Centrum Vitamins (A to Zinc) were replaced by Wyeth's more specialized vitamin line, which includes Centrum Immunity, Centrum Silver (for Men and for Women), Energy and Cardio. However, the basis of the Centrum line of vitamins is the Centrum Multivitamin/Multimineral formula.
Vitamins and Minerals
There are 31 vitamins and minerals in Centrum. These include vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B6 and B12. Others added are thiamin, riboflavin, folic acid, niacin, biotin, iron, calcium pantothenic acid, phosphorus and iodine. Magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, chloride and molybdenum are also added. Lastly, there is potassium, boron, silicon, tin, vanadium and nickel.
Folic acid is a supplement used to help reduce newborn birth defects when given to pregnant women. Vitamin K is needed in blood clotting and for maintaining bone density.
Other Ingredients
Other ingredients include calcium carbonate, dibasic calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, magnesium oxide, microcrystalline cellulose, ferrous fumarate, ascorbic acid, pregelatinized corn starch and di-alpha tocopheryl acetate.
Ferrous fumarate is an essential body mineral and raises iron levels. Ascorbic acid is vitamin C. Both calcium carbonate and dibasic calcium phosphate are used to supplement calcium levels.
Nominal Ingredients
The following ingredients are listed as being under 2 percent of the mixture: BHT, beta-carotene, boric acid, acacia, calcium stearate, calcium pantothenate, cholecalciferol, citric acid, corn starch and chromium picolinate. Other nominal ingredients are cyanocobalamin, cupric sulfate, crospovidone, FD&C yellow no.6 aluminum lake, gelatin, folic acid, hypromellose and hydrogenated palm oil. Zinc oxide, Vitamin A acetate, tribasic calcium phosphate, tocopherols, thiamine mononitrate and titanium dioxide are also included in this list. Also included are silicon dioxide, riboflavin, medium chain triglycerides, manganese sulfate, sodium ascorbate, sodium benzoate and sodium citrate. Lastly, sodium molybdate, sodium selenate, sorbic acid, sodium metavanadate, stannous chloride, talc, sucrose and thiamine mononitrate are also in this category.
Many of the nominal ingredients add some form of vitamin or mineral to boost percentage levels on the label. Other items like sucrose are used as a sweetener. FD&C yellow no. 6 aluminum lake is a dye that gives Centrum its color and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Possible Inclusions
Sunflower oil, sodium aluminosilicate, maltodextrin and ascorbyl palmitate are listed as a possibility of being included in the ingredients.
Maltodextrin is used as a sweetener and ascorbyl palmitate is used as a preservative. The sodium aluminosilicate keeps the formula from clumping up. Sunflower oil gives another vitamin boost with vitamin E.
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