5 Questions To Ask When Choosing a Daily Vitamin

What are vitamins and minerals? That is an easy question because they are simply substances found in the foods we eat that are needed for our bodies to grow, develop and function properly.  Knowing this, as well as having access to the lists of our RDI’s (recommended daily intake), shouldn’t this tell you enough about what type of daily multi-vitamin you should choose? Or whether you should even be taking one? In our society it is just not that simple.  Take the book store for instance, there are shelves upon shelves of books advising us to take this and not that based on so many aspects of our lives and lifestyles.  Many of these books are written based on personal experience and not scientific evidence so it likely will not be for everybody (or anybody).

A billion dollar industry: dietary supplementation.  Is it because we think that more is better? Well, sure, if you are using this mantra when it comes to fruits and vegetables.  So where should you begin? Should you ask your doctor or talk to the local nutrition store clerk? Should you purchase online or from your doctors office? I may not be able to answer all the questions, but I hope this can serve as a beginning point towards your personal best choice.

After each of my children were born I was told that my children needed to be taking a vitamin supplement.  Considering I was a full time nursing mother and eating quite well before, during and after the birth of my children (not to mention being well educated in the field of dietetics) I chose to opt out of supplementation.  Although, by the time my second child was 2, our newly sought out and current pediatrician, introduced us to the supplement we now use daily.  My initial reaction had been quite similar to when I was told by the previous pediatrician, but due to my personal requirements in a supplement of any type and the fact that I could see I had a selective eater on my hands, I felt it was surely something we could all benefit from.

Questions to ask when choosing a daily vitamin:

1. Is it whole-food based? Are the ingredients coming from food or synthetic forms of the nutrients? Can you decipher amongst the jargon?
2. Is it free of artificial additives of any type?
3. Are the ingredients non-gmo and organic?
4. Is there research on the product itself? Is it getting into my body, blood stream and working as opposed to exiting in a form such as when it went into my mouth?
5. What is the labeling saying about the product? Is it safe? Does it contain what it says? Can I be sure it is not tainted in any way? And what about the label itself? Is it a supplement label or a nutrition label?

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Did you know that a label with a Nutrition Facts panel is a food label? 

What about other experts? What do they look for?

Not too long ago I had the pleasure of attending a lecture that one of my favorite pediatricians had offered.  Dr. William Sears simply expressed that we need to get our nutrients from food first, then find a supplement that can offer added insurance of what may be lacking in our food intake.  Sounds logical to me.  Dr. David Katz has been cited many times regarding that supplementation is not the cure-all, but it may help.  He also recommends whole-food based supplementation but cautions you to still take care of other aspects of your life such as eating well and being active, just as he has clearly stated in his recent book.  Yet again, this seems logical as well.  So why are we still so confused?

As a registered dietitian, I have been asked, “Should I be taking a daily multi-vitamin?” Typically my answer falls amongst the area of, “How many fruits and veggies are eating everyday?” Or even something like this, “Are you getting a variety or simply sticking with the same old spinach, apples, bananas and broccoli?” Take a good look at your daily food intake over the course of a week and ask yourself a few questions:

• Am I drinking half my body weight, (in ounces) of water, daily? So for a 130lb person that would be at least 65oz of water. (A vital part of our diet that helps in the transport of nutrients).
• Am I not exceeding the daily limits of alcohol? (Too much can lead to nutrient deficiencies).
• Am I limiting myself on the amount of caffeinated beverages? (Why? Because too much caffeine can have an effect on our nutrient absorption).
• Am I eating enough omega-3 fats? (Simply, we need good fats to use fats).
• Am I getting the recommended amount of sunlight? (Think vitamin D here).
• And the clincher: Am I eating the recommended daily servings of 7-9 fruits and vegetables, and a variety of them as well. (We won’t even get into the subject of organic vs. non and the idea that our soils are greatly depleted, leaving our food less rich in nutrients in comparison to our great ancestors).