My name is Dr. Russell Brokstein, chiropractor and wellness consultant at Hometown Family Wellness Center in Freehold, NJ. Every day I am asked by patients what to look for when searching for a multivitamin. Recently I read an article that covers what to look for when choosing a vitamin and I wanted to share it with those searching and reading the following:
Most people are puzzled when it comes to choosing a multivitamin-mineral supplement. They search the internet and ask other people and health professionals but the messages conflict. The media further adds to the confusion with reports that tend to overemphasize observational studies that
The highest quality supplements are designed according to current science and technologies—they use the most stable and efficacious forms of vitamins and minerals, have optimal solubility rates, are third-party tested for potency and shelf life, and provide optimal vitamin-and-mineral dosages that are divided over the course of the day for best absorption.
The popular “one-a-day” supplements are on the bottom of the quality spectrum. They claim to provide all that the body needs in a single tablet; they may provide adequate amounts of many nutrients, but severely neglect others. Other supplements use synthetic vitamins but research shows the body prefers the natural forms. To top if off, some companies claim higher absorption or bioavailability because their nutrients come directly from “whole foods” but these claims are misleading because they are not presented with data. These vitamins do not actually come from whole foods, but are simply combined with botanicals that may even prevent optimal absorption.
It’s important for anybody looking for a quality vitamin to do the research because not all marketers provide the science behind their vitamin and it’s unfair for the media to do little homework before categorizing all dietary supplements as low quality and worthless. The fact is that there are well-designed studies showing clear benefits from taking supplements in appropriate forms and in dosages that assist in meeting dietary recommendations for optimal health. If this weren’t true, or if multivitamins were somehow “dangerous”, then why do most medical doctors continue prescribing prenatal multivitamins to women who are expecting?
A proper review and critique of multivitamin-mineral supplements should be based on how well it reflects positions of scientific consensus on dosage, forms, and delivery. Here are 5 Key things to look for in a supplement:
1) Quality – A recent Consumer Labs report states one in three supplements either contained fewer nutrients than promised on the label, provided far more nutrients than claimed, had incorrect labeling of ingredients, or simply failed to disintegrate in the allotted time for proper absorption. If uncertain about whether or not a supplement really provides what it claims to, it’s probably a supplement to avoid. Take a multivitamin-mineral only if it comes from a reputable company that tests label claims through an independent laboratory.
2) Efficacy – It’s well-known that some forms of vitamins or minerals are more stable, or more bioavailable, than others. For example, natural vitamin D3 exhibits greater retention in the body compared to synthetic vitamin D2 (1). Likewise, vitamin E in its natural form of d-alpha tocopherol provides greater activity than its synthetic mixture counterpart, dl-alpha tocopherol, which contains only a small percentage of the natural form (2). Another example is vitamin B12 as cyanocobalamin, which is more stable than other forms of vitamin B12, thus allowing for greater shelf life.
3) Optimal dosages – Multivitamin-mineral supplement makers will often add a mineral such as calcium or an antioxidant such as coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to help it sell better in the marketplace, but not in high enough doses to really strengthen bones or support the heart. Such supplements should be avoided in favor of others that actually supply enough of each nutrient to truly be effective. Similarly, should a supplement contain omega-3 fatty acids, it should contain a high enough concentration of both DHA and EPA for heart health. In short, dosages should reflect the latest that science has to offer as recommendations for health and longevity.
4) Solubility – Many vitamins pass thru the body without being absorbed. Science has come a long way to provide technologies for better solubility, but there still are a few multivitamins on the market that don’t disintegrate appropriately enough to be absorbed properly. The standard for a quality multivitamin-mineral tablet is to disintegrate within 60 minutes or less in an acidic solution mimicking the environment in the stomach—even better is if it can disintegrate easily in plain water or rice vinegar.
5) Absorption and bioavailability – Companies make misleading claims when they market their supplements as more highly absorbed or bioavailable because they are from, or combined with, “whole food” or “vegetable components.” For one thing, the source of their vitamin is really not different than anyone else’s, which is obtained through yeast fermentation. The “whole-food” source supplements also seldom meet label claims or stability for shelf life. In addition, they don’t account for anti-nutrient components; for example, a supplement containing leafy green vegetables such as spinach may also contain anti-nutrient compounds called oxalates that inhibit absorption of other minerals in the supplement through chelation (that’s not to say people should avoid eating spinach, but that improved absorption and bioavailability from a spinach supplement is false) (3). There are also supplements on the market (obviously not designed by nutritionists familiar with the science) that completely disregard well-known absorption problems when dosages of minerals such as calcium are too high, or when mineral competitiveness occurs between iron, calcium, zinc, and copper (3 & 4). A quality supplement will use forms of minerals without absorption-inhibiting anti-nutrients and have an appropriate amount of minerals in each tablet to be taken in divided doses over the course of the day.
These 5 key points presented above should be considered by those looking looking for a multivitamin and mineral to achieve the greatest value from 
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Dr. Russell Brokstein uses a combination of chiropractic, exercise, weight loss, nutritional support and detoxification programs to help his patients be healthy naturally. If you are looking for more ways to be optimally healthy without drugs and surgery, find out more about Dr. Brokstein and Hometown Family Wellness Center by going to their website at www.ChiropractorFreehold.com.
References
Food and Nutrition Board. Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference intakes. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2000, pp. 186-283.
Heaney R et al. Vitamin D3 is More Potent Than Vitamin D2 in Humans. J Clin Endocrin & Metab. 2011;96(3):E477 doi: 10.1210/jc.2010-2230
Gropper SS, Smith JL, Groff JL. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2009.
Hoffman H et al. Zinc-induced copper deficiency. Gastroenterology 1988; 94:508-12.