| Personal Care Corner | |
Choosing the Right Multiple Vitamin Supplement
by Carrie A. Corson, from the June 2003 newsletter
Studies show that an increasing number of people are opting to take a daily multiple
vitamin/mineral formula (MVM). Choosing the MVM that meets your needs can be
a somewhat daunting task. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of them on the
market. And companies spend a lot of money to advertise their product as the “best.”
| Vitamin | Range for Adults |
| Vitamin A (retinol) | 2,500-5000 IU |
| Vitamin A (from Beta-Carotene) | 5000-25,000 IU |
| Vitamin B1 (thiamin) | 10-100mg |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | 10-50mg |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | 10-100mg |
| Vitamin B5 (panothenic acid) | 25-100mg |
| Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 25-100mg |
| Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) | 400mcg |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 100-1,000mg |
| Vitamin D | 100-400 IU |
| Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) | 100-800 IU |
| Niacinamide | 10-30mg |
| Biotin | 100-600 mcg |
| Folic Acid | 400 mcg |
| Choline | 10-100 mg |
| Inositol | 10-100mg |
| Mineral | Range for Adults |
| Calcium | 250-1,500 mg |
| Chromium | 200-400 mcg |
| Copper | 1-2 mg |
| Iodine | 50-150 mcg |
| Iron | 15-30 mg |
| Magnesium | 250-500 mg |
| Manganese | 10-15 mg |
| Molybdenum | 10-25 mcg |
| Selenium | 100-200 mcg |
| Silica | 1-25 mg |
| Vanadium | 50-100 mcg |
| Zinc | 15-45 mg |
Right off the bat, customers should know that most experts agree that a one-a-day formula is not the optimum way to take MVM. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, our bodies can only absorb a certain amount of some nutrients and some nutrients stay in our bodies for a short time. So, by dividing our MVM dose we are getting optimal absorption. Also, one-a-day formulas are often not able to provide high doses of some minerals like calcium. Minerals tend to be big, which increases the size of the tablet. If you were to put 1,000 to 1,500 mg of calcium into one tablet, it would be too big to swallow.
The following is a guide showing the basics of what a high quality MVM should contain. These are vitamins and minerals are deemed essential to good health. This guide is taken from the “Answers to Your Health Questions” series written by Dr. Michael T. Murray, provided by Natural Factors Nutritional Products (Published by Mind Publishing).
It should be noted that this is only a guide encompassing average adult needs. However, as research continues, some items may be deemed as inappropriate for some adults. For instance, current research indicates that most men and post-menopausal women do not need to supplement with iron. It is believed that sufficient amounts of iron are obtained through food for those individuals and excess iron may pose some risk of oxidative damage. Vitamin K is a recent addition to the essential list due to its importance to bone health. It is making its way into many MVM formulas.
Many MVM formulas may add other herbs like ginkgo, green tea, ginseng, and antioxidants like grape seed extract, lycopene, lutein, bilberry and alpha lipoic acid to their formulas. This can be a good thing depending on your individual goals, however, it does add to cost.
Here are some staff recommendations that may help you in choosing an MVM.
Kenna likes Nature’s Life Soft Gelatin Multiple. She finds these easy-to-swallow, liquid softgels to be most pleasing. It is a two-a-day, high potency multi that covers the basic list of what should be in there with very few added extras.
Laura likes Rainbow Light’s Women’s Nutritional System. She finds that this food-based multi gives her the best support. This is a six-a-day multi that covers the basics but has the added benefits of digestive enzymes, high potency calcium, citrus bioflavonoids and supportive herbs specific to women’s needs.
I myself have several favorites. The Moscow Food Co-op’s Life Multi Complete. This is a three-a-day multi based in a whole food concentrate. It is a fairly high potency formula, but does require separate calcium supplementation if your target is 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams. It does have some added benefits like digestive enzymes and bioflavinoids. I also like the Moscow Food Co-op Ultimate Capsule. It is a two-a-day requirement and the capsules are smaller and easier to swallow than some other MVM. The Women’s Multistart from Natural Factors is also a good formula. This is a six-a-day formula that provides 1,000 mg of calcium, high potencies of B vitamins, as well as other basics. It also includes some supportive herbs, including ginger, green tea phytosome, and lutein.
As I mentioned, most experts agree that a “one-a-day” formula is not optimum; however, many companies produce them because, let’s face it, “one-a-day,” is all that some folks are going to take. Rainbow Light produces the very popular “Just Once” line. As with all Rainbow Light formulas, these are food-based. These multis come in formulas with or without iron and there are also formulas specific to the needs of women and men. The Moscow Food Co-op Ultimate One tablets are also a good choice. They have recently added an iron free formula to this line.
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