Gummy vitamins get their distinctive sweet taste from refined sugar or its substitutes, which have been linked with obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other long-term (chronic) health conditions.
Ideal, people should obtain their nutrition through whole food sources; however, gummy vitamins may provide relief to people who suffer from deficiencies, absorption issues or increased nutritional needs.
Choosing the Right One
Gummy vitamins offer an easy and enjoyable way to supplement your nutrition, but take care to select a formula without too much added sugar – the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans has stated that restricting sugar can help protect against weight gain and tooth decay.
Gummy vitamins often have higher doses than chewable supplements due to manufacturers understanding that the gummy form will break down faster, necessitating additional ingredients to meet federal nutritional content standards.
Careful consideration must also be paid to the ingredients used when purchasing food, particularly if you have food sensitivities or are following a specific diet. Gummy vitamins often use gelatin which may pose problems for vegetarians and vegans since it comes from animal bones and tissues; search for products using plant-based alternatives that have been USP verified to ensure quality; finally check labels carefully for allergens prior to purchasing any product.
SmartyPants
SmartyPants was founded by a collective of parents and health and wellness leaders with the belief that everyone deserves access to premium nutrients at an affordable price, packaged into products they will trust. Their non-GMO, third-party lab tested products contain no artificial sweeteners or colors, use sustainable omega-3s from algae sources, and every bottle purchased provides one life-changing vitamin to someone in need through Vitamin Angels’ partnership program.
Their flagship product is the Kids Multi & Omegas Gummy Multivitamin, which provides bioavailable forms of 13 premium nutrients and omega-3s derived from algae in an easily chewable format. Plus, this formula is free from GMOs, synthetic sweeteners, and the top nine allergens!
Women’s Formula Gummy and Sugar-Free Multi & Omegas from this company are two outstanding offerings from this product line, providing doctor-backed nutrition in delicious fruit flavor gummies. Both were recently recognized with Clean Label Project Purity Awards, signifying that these products are free from chemicals of concern or contaminants.
Nourished Essentials
Gummy vitamins can be an invaluable aid to those unable to meet their nutrient requirements from food alone, whether due to dietary restrictions, increased needs during certain life stages (like pregnancy) or digestive health conditions that interfere with digestion. Furthermore, they’re an easy way for kids who find swallowing pills a difficult experience to get enough essential vitamins.
One major concern surrounding gummy vitamins is their high sugar content, leading to excess caloric consumption that may contribute to obesity and diabetes.
Gummy vitamins often don’t deliver on what their labels promise; for instance, one that claims to contain choline and DHA might only contain 12 percent and 38 percent of what’s recommended respectively.
Nature’s Way
Nature’s Way gummy multivitamins for adults offer numerous health advantages. This includes protecting against nutritional deficiency and filling any nutritional gaps using natural sources like orchard fruits, tomatoes, spinach, beetroot powder and carrot powder.
Alive! Women’s Premium Gummy Multivitamin provides essential nutrition for multiple body systems with 16 vitamins and minerals – including lutein and boron – along with the full B-vitamin complex for energy transformation from food into cell energy production.
Nature’s Way’s multivitamin gummies are packed with fruit extracts, made from tapioca syrup, cane sugar, natural flavors, citric acid sodium citrate and vegetable oils (palm and coconut) with no gluten, dairy, wheat, peanuts or gelatin added – ideal for kids as they’re easier to swallow than larger pills! In September 2015 they reached an agreement with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to improve labeling and manufacturing practices related to an herbal supplement containing devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), including using DNA barcoding technology so as to ensure all products labeled as devil’s claw actually contain this herb.