If you aren’t eating right, you have lots of problems.

When that’s the case, you ideally are at least swallowing a multivitamin or three every day as a way to keep up with your body’s needs for essential vitamins and minerals. That’s right, certain things are essential for your health. Most of the time you get enough vitamins and minerals by eating a variety of vegetables and fruits, and protein like beans, nuts, and chicken and beef.

If you struggle to get all your nutrients, or your diet is poor, multivitamins like those by NuEthix are a must. Nature doesn’t always provide enough of everything we need, either. In the case of iodine and Vitamin D, even a healthy diet will be lacking. For instance, about half of consumers today buy “natural” salt with no added iodine, which the government made the traditional salt companies add back in 1924 to help prevent thyroid and other diseases. If you don’t hit your food with a dash of iodized salt, or eat a lot of nori or wakame seaweed, you will not get enough iodine in your diet.

Tristan Winters is the newest NuEthix Ambassador and he specializes in explaining in understandable terms the best ways to stay and get healthy.

"Navigating the supplement world can be pretty confusing,” Tristan says. “Take this! Take that! Which is more important, food, workouts, or supplements? I get it, I've been there. And the reality is, everything has its place and there are some specific go-to supplements I personally keep on rotation. One of them being Nu-Multi. This isn't a cop-out for not eating my fruits and veggies, or ensuring my overall diet is filled with nutrient-dense whole foods, but NuEthix truly takes this health vitamin to the next level by using bioavailable forms of the key nutrients so our bodies can actually utilize them. I like to view this supplement as ‘health insurance’ just to make sure I'm covering all of my bases. If you aren't sure where to begin with supplements, having Nu-Multi in your corner is a great place to start."

Vitamin D, one of the most famous and best-selling vitamins, does not occur naturally in food. Instead, it comes from the sun. If you work in the basement or shun the sun when you’re outside, you need to boost your Vitamin D intake. Anna Taylor, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic says that Vitamin D may actually “be most beneficial in pill form.” A multivitamin is a great way to satisfy that deficiency.

Pregnant women are routinely advised to take more folic acid than normal as a way to prevent birth defects.

Vegetarians and vegans may not get enough vitamin B12 in their diets. That’s because B12 is found mostly in animal protein. For non-meat eaters, a multivitamin and other supplements might also be the best source of calcium, zinc, iron and omega-3 fatty acids, according to this article in Healthline.

There are also a few negatives some people need to watch out for in certain multivitamins. Always read the labels. If you are allergic to soy or a food coloring called tartrazine, you should probably avoid products with those. And women who are pregnant or breast feeding should also talk with their doctor about everything they ingest.

MedlinePlus reports that People who have certain health problems or take some medicines may need to get less of one of the minerals. For example, people with chronic kidney disease need to limit foods that are high in potassium.

Of course, you should keep ingestible products away from children. It turns out, according to drugs.com, that accidental overdose of drugs that have iron in them is a leading cause of deadly poisoning in children younger than 6 years of age.

There are many non-medical additives in multivitamins that may be harmful. In addition to chemicals that include gluten or dairy, this Organixx article lists 10 ingredients that could make you ill. A careful read of labels is necessary, because many ingredients sound similar, but in reality denote different and less beneficial forms.

As GetHolisticHealth writes, an estimated 90% of supplements contain stearic acid or magnesium stearate, substances completely useless to the human body.” Productive and healthy products contain magnesium citrate.

Listings for Vitamin E can also be tricky. A chemist who writes the Herb Scientist blog describes the difference in the forms of Vitamin E:

“The most common one is d-alpha-tocopherol. This is the form provided by Nutrient 950. In contrast, the label on Centrum is for dl-alpha-tocopherol. This is a significant difference. The d form is biologically active in humans, whereas the l-form is not. Seeing dl on a label means that half of the amount is useless as a vitamin.”

For more on unwanted ingredients in one of the best-selling multivitamins, read this article by Toronto-based nutritionist Meghan Telpner.

In contrast, when you read the label on the NuEthix multivitamin, Nu-Multi, you will find that it is gluten and dairy free. In addition, the form of Vitamin E it provides is the “biologically active” d-alpha tocopheryl succinate.

Nu-Multi also contains magnesium citrate (not stearate). And you will find no artificial colors or soy. Also absent is potassium (for those concerned about kidney disease) or iron, which is required in trace amounts and is readily available in many foods.

The sources of the Nu-Multi vitamins and minerals are derived naturally from plants, not chemicals. That means the contents are more easily digested and accessible to your body.

If you are new to multivitamins, a few tips include: Take them with water, not caffeine or even fruit juice. Always eat something when you swallow your multivitamins. Here are a few more ideas from GoMedica.

Even if you are a seasoned multivitamin consumer, continue to read labels and make decisions that are best for your health.

The contents of this blog should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.

Contact Tristan Winters on IG: @nutritionwithtristan