How to Evaluate Vitamins and Supplements

Everyone needs a balance of essential nutrients from a variety of foods to stay healthy. Yet it’s not always easy to eat right when you’re on the go. That’s why some of us reach for vitamins and supplements to fill in the gaps.

Yet, with a plethora of multivitamins, herbs, and botanicals out there, how can you tell if a supplement is safe — or right for you?

9 Questions to Ask About Vitamins and Supplements

Although there’s contradictory evidence as to whether a daily multivitamin staves off disease, many people add them to their diet to maintain or boost health. Others, such as premenopausal women, sometimes choose individual vitamins, like iron, to fill in specific gaps.

If you’re evaluating supplements and vitamins to add to your diet, here are nine questions to ask your doctor, pharmacist, and/or registered dietitian:

• What health benefits does this supplement offer me?

• Do I need this supplement for my health?

• What is the recommended dose for this supplement?

• When and for how long do I need to take this supplement?

• Which is most appropriate and effective for me — a pill, powder, or liquid?

• Does this supplement or vitamin have any known side effects?

• What are the best brands of this supplement?

• Does this supplement interact with any medications or foods?

• Will I need to stop taking this supplement or vitamin if I have to undergo surgery?

Which Vitamin Form Should You Choose?

Once you know which vitamin or supplement is right for you, you’ll discover many can be bought as pills, liquids, or powders. Typically the difference between them is the rate at which your body absorbs the supplement and how quickly the supplement becomes active. For example, liquids are absorbed faster than pills.

Certain supplements are in pill form because they become ineffective, or even dangerous, if exposed to stomach acids. Some people need to take a liquid if they have difficulty absorbing vitamins or supplements from a pill.

And not all formulations of a particular vitamin are the same. For example, vitamin D supplements come as either vitamin D-2 (ergocalciferol) or vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol), with vitamin D-3 tending to be the more active form. When in doubt, talk with your doctor about which supplement suits your needs.

Supplement Safety

The FDA does regulate dietary supplements; however, it treats them like foods rather than medications.

Unlike drug manufacturers, the makers of supplements don’t have to prove their products are safe or effective. Instead, the FDA can force a supplement from the market only if it proves that the supplement is unsafe. That’s an important point to keep in mind. A supplement could be on the market for years before enough people had adverse health effects to prove it’s unsafe.

“You’ve got to be careful because some supplements can cause a response, some cause no response, and some can cause an adverse response,” notes Gail Cresci, RD, assistant professor of surgery and director of surgical nutrition at the Medical College of Georgia.

The bottom line: Do your research and exercise caution. Here are a few more important safety tips:

• If you eat a balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, look for a multivitamin with no more than 100% of the daily value of most vitamins and minerals.

• Although vitamins are essential to our bodies, in high doses some vitamins can disrupt biochemical pathways, says Cresci. Avoiding high doses is especially important with the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K because these vitamins build up in your body and can become toxic. (Water-soluble vitamins are excreted in urine if you take more than your body needs.)

Who Should Avoid Supplements and Vitamins?

Supplements are not recommended for people with certain health conditions. Also, some supplements can interact with medications. Always talk with your doctor before adding vitamins or supplements to your diet. People who should avoid certain supplements include:

• Pregnant or breastfeeding women, because some kinds of supplements can be dangerous to the baby. A daily prenatal vitamin supplement is perfectly suited to pregnant and lactating women.

• Those taking certain medications, including heart medications, diuretics, blood thinners, aspirin, immune-suppressing medications, and steroid medications. These drugs can interact with certain herbal and other supplements.

• People who are going to have surgery, because some supplements may lead to bleeding and other dangerous complications.

• Those being treated for or with a history of cancer, because some supplements could encourage the growth of cancer cells.

4 Tips for Smart Vitamin and Supplement Buyers

When you’re ready to purchase supplements, keep these tips in mind:

• Look for evidence about the supplement’s effectiveness in published scientific studies. Search for such studies in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) database: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

You can also call the manufacturer and ask what published studies they have to substantiate their claims, and what quality-control systems they have to ensure the ingredients listed on the supplement label are actually in the bottle.

• If a product claims it will “cure” a disease, is “all-natural,” or has a “money-back guarantee,” be on guard. Any supplement that sounds too good to be true likely is.

• Choose brands labeled with the NSF International, US Pharmacopeia, or Consumerlab seal. These insignia verify that the supplement actually contains the ingredients stated on the label, and that the product doesn’t contain any contaminants or potentially harmful ingredients.

• Be wary of supplements produced outside the United States. Many are not regulated and some may contain toxic ingredients.

3 Tips for Storing Supplements and Vitamins

Supplements don’t last forever, and to maintain their strength they need a little care. After purchase:

• Keep vitamins and supplements in a dark, cool, dry place (avoid bathrooms and other damp spots).

• Make sure all supplements are stored on a high shelf or in a locked cabinet, out of children’s reach.

• Some vitamins and supplements lose their viability when they sit on the shelf for too long. Do a regular check of your vitamins and supplements and throw out any that are past their expiration date.

Finally, always let your doctor know about any vitamins or supplements you plan on taking, especially if you have a chronic condition or are on regular medication. Not all vitamins and supplements are appropriate for everyone, and certain types of supplements can have potentially dangerous interactions with medications you are taking.

webmd.com