Vitamins - Finding the Best Vitamins to Fit Your Needs

YOUR VITAMIN AND MINERAL CONSUMPTION

Vitamins and minerals are found naturally in foods and drinks. Meal preparation greatly affects what minerals and vitamins are available for our bodies to absorb. Extra vitamins and minerals can be found in fortified foods, such as orange juice, applesauce, milk, and spreads. Items enriched with nutrients simply means that nutrients lost in processing are replaced. Dietary supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure diseases, and it is not recommended to use vitamins as a substitute for prescribed medications or therapy. They are intended to help supplement a healthy diet and lifestyle.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that people try to get all of their recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals through a healthy diet and other healthy habits. The Food Guide Pyramid has now become interactive and individualized. Visit the site to see if your diet meets the latest recommendations. You may also plan healthy meals and track exercise for you and your family on that site.

Check out details on vitamins and supplements for information including:

• recommended daily amounts of vitamins based on age
• foods rich in vitamins and minerals
• symptoms of having too much or too little of a vitamin or nutrient
• common interactions

DETERMINING YOUR SUPPLEMENT NEEDS

People who often need supplements include those who are:

• Pregnant or lactating
• Eating a strict vegan or vegetarian diet
• Experiencing food allergies, intolerances or are on a restricted diet
• Experiencing disorders such as colitis, pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, or celiac disease
• Experiencing a chronic illness such as diabetes or cancer
• Taking certain medications, including certain types of birth control
• Exercising vigorously
• An older adult

TYPES OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Manufacturers produce multivitamins and dietary supplements with various flavors, sizes, shapes, smells, and textures. If you hate the smell of a certain brand or that a particular type of vitamin is difficult to swallow or digest, discuss this with your doctor and find an alternative that you are more likely to take. You may find that you can tolerate the formulation better by crushing a tablet (check to be sure it is safe to do so) or by taking the supplement with or without food or at a different time of day, based on your doctor's advice.

Tablet multivitamins

Pros: Easy to find, less expensive, easy to transport, longer shelf life, some available in bulk, may be able to crush some tablets and put into something like applesauce or sherbet for easier swallowing

Cons: Sometimes hard to swallow, may not break down as easily as others

Top brands of tablets: Centrum Vitamins, Nature Made Vitamins, Puritans Pride Vitamins, Swanson Vitamins, Solgar Vitamins

Caplets, Gelcaps and Capsule Multivitamins

Pros: Often easier to swallow than large tablets, longer shelf life, may be able to open and pour contents of capsule into something like applesauce

Cons: Sometimes hard to swallow, may have to take more to get same dose as tablet, typically cannot chew contents of capsules, more expensive than tablets

Top brands of caplets, gelcaps and capsules: Viactiv Vitamins, Garden of Life, Juice Plus, Nature's Way

Powder Multivitamins

Pros: Easy to transport, shelf life longer than pre-mixed liquids, don't need to be refrigerated

Cons: Need liquid for mixing, shelf life shorter than tablets, more expensive than tablets, may contain more nutrients than you need

Top brands of powder multivitamins: Philosophy Vitamins, Eniva Vibe

Energy Bars

Pros: Convenient, portable

Cons: expensive, many contain high levels of sugar, calories, additives, and saturated fat, may contain excessive nutrients and may contain sugar alcohols that cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea in some people

Click here for more information on energy bars at Sparkpeople.

Top brands of energy bars: Balance Bars, Clif Bar, Promax Bar, SoyJoy Bars, South Beach Diet Bars, Slim-Fast Bars

Chewable Vitamins

Pros: most common form used in children, helpful for people with swallowing difficulties, may cause less side effects than tablets

Cons: may contain sugar or flavorings to make them taste better, difficult to chew if you do not have teeth (do not give these to infants)

Top Chewable Vitamin brands: Viactiv Calcuim Chews, Disney Vitamins, Flintstone Vitamins, Gummy Vites, Vitaballs

Sublingual Vitamins

Pros: Convenient, helpful if only needing to replace one nutrient

Cons: Don't work well if you have a dry mouth, expensive

Top brands of sublingual vitamins: Twin Labs Vitamins, Wonder Vitamins

Liquid Vitamins

Pros: Easier to swallow and digest, may be used for infants and people unable to chew, some come thickened for those with swallowing difficulties

Cons: May degrade more quickly on the shelf

Top brands of liquid vitamins: Ensure, Slimfast Shakes, Boost Energy Drink, Nature's Way, Swanson Vitamins

Vitamin Water

Pros: multiple flavors, cool colors, convenient, easier to swallow, some have no caffeine

Cons: pricey, hard to find, high sugar content (make sure to check serving size), may be replacing more vitamins and minerals than you need, should drink with a meal to better absorb nutrients, some have caffeine

Top Vitamin Water brands: Glaceau Vitamin Water, V Water, SoBe Life Water, Powerade Drink

MULTIVITAMIN SAFETY

If a little bit works well, it seems natural to think that a lot will be better...not so with vitamins and minerals. Toxic, even fatal, levels can result from doses that are too high for your individual needs. Serious side effects and even death can also result if certain vitamin or mineral levels drop too low. So be smart and talk with your health care provider.

Also some illnesses or conditions can alter how certain multivitamins are used and excreted by the body. Common illnesses requiring extra caution when taking vitamins and minerals include:

• heart disease
• liver disease
• kidney disease
• gastrointestinal conditions
• cancer

Supplements can accelerate, react with, or compete with medications, producing dangerous side effects. Common examples include:

• Vitamin K and Blood Thinners
• Vitamin E and Blood Thinners
• Potassium and Lasix
• Magnesium and Digoxin
• Ginseng and Diabetic Drugs
• St. John's Wort and Antidepressants or Birth Control Pills
• Iron and Antacids

Always check to see that the packaging has a clearly marked lot or batch number, which will help you in the event of a recall. Look for an expiration date that gives you plenty of time to finish the product. Ensure that the safety seal has not been broken when you are purchasing your vitamins and minerals.

Those with allergies and/or sensitivities should carefully review labels:

• Click here for helpful hints on how to read nutritional labels.
• Click here for helpful hints on contacting manufacturers regarding the content of their products.
• Some manufacturers do list allergy information on their websites. For example, Solgar lists their products that are gluten-free, kosher, and vegetarian
• Some people find that consuming organic products may help their health as well as the environment. Retailers such as Whole Foods specialize in organic products.

VITAMIN SAFETY TIPS WITH CHILDREN

• Use child-proof caps.
• Keep vitamins and minerals out of reach of small children.
• Know where your handbag is if you carry vitamins in it.
• Do not give vitamins and minerals formulated for adults to infants or children unless a physician directs you to do so.
• In case of overdose, call your local poison control center.
• If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911.

VITAMIN MONEY-SAVING TIPS

A standard multivitamin costs about a dime a day in 2008. Here are a few ideas for saving money when purchasing multi vitamins:

At the doctor's office...

• Ask if you need to take a nutritional supplement
• Ask for free samples
• Ask your doctor if a generic or over-the-counter (OTC) choice is available
• See if you can get a higher dose to be split

At the pharmacy...

• It pays to comparative shop if you do not have a drug plan
• Buy in bulk at retailers such as Sam's Club or Costco
• Consider buying reputable store brands
• Look for incentives for switching prescriptions or filling 3-month supplies

For those in a facility... (hospital, LTC or long-term care, assisted living)

• Some facilities allow patients to bring their own medication in the original packaging with a physician's order

Coupons, rebates and studies...

• Look for online coupons or deals on site's like Freebie Finds.com
  
• Check the manufacturer's website for rebates, coupons, and freebies
• Printed coupons may be available in sales papers
• Sign up for reputable vitamin studies, if appropriate

For those with a drug plan...

• Many plans offer discounts for 3-month dosing
• Some offer incentives for filling prescriptions at a particular pharmacy
• Ensure that the supplement is on the "preferred" list
• Some may offer discounts for certain brands of vitamins

For those with a pre-tax, flexible spending reimbursement plan...

• Some allow reimbursement for vitamins but may require a doctor's note stating that the supplement is medically necessary

SUMMARY

Multivitamins can help you to be and feel healthier. After consulting with your doctor and reviewing the information and sites listed here, you should be well-equipped to make an informed decision about your best choice for a multivitamin.

Information contained in this guide is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be medical advice.