Consumer Advice to Compare Multivitamins

While it is generally agreed that it's best to get all your essential nutrients from your diet, a multivitamin can provide an extra boost and make sure you're getting enough of each vitamin.

Pricing

• The price of a supplement is not always an indication of its quality. Different people may need different vitamins in their multivitamin supplement, and as such the value of different supplements depends on the individual.

Servings

• Try to get as close to the recommended daily value for each individual mineral as possible with your multivitamin. Double-check the recommended dose. If it takes several doses to reach the daily value, the bottle will not last as long as one which only requires one tablet be taken.

  Even so, it is important not to get too much of certain nutrients. This can vary between individuals, so work with your doctor to figure what you should avoid in a multivitamin.

Warning

• Certain illnesses can affect the way a multivitamin works. Cancer patients, for example, may have different concerns when choosing a multivitamin than a healthy person. If you have any serious health concerns, talk to your doctor before beginning a supplement regimen.