Choosing Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
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Which vitamin or mineral supplements are truly worth your money? Here, expert advice on finding healthy, quality supplements.
Question: "With hundreds of vitamin and mineral supplements available, how do you know if you're truly getting your money's worth?"
Answer: We asked Annette Dickinson, Ph.D., of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, for her tips:
- Choose brands by reputation, not price. In general, opt for well-known brands over those made by smaller manufacturers. Large, established companies generally have a greater investment in the quality and safety of their products. To be extra safe, visit www.consumerlab.com to find out which supplements live up to their claims.
- Look for a USP notation on the label. This small box indicates that the manufacturer has adhered to certain quality, strength and safety standards that have been established by U.S. Pharmacopeia, a national trade group.
- Pass up "chelated" minerals. Chelation (key-LAY-shun) is a chemical process that some manufacturers claim can enhance absorption of certain minerals (most notably iron), but there's little independent research to back this up.
Originally published in Fitness magazine.
