Complex names aren’t that bad, are they?

We all know that are foods and beverages have vitamins and minerals in them and that the best way to get them is through real whole foods but a lot of people just don’t like eating veggies. Plus, you’d have to eat a lot of veggies for them to give you the Recommended Daily Value (RDA) so then you find products that have added vitamins and minerals or rather are fortified.

Green powders are a good way to get your daily dose of veggies and your daily dose of vitamins and minerals but again not everyone likes these so what do we do? We take supplements..either as capsules, tablets, softgels, or even gummies but with all these you have one challenge and that is what is on the label? You pick up that box and immediately see words you don’t recognize so you could be assuming why am I putting that complex name that I can’t even pronounce in my body? Well, hopefully, this list will help you determine that some of those complex names are really just the scientific names for your everyday vitamins that you may know.

Two of my favorite brands to get my vitamins and minerals are Vibrant Health and Vega. Both offer powders that have protein in conjuction with your greens. Both taste great in almond milk too. You can also add both into a smoothie or post workout drink. My favorite time to take these is first thing in the morning as it makes me feel like my day has started off right! 

So the list that you are looking for as any easy cheat sheet is:

Vitamin A = Retinol/Retinal/Beta Carotene (and other carotenoids like lutein, lycopene, etc.)

Vitamin B1= Thiamine

Vitamin B2= Riboflavin

Vitamin B3= Niacin/Niacinamide

Vitamin B5= Pantothenic Acid

Vitamin B6= Pyridoxine

Vitamin B7= Biotin

Vitamin B9= Folic Acid

Vitamin B12= Cyanocobalamin

Vitamin C= Ascorbic Acid

Vitamin D= Cholecalciferol (D3), Ergocalciferol

Vitamin E= Tocopherols/Tocotrienols

Vitamin K= Phytonadione (K1), Menatrenone (K2), often also menaquinones

Minerals will show up as their names, like calcium, iron, chromium but at other times you might also see words like calcium ascorbate, which gives you both calcium and vitamin C. So though the name may sound complex, rest assured you are getting the nutrient you need.

A tip: Water soluble vitamins like B and C get excreted throughout the day while drinking water unlike fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, K which get stored by the body so high doses may cause health issues.

Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.