Use the following tips, by renowned nutritionist Debra Wein, MS, RD, from her Web site, www.sensiblenutrition.com, to find the best multivitamin for you. Not all vitamins are created equal so it is always best to get advice from your physician on the brand and type of vitamin you should be taking. It is safe to say that all Americans can benefit from taking a multivitamin a day. This will ensure that one gets the recommended daily levels of vitamins and minerals.
- No Need to Go Overboard. Be cautious about multivitamins that provide more than 100 percent of the Daily Values (DV) or the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances. You can get too much of a good thing with certain vitamins. For example, fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) can be toxic when taken in large quantities.
- Be Wary of “Extras.” Some multivitamins add substances such as ginseng, alfalfa, cayenne, coenzyme Q-10 and bee pollen. There is little scientific evidence to support their use.
- Look for Milligrams Not Micrograms. Some manufacturers will list their ingredients in micrograms, a smaller unit of measure than milligrams, to make it seem as if they are providing a larger amount of an ingredient.
- Understand What “High-Potency” Means. High-potency means only that the vitamin contains at least 100 percent of the DVs for at least two-thirds of the total ingredients.
- Don’t Get Suckered by “Specialized” Formulas. Supplements are not regulated. Thus, be wary of specialized formulas, such as those marketed to seniors or women. Some manufacturers, sometimes in error, decide which vitamins and minerals are best suited for a particular population.
- If it Sounds Too Good to be True… Claims about how an ingredient can affect the structure or function of the body are often followed by a disclaimer that notes that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not evaluated the statements made on the label. In other words, the FDA has not verified that what the manufacturer says is true.
For other great articles by Debra Wein, MS, RD, visit her Web site at www.sensiblenutrition.com and look for these articles that relate to female athletes under the heading “Sports Nutrition:”
- Copper status of collegiate female athletes involved in different sports
- Iron supplementation in female athletes, Pills vs. Injection
- Iron status of young males and females performing weight training exercise
- Disordered eating, menstrual irregularity, and bone mineral density in female runners