When you look at the label of a multi, the first thing is to determine if all of the vitamins and minerals that are needed by everyone are actually in the bottle.  The government has developed guidelines for Daily Values (DVs), which are the minimum amount that is needed every day. There are 25 nutrients including iron, that have a DV.

If the label doesn’t show a percentage of DV, (not just a quantity), for all of them, then the vitamin is probably lacking some of the nutrients that should be there unless you are deliberately excluding iron.

The primary reason for taking a multi is to be sure that we get any nutrients that may possibly be lacking in our diets.  If they are not on the label, they are not in the bottle, and so you can’t get that kind of nutritional insurance no matter how many you take.

It is important to check the label and see what percent of the DVs are provided by a given multi.  This is especially important for a pre-natal multi that needs to provide superior nutrition for a growing baby and a healthy mom.

Two key concerns in checking the label are whether the multi is complete and balanced.

Complete means that all of the vitamins and minerals are present in sufficient amounts.

Balance refers to desired ratios between vitamins.  If, for instance, there is not just about an equal amount of Vitamin B2 and Vitamin B6 in the tablet, the one that is lower, say the B2, will  cause a deficiency in the B6 and vice-versa. That can cause big problems.

In judging completeness, you also want to be sure that the percentages are at least 100 to no more than 400% for each vitamin and at least 35% for each mineral.  Minerals are much bulkier than vitamins and a pill would be too big to swallow if you tried to get 100% of the minerals in the tablets. Be sure the sodium level is under 20%. Fortunately, we do get more of the minerals in our diets so we need less in the supplements.

• I’m looking at a vitamin in the health food store that says it is natural.”

• “I’ve been told that a vitamin is a vitamin and to just get the cheapest brand.”

• How can I know that the vitamin I take or am looking at meets the minimum standards but also insures that it is in a form that can be used by the body, and that the nutrients are all bio-available?

• I’ve been told that I should use a liquid vitamin in order to get the best absorption.  Is this true?

• Is there a difference between nutrient needs for men vs women?

• Every company says that theirs is the best, how can I know if that is just hype?

• Why do I care if my multi or other vitamins are natural 100% or partially  synthetic?