product
PICKS
Bluebonnet
Ladies and Men’s ONE
Whole Food-Based Multiple
Health Direct
Nature’s Optimal
Nutrition Energize
American Health
Kid Stiks Multivi-
tamin & Mineral
Supplements(^22) • MAY 2019
naturalREMEDY/HOLISTIC STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU FEEL BETTER
amount found in many multivitamins—to
reduce the risk of neural tube defects if
she were to conceive. During pregnancy,
600 mg daily is recommended to support
healthy growth of a baby.
- You shouldn’t take a multi if you
take prescription drugs.
There are many scary warnings about
combining supplements and drugs.
However, the National Center for
Complementary and Integrative Health,
one of the National Institutes of Health,
has concluded that multivitamins
containing no more than 100 percent of
the Daily Value of vitamins and minerals
typically do not cause a problem with
medications, with one exception.
If you take warfarin (Coumadin or
Jantoven) to thin blood, vitamin K will
decrease its eff ectiveness. Your doctor can
adjust the dose of the drug to compensate,
or you can take a multivitamin without
vitamin K. Other blood thinners may not
react this way, but to be sure, check with
your doctor before taking vitamin K in a
multivitamin or other supplement if you
take blood thinners. - If you take a multivitamin every
day, it doesn’t matter what you eat.
Supplements, by defi nition, are meant to
supplement nutritious food rather than
replace it. If your diet consists of junk
food, supplements can help, but you’re
fi ghting an uphill battle. Foods contain
many more nutrients than anyone could
pack into pills. - If your urine turns yellow
or orange, something is wrong.
Vi t a m i n B 2 (ribofl avin) turns your urine
yellow or orange when you excrete
amounts your body can’t use. It’s quite
normal and nothing to worry about. If
you don’t like the color, drink more water. - All multivitamins
are basically the same.
The number of nutrients in a multivitamin
can vary from a few to more than two
Contributing editor Vera Tweed has been researching and writing about supplements, holistic nutrition, fitness, and other aspects of healthy living since 1997.
DAILY VALUES: WHAT THEY MEAN
Daily recommended amounts, which are estimated to be adequate for most
men or women at a certain age, have been established for many basic nutrients.
Daily Values, usually listed in
Supplement Facts on labels as
“%DV,” are not recommendations
but are designed to be a guide for
comparing products.HOW DAILY VALUE IS CALCULATED
The Daily Value is based on the
highest recommended amount of
a nutrient. For example, women
need 700 mcg of vitamin A, while
men need 900 mcg. The Daily
Value of vitamin A is 900 mcg—the higher amount. If %DV is 100, the product
contains 900 mcg of the vitamin, and if %DV is 50, it contains 450 mg.INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
Daily Values don’t take individual needs into account. Vegans and older people, for
example, are likely to need extra B 12 in addition to a multivitamin. Women who are
pregnant or breastfeeding should take a multi designed for those situations. Some
products also include herbs or other natural ingredients for specific benefits, such as
joint health or easing menopause or stress. For optimum benefits, it makes sense to
choose a product designed for your specific needs.dozen. Although products with few
ingredients can be benefi cial, they don’t
provide as much nutritional insurance.
For example, only 10 percent of American
adults get enough choline, which is essential
for the brain and nervous system, but only
some multivitamins include it.
In addition, some products are
formulated for women or men at
diff erent stages of life, as requirements
vary. In the case of iron, which can be
toxic in high doses, premenopausal
women require 18 mg daily, but women
after menopause, as well as men of all
ages, require only 8 mg.- It doesn’t matter if
your multivitamins are old.
Multivitamin products have expiration
dates for good reason: Their potency
will eventually decline. If you’ve had a
product for a long time, check the date.
If it’s expired, get a new one. Store
supplements away from moisture and
heat, not near a stove or microwave,
not on top of the fridge, and not in a
bathroom cabinet. A cool kitchen cupboard
or drawer is a good storage option.