GNC's Women's Ultra Mega Energy & Metabolism is a multivitamin designed for women, promising a blend of energy-boosting, calorie-torching, and antioxidant-rich benefits. It also claims to support hair strength and bone health. It's crucial to remember that multivitamins should complement a healthy diet and not replace medication. Consulting a doctor before starting any new fitness, nutritional, or supplement routine is always recommended, as individual vitamin and mineral requirements vary.
Key Ingredients and Their Benefits
Women's Ultra Mega Energy & Metabolism boasts a diverse formula, featuring B vitamins, antioxidants, and two proprietary "superfood" blends: an antioxidant blend and an energy and metabolism blend. The supplement contains approximately 30 ingredients, with 21 vitamins and minerals present at 100% or more of the recommended daily values (DV), and 9 at 200% or more.
Vitamin D
This multivitamin provides 400% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a vital role in various bodily functions, including protein and enzyme synthesis, immune system enhancement, and inflammation reduction. Obtaining sufficient Vitamin D from food alone can be challenging, necessitating supplementation.
Biotin
With 100% of the daily requirement, Biotin is included in this multivitamin. Biotin is a popular ingredient in women's multivitamins due to its potential to promote healthy hair and nails.
B Vitamins
The B vitamins, often referred to as the "B complex," are essential for overall health. They aid in converting food into energy and support healthy skin, memory, and pregnancies. GNC emphasizes that this multivitamin is "packed with B vitamins to support energy production," which aligns with research suggesting that B vitamins can indeed have this effect. In addition to Vitamin B7 (Biotin) and Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid), the formula includes 50 mg of Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), 50 mg of Vitamin B6, 50 mg of Vitamin B12, 50 mg of Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), 50 mg of Niacin (Vitamin B3), 50 mg of Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), and 400 mcg of Folic Acid (Vitamin B9).
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Calcium
The inclusion of 500 mg of Calcium, representing 50% of the daily requirement, is noteworthy as it is not commonly found in multivitamins.
Zinc
Athletes and individuals experiencing stress may be deficient in zinc. This multivitamin provides 25 mg (167% DV) of zinc, which is beneficial because zinc deficiency can affect taste perception and potentially lead to increased sugar and salt consumption.
Chromium
Chromium helps the body break down fats and carbohydrates for energy. It may also play a role in reducing the risk of tooth decay, which is important for women aged 50 and older.
Antioxidant Blend
This blend comprises 25 mg of alpha-lipoic acid, 2mg of Lutemax® 2020 Lutein, 1 mg of lycopene, 500 mg of turmeric root extract, 400 mcg zeaxanthin, 50 mcg of Astaxanthin, and 10 mg of beta-Cryptoxanthin. While there's no specific research on how these ingredients work synergistically, studies suggest that antioxidants may promote heart health, lower the risk of infections and certain cancers, and reduce inflammation.
Energy and Metabolism Blend
This blend contains caffeine anhydrous, green tea extract, eleuthero root extract, and black pepper fruit. Caffeine anhydrous is a highly concentrated form of caffeine. According to the FDA, a teaspoon of caffeine anhydrous is equivalent to 28 cups of coffee. A two-pill serving of GNC Women's Ultra Mega Energy & Metabolism contains 100mg of caffeine, comparable to a 6oz cup of coffee. Green tea extract is rich in antioxidants, and some research indicates that the combination of green tea and caffeine may aid in weight loss. Eleuthero root extract is an adaptogen with limited research, but some studies suggest that adaptogens may reduce stress, improve attention, increase endurance, and combat fatigue.
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Other Ingredients
The multivitamin also contains cellulose, stearic acid (vegetable source), magnesium stearate (vegetable source), titanium dioxide (natural mineral whitener), natural vanilla mint flavor, talc, chlorophyll, and stevia leaf extract for taste and shape.
Personal Experience and Observations
One reviewer, who maintains an active lifestyle, shared their experience with GNC Women's Ultra Mega Energy & Metabolism. They appreciated the pleasant minty smell and taste and reported no stomach issues when taking the pills with food. However, they did not experience a significant increase in energy levels, possibly due to their regular caffeine consumption. One notable observation was the change in urine color to neon yellow, suggesting that the body might not be fully absorbing the vitamins.
Potential Downsides
One potential drawback is the inclusion of proprietary blends with limited research on their combined effects. However, this is a common practice in the supplement industry. The size of the pills (two per serving) may also be a concern for those who have difficulty swallowing pills.
Cost and Value
This multivitamin is relatively inexpensive, costing less than 50 cents per day. Given its extensive ingredient list and high percentages of recommended daily values, it offers excellent value.
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