Tips for Choosing a Good Multi Supplement

Nearly half of all Americans take supplements regularly, most commonly multi-vitamin and mineral formulations (1). That's good news, since the American Medical Association now recommends at least one multivitamin daily for all adults, and new research continues to support their benefit. A recent population-health study from Sweden, for example, indicates that the use of multi supplements can lower the risk of heart attack (2). Most importantly, the findings from this study - the largest of its kind to date - underscore the need for supplementing with a wide array of nutrients to promote healthy aging. Since choosing a multi can be challenging, here are some basic questions to ask when evaluating a multi formulation:

1. Is the product formulated by scientific experts?
   Some companies rely solely on marketing trends and marketers to create products, rather than medical and nutritional experts with the expertise to evaluate safe and effective ingredient combinations. It is also important that qualified experts continually review the scientific literature, so that formulations can be revised to reflect new research findings.
   
   
2. Does it contain meaningful and safe amounts of nutrients?
   Many popular products include ingredients in miniscule quantities, just so a much-publicized ingredient can be listed on the label. Consider lutein. While studies equate milligram amounts of this important nutrient with eye health, some products include insignificant microgram amounts (a microgram is 1/1000 of a milligram). Another example is potassium. Regulations restrict the amount of this mineral in supplements to 100 milligrams - a quantity that takes up valuable capsule space without making a real contribution towards the 3,000-5,000 milligrams of potassium needed daily.
   
   Safety is even more important. Recent studies, for example, suggest that very high levels of vitamin A may not support optimal bone health. Yet some formulas include high potency vitamin A, or unbalanced levels of minerals that can compete for absorption - zinc and copper for instance.
   
   
3. Does it provide a variety of nutrients along with the familiar essential vitamins and minerals?
   Everyone recognizes the importance of essential vitamins like vitamin C. But there are also a variety of key, health-promoting compounds such as bioflavonoids from fruits and vegetables, or other complementary antioxidants that have emerged as important in recent years. Some products give these nutrients short shrift or exclude them altogether.
   
   
4. Does the product take bioavailability into account?
   There's more to a formula than having a scientifically sound combination of Ingredients. Nutrients also need to be "bioavailable", which means that they are in a form the body can absorb and utilize. Look for natural sources of vitamin E, such as "mixed tocopherols" or alpha tocopherol. These forms are better absorbed and retained in the body than their synthetic vitamin E counterpart. What about the delivery form: tablets or capsules? While some tablets are formulated to break apart quickly enough to allow proper absorption, others fall far short. Capsules, on the other hand, offer the reliability of efficient disintegration and are often more easily swallowed.
   
   
5. Quality: Is it a product you can trust?
   Since the quality of nutritional supplements can vary widely, one strategy is to choose an established brand name, or one that's recommended by a health professional. Not every product uses high quality raw materials, or is manufactured according to accepted good manufacturing practices. Take the time to ask what steps a company takes to ensure that the amounts of nutrients in the actual tablet or capsule are the same as those stated on the label.
   

References

1. Consumer Confidence Survey 2000. Angus Reid Group, Omnibus Survey, presented at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, October, 2000.
2. Holquist C et al. Multivitamin Supplements are inversely associated with risk of myocardial infarction in men and women - Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program (SHEEP). Journal of Nutrition 133:2650-54, 2003.