[YakAl's 3-Line Summary💊]

Multivitamins are evaluated active ingredient (vitamins) / inactive ingredient (minerals) / brand / quality / value for money, based on these 5 criteria.
Water-soluble vitamins B and Care quickly eliminated from the body, so it's good to take them generously, A, D, E, and K accumulate in the body, so 100% of the daily recommended amount is safe.
To choose a good product, you need to carefully consider packaging method, absorption technology, and additives just as much as the ingredients themselves.

Hello.

I'm YAYAâ½, the pillar of YakAl and the personification of multivitamins!

'For those of you who have completed episodes 1 and 2 of 'Multivitamins: What You Want to Know'!

you probably now have a sense of what vitamins and minerals are.

Today, I'm going to dive into "the discussion of "So how do I choose one?".

If you understand the criteria I use when evaluating multivitamins, you'll be able to choose one that's right for you on your own.

Without further ado, let me get started!

종합비타민 영양제, 그래서 어떻게 골라야 할까

1. Active Ingredients â Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K

The star of any multivitamin is, of course, the vitamins themselves.

There are 6 types total: vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K and the score varies depending on the form and dosage of each.

① Vitamin A (12 points total))

Vitamin A is involved in eye health, skin/mucous membrane health, and immunity.

Evaluation Criteria	Score
Carotenoid form or vitamin A form not specified	0 points
Retinoid form	4 points
100% or more of daily recommended amount (700 RAE, 2,331 IU or above))	8 points
50â100% of daily recommended amount (350â700 RAE, 1,665â2,331 IU))	4 points
Less than 50% of daily recommended amount	0 points

When talking about vitamin A, what are carotenoids? Retinoids??

Carotenoids: are found in large amounts in orange-colored vegetables like carrots and pumpkins. Your body 'transforms' them into vitamin A to use.
Retinoids: are already in a form close to vitamin A, so your body can use them right away. That's why I gave bonus points for this.

Because vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin((dissolves in fat and is stored in the body), too much can accumulate, .

That's why I set the perfect score at 100% of the daily recommended amount .

(Note: Since recommended amounts differ by gender, I calculated using the midpoint!)

👉 If you read the next article, your questions will be answered, [Fat-Soluble Vitamins: Why Is It Dangerous to Exceed 100%??]

② Vitamin B Complex (40 points total) ()

Vitamin B is not just one type but rather a group of 8 different forms.

(*B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12)

They're deeply involved in energy metabolism, nerve function, and blood health overall That's why I assigned the highest score!

Evaluation Criteria	Score
1 type of B vitamin added	+1 point
0â200% of daily recommended amount (B9 is 0â100%)%)	0 points
200â400% of daily recommended amount%	+1 point
400â600% of daily recommended amount (B9 is 100â200%)%)	+2 points
600â800% of daily recommended amount%	+3 points
800% or more of daily recommended amount (B9 is 200% or above))	+4 points

Why did I set 200% or above as the score baseline??

Vitamin B is water-soluble((dissolves in water, and excess is eliminated in urine).

So if you only consume 100%, the amount that actually remains in your body may be insufficient.

비타민 B군은 우리 몸의 에너지 대사, 신경, 혈액 건강 전반에 깊이 관여하기 때문에 점수를 가장 높게 배정했어요!

At YakAl, we set this 200% as the baseline and award bonus points for anything above that!

However, this doesn't mean that 200% across all B vitamins is sufficient.

If you need a specific B vitamin more, we also recommend taking a single-ingredient supplement separately.

③ Vitamin C (12 points total))

Vitamin C helps with immunity, collagen synthesis, and iron absorption and is a representative water-soluble vitamin.

Evaluation Criteria	Score
Vitamin C added	+2 points
400% or more of daily recommended amount (400 mg or above))	+10 points
300â400% of daily recommended amount (300â400 mg))	+8 points
200â300% of daily recommended amount (200â300 mg))	+6 points
100â200% of daily recommended amount (100â200 mg))	+4 points
Less than 100% of daily recommended amount	+2 points

Vitamin C is also water-soluble and doesn't accumulate in the body.

That's why I set 400% as the perfect score benchmark.

However, because multivitamins pack multiple ingredients into one pill, the vitamin C content may be lower than in single-ingredient products.

If you want higher potency, consider also taking a single-ingredient vitamin C supplement.

👉 [How Do You Choose a Single-Ingredient Vitamin C Supplement??]

④ Vitamin D (12 points total))

Vitamin D aids calcium absorption to strengthen bones and teeth , and is also involved in immunity and muscle function.

Evaluation Criteria	Score
Vitamin D2 form	0 points
Vitamin D3 form	+4 points
100% or more of daily recommended amount (10 Âµg, 400 IU or above))	+8 points
50â100% of daily recommended amount (5â10 Âµg, 200â400 IU))	+4 points
Less than 50% of daily recommended amount	0 points

What's the Difference Between Vitamin D2 and D3??

D2: Vitamin D2 is mostly derived from plants and mushrooms.
D3: Vitamin D3 is the form naturally produced when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Multiple studies have shown that D3 raises blood vitamin D levels better than D2. That's why I gave bonus points to D3.

Because vitamin D is also fat-soluble, I set 100% of the daily recommended amount as the perfect score.

👉 [Is Vitamin D2 Really Less Than 1/3 Effective as D3? Check with Research Data]

⑤ Vitamin E (12 points total))

Vitamin E is a representative antioxidant vitamin. It protects cells from oxidation (aging).

Evaluation Criteria	Score
Mixed-form vitamin E	0 points
Single-ingredient vitamin E	+4 points
100% or more of daily recommended amount (12 mg Î±-TE or above))	+8 points
50â100% of daily recommended amount (6â12 mg Î±-TE))	+4 points
Less than 50% of daily recommended amount	0 points

(*Î±-TE is a unit that converts all vitamin E forms to an "alpha-tocopherol standard".
In other words, it's a standardized value that shows how much of the various forms of vitamin E in a product can actually be used by the body as alpha-tocopherol!)

"Have you ever heard of "Tocopherol? Tocotrienol?"?

Vitamin E has two families: tocopherol and tocotrienol, and each has alpha (Î±), beta (Î²), gamma (Î³), and delta (Î´) forms.

Mixed tocopherol supplements containing multiple forms offer broader benefits than alpha-tocopherol single-ingredient products, That's why I gave higher points to mixed forms.

Also, because vitamin E is fat-soluble, 100% of the daily recommended amount is the perfect score benchmark.

비타민 E, 여러 형태가 섞인 혼합 토코페롤 제제가 알파-토코페롤 단일제보다 더 폭넓은 효과를 기대할 수 있어서, 혼합형에 더 높은 점수를 줬어요

⑥ Vitamin K (12 points total))

Vitamin K is an essential vitamin for blood clotting.

Most multivitamins contain K1, so I scored based on K1.

Evaluation Criteria	Score
Vitamin K1 added	+4 points
100% of daily recommended amount (70 Âµg))	+8 points
50â100% of daily recommended amount (35â70 Âµg))	+4 points
Less than 50% of daily recommended amount	0 points

Since recommended amounts differ by gender, I used the midpoint of 70 Âµg as the standard!

2. Value for Money â How Much Per Day??

Value for money isn't just about the "price per bottle", "but rather the daily cost of intake".

For example, if a 30-day supply costs 30,000 won, that's 1,000 won per day; if a 60-day supply costs 45,000 won, that's 750 won per day.

At YakAl, we calculate this way and then score it between 20 and 100 points through a statistical process.

영양제의 가성비는 단순히 "한 병 가격"이 아니라, "하루 섭취 비용이 얼마인지"로 계산해요

3. Brand â Can You Trust It??

Brand score is evaluated in three main categories.

① Certification Marks (40 points)%)

Certification Mark	Score
Health Functional Food Certification Mark, GMP	50 points
NSF, USP (US certification))	40 points
ISO, HACCP	30 points
Non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan certification	20 points

Let's look at what each certification means below?

Health Functional Food Certification: It's a mark that the Korean Food and Drug Administration scientifically verified for functional benefits and safety. It has the highest credibility.
GMP: It means the facility is clean and products are manufactured to consistent quality standards.
NSF, USP: It's a certification from a US agency that inspects product safety and quality.
ISO, HACCP: It's a certification of quality control and hygiene management systems. However, it doesn't guarantee the product's effectiveness itself.
Non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan: are certifications that inform about raw material characteristics. Since they have no direct connection to effectiveness, they have lower scores.

② Research Capacity (40 points)%)

Classification	Score
Brands with long history plus own research and manufacturing facilities	40 points
Health functional food specialist brands with independent technology	20 points
Brands that supply products through external ODM (contract manufacturing) for resale	0 points

I determined that companies that research and develop directly invest more in their products.

종합비타민 영양제 고를때 브랜드, 어떻게 봐야 할까요

③ Eco-Friendliness & Sustainability Efforts (10 points)%)

Classification	Score
Uses eco-friendly packaging or shows sustainability efforts	10 points
N/A	0 points

Health functional food supplements use a significant amount of packaging material.

I wanted to recognize companies that think about the environment!

4. Quality â Things as Important as the Ingredients

Quality is assessed on four factors: packaging, raw materials, absorption technology, and convenience of use.

① Packaging (50 points max))

Vitamins are sensitive to light, heat, moisture, and oxygen, so how they're packaged is critically important!

Packaging Method	Score
Alu-Alu (aluminum bilayer) or stick pack	50 points
PTP packaging (silver + transparent plastic))	40 points
Glass or aluminum bottle	30 points

Why is 'individual packaging' better than a bottle??

Once a bottle is opened, the pills inside are continuously exposed to air and moisture.

Alu-Alu or stick packs are individually sealed so they completely block external factors until opened.

☝️What is Alu-Alu (aluminum bilayer)??

It's a packaging method where each pill is wrapped on both sides with aluminum foil and completely sealed.

"An abbreviation of "aluminum-aluminum," it's a protective packaging that blocks light, moisture, and air 100% to prevent medication degradation.

비타민은 빛, 열, 습기, 산소에 약해서 어떻게 포장됐느냐가 정말 중요해요!

② Raw Materials (20 points max))

Even with the same vitamin, absorption rates differ depending on how it's processed.

Raw Material	Score
Global raw material suppliers specified (DSM, BASF, Lonza, etc.)	20 points
Raw material supplier not specified	10 points

Specifying globally recognized raw material suppliers, is an important indicator that enhances overall product credibility.

③ Liposomal Technology (20 points max))

Liposomes are a technology that wraps vitamin ingredients in a membrane similar to our body's cell membranes (phospholipid bilayer).

Liposomal Technology Application	Score
Applied	20 points
Not Applied	10 points

Why does it matter??

Even ingredients like vitamin C that are sensitive to stomach acid or vitamin E that's fat-soluble and hard to absorb can be better absorbed when using liposomal technologyâyou absorb more of the same amount.

④ Convenience of Intake (10 points max))

No matter how good a supplement is, it's useless if you can't take it consistently.

Classification	Score
Once daily	10 points
2â3 times daily	5 points

A product you only need to take once a day is much easier to keep taking consistently?

5. Inactive Ingredients â Minerals, Functional Ingredients, and Additives

Multivitamins contain more than just vitamins.

① Minerals (50 points max))

Minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron are important inactive ingredients in multivitamins.

Evaluation Criteria	Score
Mineral added	+3 points
100% or more of daily recommended amount	+2 points
50â100% of daily recommended amount%	+1 point
Less than 50% of daily recommended amount	0 points

We evaluate up to 5 points per mineral, up to 10 minerals.

(If there are more than 10, we evaluate only the top 10 by content amount.)

종합비타민에는 비타민 말고도 여러 성분이 들어가요! 칼슘,마그네슘,아연,철 등의 미네랄이죠

② Excluding Unnecessary Additives (30 points max))

Additives are generally thought to have little impact on the body.

But since we take supplements for health, we judged that fewer unnecessary ingredients are better.

Classification	Score
No additives	30 points
1 point deduction per additive below	-5 points

Deduction-eligible additives are as follows:.

⚠️ Colorants, sweeteners (aspartame/sucralose), silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, flavorings, gelatin (animal-based))

③ Functional Ingredients (20 points max))

Beyond vitamins and minerals, we also check if additional ingredients that may benefit health are included.

Classification	Score
Contains 3 or more types such as coenzyme Q10, lutein, glutathione, alpha-lipoic acid	20 points
Contains 1â2 types	10 points
Not included	0 points

Conclusion

Multivitamins contain so many ingredients that this article got long.

Actually, each product has different vitamins and amounts,, "so it's hard to say "This is the answer!" with absolute certainty.

But if, after reading this article, you understand "Oh, this is how YAYA from YakAl evaluates multivitamins",

then you've now developed the ability to choose the right vitamin for yourself 👀✨

Thank you so much for reading all the way through.

I hope this was a small help in your healthy life.

I'll see you again next time with good content!

약알 약사의 종합비타민 평가, 좋은 영양제 선택 방법