necessarily improve your health. Whether a multivitamin improves your energy depends on why you feel tired. Persistent symptoms deserve a medical assessment.

How nutrients relate to energy

Nutrients help your body use food. Vitamin B1 helps your body turn food into usable energy. Iron and vitamin B12 help support healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen around your body.
Low levels can contribute to tiredness. Iron deficiency anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency can cause fatigue. Correcting a deficiency may help related symptoms, but a diagnosed deficiency can require treatment beyond a regular multivitamin.

For women with heavy periods, iron deficiency is one possible cause to discuss with a clinician. Do not assume tiredness means you need more iron.

If you already get enough vitamin B12, taking extra has not been shown to increase energy. Low energy can also be related to sleep, stress, medicines or medical conditions. Nutrition is one part of understanding the cause.

Sources: NIH: vitamin B1 · Iron · Vitamin B12 · Causes of fatigue

What to look for

Amounts that fit your needs

Read the Supplement Facts label. “Daily Value,” or DV, is a general reference amount, not your personal requirement. Higher percentages are not automatically better.

An appropriate formula

Needs vary with age, diet and pregnancy. Check whether you need added iron rather than assuming everyone does. A general multivitamin should not replace a recommended prenatal supplement.

Independent quality testing

Look for verification from an organization such as NSF or USP. This helps check label accuracy and contaminants; it does not prove a supplement will improve your health.

Directions you can follow

Check the number of tablets needed each day and whether to take them with food.

What phytonutrients do

Phytonutrients are naturally occurring compounds in plant foods, including vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds. They are also called phytochemicals.

Some phytonutrients have antioxidant activity. This means they can help limit damage from highly reactive molecules in cells. Researchers study how these compounds affect health, but effects vary by compound and dose.

Eating a variety of plant foods provides different phytonutrients along with vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Photograph of beans, walnuts, plums, grapes and kale. — Plant foods contain a variety of phytonutrients.

Lycopene: Tomatoes and watermelon
Lutein: Spinach and other leafy greens
Anthocyanins: Blueberries and other dark berries

What this means for supplements

Some formulas also contain phytonutrients: naturally occurring compounds in plants. These ingredients do not make a supplement equivalent to eating fruits and vegetables. A longer ingredient list alone does not establish greater benefit.

Benefits associated with eating plant foods do not establish the same benefits from taking extracts in a pill. More is not always better, and high doses of some antioxidant supplements can be harmful.

Having phytonutrients on a label does not tell you whether a product improves fatigue. Their possible health roles should not be treated as proof of an energy benefit.

Before taking one

Check the combined amounts in your other supplements and fortified foods. Taking several products can give you more of a nutrient than you need.
Ask your clinician or pharmacist about the formula if you take medicines, have a medical condition, are pregnant or are breastfeeding.
Check the full ingredient list for your allergens.

What Dr. Brittany Snustad uses and recommends

Dr. Brittany Snustad uses and recommends Nutrilite Double X. Whether it is appropriate for you depends on your diet, medicines and other supplements.

Nutrilite™ Double X™

Vitamin/Mineral/Phytonutrient Supplement

31-Day Supply with 3-Compartment Case
186 tablets · Item A4300

What it contains

Contains 22 vitamins and minerals, plus plant ingredients.
Amway lists this product as NSF Content Certified.

Where Double X fits in an energy plan

Double X may be an optional way to help meet vitamin and mineral needs when meals regularly fall short. In a plan to improve energy, its role is to help address gaps in nutrient intake alongside food, sleep and appropriate medical care. It does not guarantee more energy or replace treatment for a diagnosed deficiency.

How it is taken

Label directions: one multivitamin tablet, one multimineral tablet and one phytonutrient tablet with meals, twice daily — six tablets per day.

Before ordering

Contains soy and iron. Several nutrient amounts exceed the label’s Daily Values. Review the amounts before adding other supplements.
Perfect Pack already includes Double X; do not add a second full serving of Double X.
Keep out of reach of children.

Full ingredients and Supplement Facts

Open the Ingredients section to read the complete list and nutrient amounts.

Products are optional and purchased separately from the Reset Method membership. Member discounts are applied manually while paid membership access is active. Opening the link does not apply the discount.

Impact Health and Dr Snustad earn money from product purchases made through our online store.

If you prefer another brand, we recommend looking for a product with comparable ingredients, amounts and 3rd party testing.

View details and purchase options

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