Multi Choices for Multivitamins

Posted by:
Kara Ghiringhelli, Department of Public Health 

Kara is a Nutrition Education Specialist at DPH.

Although I eat really well, I do take a daily multivitamin. Multivitamins don’t perform miracles—I don’t take one to replace eating my vegetables. I take them to ‘supplement’ my diet—to ensure I am getting everything I need.

Recently, I went for a stroll down the vitamin aisle at my local drugstore. It was the first time I really paid attention to just how many multivitamins filled the shelves! There seems to be something for everyone—men, women, seniors, kids, liquid, chewable, tablets, gummies—oh my! How does one choose from this variety? For me, it is a process of elimination.

First thing I do when on the hunt for a multivitamin is to look to see if any have the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) and/or the NSF International (NSF) seal. This way I know that what is listed for vitamin and mineral amounts on the product label is true. If I can’t find these seals, then I choose a popular brand that I am familiar with.

The next thing I noticed was a slew of ‘specialty formulas’—multivitamins that have added ingredients making promises to boost energy, even promising to improve memory! Who wouldn’t want some of that? But there isn’t much scientific evidence to support these claims just yet—so I say save your dollars and stick with a multivitamin that fits your age and gender.

Finally, in this economy, it is hard to consider spending a lot on multivitamins. I always look at price. Price does not equal quality. However, I must confess, I do love the gummy vitamins; they taste good and are fun to eat! The only thing is you may have to purchase multiple types of gummies because manufactures can’t fit all vitamins and minerals into one tiny gummy. So you end up spending more. If you do go for the gummies, make sure to read the label, sometimes you get to eat two gummies to meet your needs. YUM!

I know many of you out there take a multi-vitamin or other type of vitamin/mineral supplement. How do you choose from the medley of choices? We’d love to hear from you!

Comments

[Pilot]

I have never really been into taking vitamins, but as I started getting older, I wanted to take care of my healthy and keep myself going. Since I am a super healthy guy, I have to make sure I get all of my supplements, and sometimes that can be hard just from food. I found dr max powers multvitamins on sale and they sound easy and safe to use. I have had a bad experience with some vitamin brands because they will upset my stomach, be a bad form to take or not show results.

I take one in the morning with breakfast and it has really seemed to help me stay healthy and have more energy. I like that they are all natural and not made with gelatin, and they contain both calcium and iron which I need. A bottle is reasonably priced and is a balanced formula that keeps me going and healthy.

[best multivitamin for men]

Thank you so much for the info,
Kara ! It is all very helpful .

cheer
:)

[Renee]

Very interesting post. I know I should be taking a multivitamin, but 1) am bad at remembering to take pills daily and 2) if I dont eat enough before I take it I throw up. I, like many people, find choosing a vitamin difficult. We are often told that we have deficiencies and that we should take a vitamin and given no advice beyond that. I appreciate your recommendation to look for the USP and/or NSF seals. I just ended up with Women's One-A-Day because it was recommended to me and otherwise find myself overwhelmed trying to decide.

[Martin]

I do not regularly take a multi-vitamin but because of all of the things I have been reading lately I'm thinking I probably will start (especially Vitamin D because I'm hardly ever in the sun). Thanks for the information about the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) and/or the NSF International (NSF) labels. I'll definitely look for that when I go vitamin shopping!

[Vitamin D for Kids]

I'm not a big believer in supplements, but I was surprised you didn't mention that the American Academy of Pediatricians now recommends 400 iu of Vitamin D for kids--this amount is difficult to get from food sources or sunlight. The research for kids showed that Vitamin D helped ward off illness. This recommendation is especially valuable for dark skinned kids whose skin absorbs less Vitamin D from sunlight. See this article: http://www.aap.org/healthychildren/09s_bts/Vitamin%20D.pdf

Interestingly, the Academy of Pediatricians refrains from advocating multivitamins for kids--see this article: http://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/preschool/nutrition-fitness/pages/A-Vitamin-a-Day.aspx