Following the 70 year evolution of the Multiple Vitamin reveals some of the major vitamin health issues facing consumers today. The first vitamins were mostly natural food concentrates. In 1941, Dudley La Blanc developed one of the first multiple vitamins, Hadacol, for Happy Day Company, containing a mixture of vitamins B1 and B2, iron, niacin, calcium, phosphorous, honey, and diluted hydrochloric acid in 12% alcohol.
Here are the multiple vitamin changes in general terms since than that created issues. 
- Early Multiple Vitamins had lower vitamin dosages than today and the serving size was usually 6 tablets, 2 three times a day.
- Six tablets was needed due to the large space needed for the appropriate amount of minerals.
- These formulas were nutritionally balanced to body functions and vitamin body usage.
- The first changes to the multiple: Introduction of a ONE A DAY multiple. They often had greater amounts of vitamins since mineral amounts had to dramatically lower. This was obviously a convenience move to get more people to take vitamins.
- Next, the nutritionally balanced B vitamin Complex changed from being balanced to body usage amounts to being balanced at all the same amounts. (i.e. Balanced B 50, a huge mistake)
- As the vitamin dosages grew larger, time-release mechanisms were introduced to attempt to increase vitamin absorption by slowing down the release into the digestive system. This has now proven to be unwise for two reasons. 1. Some tablets did not break down at all. 2. This delayed breakdown hindered nutrient processing for absorption channels.
- Next, the six a day was reduced to 2-4 per day, sometimes by larger tablets or capsules, or just by reducing amounts of some nutrients.
- The trend was to reduce minerals since they took up so much space and to increase vitamins because they are so small. This was completely counter to what should have taken place.
- Vitamins are only needed in small amounts due to how the body processes and uses them. As you increase dosage the body reduces absorption percentage.
- Minerals actually become part of the structures of your body and should not have been reduced to the low amounts such as available in the one a day.
- Both vitamins and minerals form enzymes which are tireless workers and can perform thousands of actions in seconds. This is why vitamins are only needed in small amounts.
- One tablet ingredient change, taking out the starches, had unexpected consequences. The tablets exhibited a greater failure by not breaking apart and releasing the vitamins and minerals. The starches acted like a dry sponge that were becoming wet, swells up and was responsible for breaking apart the tablet. Only take quick release tablets, usually mentioned on label.
- The next change was the introduction of added greens and other food base items. Usually the amounts are so tiny it is like one half teaspoon of food that is overzealously given mountains of added value. It is better than chemical additives.
- The last change was the introduction of what is sometimes called foodform vitamins or whole food vitamins. Both of these names are quite a stretch for these terms. article
- With food bases and the yeast from foodform vitamins comes an added elements to consider: CONTAMINATION WITH HEAVY METALS such as lead and ALLERGIES TO YEAST.
- There are only a few real whole food multiples that have vitamins made entirely by nature.
- Nutrient formats in multiples have occasionally experienced new concepts and forms, such as the chelation of minerals with amino acids.
- Another changing item is the second most disappointing feature is that in all these years, the trend has moved from more natural vitamin sources, such as liver and yeast for B vitamins, fish for vitamin A, carrots and algae for beta carotene, to almost all synthetic. Even the foodform vitamins start out with many synthetics.
- And now the last and largest disappointment originally generated by early science and sanctioned by Government health agencies; Vitamins C & E, plus beta carotene are incomplete and missing vital family members to perform all the necessary functions nature intended.
There are a few multiples that include some family members, but far too few. THEY ALL SHOULD and will in the future as the resource information presented on this website gains greater exposure.