Ideally, people should get all their nutrients from food, but in today's fast-paced world, that's just not always going to happen. Multivitamins are a good way, when paired with a nutritional diet and exercise, to maintain health and get the recommend nutrients you body needs. The first step to picking the right multivitamin is recognizing what these formulations really are. Multivitamins are not a quick fix or substitute for a bad diet, but rather a supplement to boost an already healthy diet that may be lacking in some vital nutrients.
Instructions
1. Read the labels closely. Here are the big vitamins and minerals you'll want to look for in a good multivitamin: vitamin A, folic acid, niacin, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, C, D, E, copper and zinc.
2. Evaluate the value of vitamins and minerals in this formulation. You'll want to see what the percentage daily value is for each vitamin and mineral to see how that stacks up to the Recommended Daily Value. You don't need 100 percent of each, but you'll want a sizeable amount for each nutrient.
3. Look for the USP label. USP stands for U.S. Pharmacopeia and is a symbol of a quality product that has gone through testing.
4. Steer clear of exotic herbs. You don't need these herbs and often they are a marketing ploy to boost the cost of your multivitamin. Plus, some of these herbs are actually harmful. These vitamins don't have to be regulated by the FDA, so watch out. In addition, some of these herbs can react with other medications you may be taking, with sometimes deadly results.
5. Not all are created the same. There are formulations for seniors, for women and for those with particularly active or strenuous lifestyles. While it is true that various ages and sexes do need different nutrients, or at least those in different amounts, there is no need to go for an expensive brand. Specific formulations for various groups are often the same whether they are generics or the fancy brand. In general, you're usually paying for the name and packaging.
6. Know the nutrients your body needs, based on age and sex. The biggest difference between the sexes is women should boost their diets with additional calcium to curb osteoporosis and they'll also want to add iron. The biggest difference when it comes to ages is the older, menopausal women will not need the iron that a younger, premenopausal woman needs.
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