Multivitamins Are Not Created Equal

Any multivitamin company can claim that its formula will give you the nutritional support you need. But how do you know which multi will make the most significant difference for you? To get scientific proof of how its multis measure up against competitors’, GNC put its multivitamin formulations to the test against basic multivitamins in a “gold standard” clinical study.

The research subjects were 112 healthy men and women, ages 18 to 55, who volunteered for the study. One group took a GNC premium multivitamin, another took a basic multivitamin, and a third took a placebo—a pill that doesn’t have active ingredients. Neither the researchers nor the volunteers knew which treatment each subject was taking. Researchers took blood and urine samples from the volunteers over the course of six weeks and analyzed the samples for levels of key nutrients.


The Results: Good News

When the research team analyzed the data from all of the study participants, they found important differences in results among the groups. For starters, the group that took the GNC multi consistently reported generally “feeling better,” a desired effect for any routine. They registered higher overall vitality and mental health scores on a survey commonly used in medical research studies to assess well-being.

Even more important, the GNC multivitamin group showed significant improvement in blood levels of B vitamins, antioxidant ingredients, and immune support ingredients.^ This result shows that the careful formulation of the GNC multivitamin results in better levels of key ingredients. Let’s face it: It doesn’t matter what’s in your multivitamin if your body doesn’t absorb the ingredients and put them to work!


The All-Around Importance of B Vitamins

There are eight B vitamins and all have unique ways of assisting the body in breaking down nutrients, forming new cells, producing energy, and more In the study, men who took the GNC multi showed an astounding 1,063% improvement in blood levels of vitamin B6, which assists more than 100 enzymes, provides immune support, and plays a key role in brain health. They also showed a 161% increase in vitamin B5, which helps break down fatty acids^.

The women in the study who took the GNC multivitamin showed over 993% improvement in levels of vitamin B6 and 442% improvement in levels of vitamin B1, which helps break down nutrients^#.


Antioxidants Protect Cells and Support Immune health

There’s plenty of buzz about the importance of antioxidants, and for good reason. Biochemical reactions in your body create free radicals, which are basically molecules that have an extra electron and can cause damage to all kinds of cells. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals. You need vitamin A for good vision, healthy skin, and immune support. The mineral selenium is also closely associated with immune system strength.

In the clinical study, men taking the GNC supplement had over 27% improvement in selenium levels, and 62% improvement in beta-carotene—a precursor to vitamin A^. The GNC women’s group showed over 38% improvement in selenium levels, 67% improvement in beta-carotene^#. These results show the improvements in just a few of the 33 high-quality ingredients included in every GNC premium multivitamin. The study provided scientific evidence that GNC’s commitment to sourcing the highest-quality ingredients, carefully combining them to maximize benefits, and skillfully packaging supplements to preserve their quality results in multis that just work better. That’s what we mean when we say GNC multivitamins are clinically proven and are a smart and vital part of your GNC Routine.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

^In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 111 healthy participants (n=50 men), those taking the GNC vitamin and mineral blend for six weeks had statistically significant increases in serum levels of a group of B vitamins and a group of antioxidants and carotenoids, as well as SF-36 mental health scores based on a multivariate statistical analysis. Univariate analysis among men showed mean % change improvements in vitamin B6 (1023% vs basic multi, 1063% vs placebo), pantothenic acid (110% vs basic multi, 161% vs placebo), selenium (27% vs placebo), beta-carotene (62% vs placebo), and lutein (23% vs placebo).

^#In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 111 healthy participants (n=61 women), those taking the GNC vitamin and mineral blend for six weeks had statistically significant increases in serum levels of a group of B vitamins and a group of antioxidant and carotenoids based on a multivariate statistical analysis. Univariate analysis among women showed mean % change improvements in vitamin B6 (944% vs basic multi, 993% vs placebo), pantothenic acid (207% vs placebo), thiamin (306% vs basic multi, 442% vs placebo), selenium (38% vs placebo), and beta-carotene (67% vs placebo).