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Twelve things you should know
• The labels on multivitamin/mineral pills list the amount of each nutrient and the percentage of the “Daily Value” (the FDA’s reference values used on foods and supplements) that represents.
• A multi need not cost more than a few cents a day. You don’t need a fancy multi. Most store-brand and generic products are fine.
• Look for “USP” on the label. This means the product meets the standards of the U.S. Pharmacopeia, including one for disintegration, and has been tested under controlled laboratory conditions. Most brand-name vitamins aren’t labeled USP, because the manufacturers either don’t want to do the tests, or prefer to guarantee the products via the brand names. Generic or store brands are more often labeled USP, and are cheaper.
• Most important: Look for 100% of the Daily Value of the following vitamins: Vitamin D, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, B12, and folic acid (another B vitamin). Plus at least 20 micrograms of vitamin K, for strong bones.
• Lower levels of vitamin A. The multi should contain no more than 5,000 IU of vitamin A (that’s 100% of the Daily Value), but at least 40% of this should be in the form of beta carotene (the label will say, for instance, “50% as beta carotene” under vitamin A). Getting more than about 6,000 IU of vitamin A itself from food and supplements increases the risk of fractures in people over 50. Beta carotene is safe for your bones, though high doses (more than in a basic multi) may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers.
• Look for up to 100% of the Daily Value of these minerals: copper, zinc, iodine, selenium (preferably from yeast, but not more than 200 micrograms ), and chromium (not more than 200 micrograms). Most multis also contain some magnesium.
• Most multis contain 100% of the Daily Value of vitamins C and E, but this may not be enough to provide their full anti-oxidant effects. We recommend 250 to 500 milligrams of C a day, but that you get the additional C from fruits and vegetables, if possible. Recent research on the potential benefits of larger doses of vitamin E has yielded disappointing or conflicting results.
• Calcium is bulky, so a multi will contain only a small amount of it. Unless you consume enough dairy products, collards broccoli, fortified OJ, and salmon or sardines (with bones), you should take a separate calcium supplement. Everyone needs at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day from food and/or supplements. Women over 50 and men over 65 need 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams a day.
• Premenopausal women should look for 100% of the Daily Value of iron. In contrast, people with the genetic disorder hemochromatosis (who absorb too much iron) should avoid supplemental iron. Men and postmenopausal women need only 45% of the Daily Value, and may be better off with a multi containing no iron.
• More than 100% of the Daily Value isn’t necessarily better. Higher doses of the B vitamins are okay, but large doses of copper, for instance, can interfere with the absorption of zinc, and vice versa. And large doses of vitamin A or zinc, for instance, can be dangerous.
• Take your multi with food. If it contains iron, don’t take a calcium supplement at the same time, since iron interferes with calcium absorption.
• Words you don’t need to see listed on the bottle: “high-potency,” “senior formula,” “stress formula,” “starch-free,” “natural,” or “slow-release.” Added ingredients such as enzymes, hormones, amino acids, PABA, ginseng, and other herbs serve no purpose and add to the price.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, August 2004
• The labels on multivitamin/mineral pills list the amount of each nutrient and the percentage of the “Daily Value” (the FDA’s reference values used on foods and supplements) that represents.
• A multi need not cost more than a few cents a day. You don’t need a fancy multi. Most store-brand and generic products are fine.
• Look for “USP” on the label. This means the product meets the standards of the U.S. Pharmacopeia, including one for disintegration, and has been tested under controlled laboratory conditions. Most brand-name vitamins aren’t labeled USP, because the manufacturers either don’t want to do the tests, or prefer to guarantee the products via the brand names. Generic or store brands are more often labeled USP, and are cheaper.
• Most important: Look for 100% of the Daily Value of the following vitamins: Vitamin D, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, B12, and folic acid (another B vitamin). Plus at least 20 micrograms of vitamin K, for strong bones.
• Lower levels of vitamin A. The multi should contain no more than 5,000 IU of vitamin A (that’s 100% of the Daily Value), but at least 40% of this should be in the form of beta carotene (the label will say, for instance, “50% as beta carotene” under vitamin A). Getting more than about 6,000 IU of vitamin A itself from food and supplements increases the risk of fractures in people over 50. Beta carotene is safe for your bones, though high doses (more than in a basic multi) may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers.
• Look for up to 100% of the Daily Value of these minerals: copper, zinc, iodine, selenium (preferably from yeast, but not more than 200 micrograms ), and chromium (not more than 200 micrograms). Most multis also contain some magnesium.
• Most multis contain 100% of the Daily Value of vitamins C and E, but this may not be enough to provide their full anti-oxidant effects. We recommend 250 to 500 milligrams of C a day, but that you get the additional C from fruits and vegetables, if possible. Recent research on the potential benefits of larger doses of vitamin E has yielded disappointing or conflicting results.
• Calcium is bulky, so a multi will contain only a small amount of it. Unless you consume enough dairy products, collards broccoli, fortified OJ, and salmon or sardines (with bones), you should take a separate calcium supplement. Everyone needs at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day from food and/or supplements. Women over 50 and men over 65 need 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams a day.
• Premenopausal women should look for 100% of the Daily Value of iron. In contrast, people with the genetic disorder hemochromatosis (who absorb too much iron) should avoid supplemental iron. Men and postmenopausal women need only 45% of the Daily Value, and may be better off with a multi containing no iron.
• More than 100% of the Daily Value isn’t necessarily better. Higher doses of the B vitamins are okay, but large doses of copper, for instance, can interfere with the absorption of zinc, and vice versa. And large doses of vitamin A or zinc, for instance, can be dangerous.
• Take your multi with food. If it contains iron, don’t take a calcium supplement at the same time, since iron interferes with calcium absorption.
• Words you don’t need to see listed on the bottle: “high-potency,” “senior formula,” “stress formula,” “starch-free,” “natural,” or “slow-release.” Added ingredients such as enzymes, hormones, amino acids, PABA, ginseng, and other herbs serve no purpose and add to the price.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, August 2004
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