Pick the perfect multivitamin: Plus tips on other beneficial supplements

By Carlotta Mast
Sprouts

Don’t let all the different vitamin options, remedies, and formulas confuse you. Here, two health experts offer recommendations on what you need to know to make the most of your daily doses.

Supplement tip #1: Just do it
Whether you’re a man or woman, 25 or 65, you’ll benefit from a good multivitamin/mineral, says Shar Lieverman, PhD, CNS, FACN, and author of The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book (Avery, 2003). A 2002 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association backs her up, advising all adults to take multivitamins to help ward off chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
Bonus points: You’ll absorb nutrients more efficiently if you divide your daily dose so you take the pills more than once a day.

Supplement tip #2: Get the most you can get
Look for at least 100 percent of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of the essential vitamins (C, E, D, B1/thiamin, B2/riboflavin, B3/niacin, B6, B12, and folic acid) and the essential minerals (copper, zinc, iodine, selenium, and chromium). But remember, RDI amounts are really the bare minimum; they were set to prevent nutritional-deficiency diseases such as scurvy.
Bonus points: For more disease prevention and therapeutic benefits, choose high-potency multis that offer optimal daily intake (ODI) amounts. For example, the ODI for vitamin E is 400 IUs; the RDI is a mere 30 IUs.

Supplement tip #3: Don’t forget the fish oil
This natural anti-inflammatory is great for the heart, skin, bones, brain, immune system, and more. Adults should take at least 1 ½ grams of fish oil twice a day, says Jennifer Nevels, NMD, physician at Southwest Naturopathic Medical Center in Tempe, Arizona.
Bonus points: Check labels to make sure your brand has been tested for – and is free of – mercury and other heavy metal contamination. Liquid oil is generally more economical and easily absorbed, Nevels says. It’s often flavored; swallow it straight or add to smoothies or oatmeal. To prevent rancidity, store oil in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator. (Oil should never have a strong smell; if it does, throw it away.) Capsules are a convenient alternative. And to avoid fish-oil burps, take with food, particularly carbohydrates, Lieberman says. Or try enteric-coated capsules, which open in the intestines rather than the stomach.

Supplement tip #4: Women need more calcium
Women require 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium per day to slow bone loss. A multi typically cannot fit in this amount, so most women need additional supplementation.
Bonus points: Choose calcium citrate over calcium carbonate; it’s more easily absorbed. Also, take calcium in divided does; the body can absorb only about 500 mg of calcium at a time. “Take one at bedtime because your body absorbs more calcium while sleeping,” says Nevels.

Supplement tip #5: Focus on your individual health concerns
It’s not possible – or – advisable to try out every supplement you read about. Focus on areas where you need the most support, be it reducing stress or preventing hereditary conditions such as cancer or heart disease.
Bonus points: Check out these top picks recommended by our experts.
*For antiaging: Alpha-lipoic acid; coenzyme Q10 (Cop-Q10); vitamin E (Take antioxidants together for a synergistic effect, says Lieberman.)
*For cancer prevention: Green tea (Camellia sinensis); diindolylmethane (DIM); melatonin
*For heart health: Co-Q10; fish oil; B-vitamin complex
*For stress relief: Standardized extracts of rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea); ashwagandha (Withania somnifera); Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus).

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