Selecting the right vitamins

I want to start taking a multivitamin, but I am unsure how to find the one that's right for me that will give me the best health benefits. I am also unsure how to judge the quality of the different brands available especially since I know that the government does not regulate them. Any suggestions for what to look for would be awesome. (If it helps I'm a 29 year old woman. )

I can only speak from the direct experience of being a 38 year old male but I have experimented with quite a lot of different supplements and these are my favourites:

For mental health: Vitamin D (http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/03/20/low-vitamin-d-linked-with-depression-in-young-women/82558.html)

For well being (joints and mental sharpness): cod liver oil

Hormone balance: evening primrose oil

Digestive balance: Ginger root

Skin health and "over-indulgence" recovery: milk thistle

I realise I haven't actually answered your question about multi vitamins but a multi vitamin on its own hasn't ever seemed to really do much! Hope that helps!

Keladry wrote: I want to start taking a multivitamin, but I am unsure how to find the one that's right for me that will give me the best health benefits. I am also unsure how to judge the quality of the different brands available especially since I know that the government does not regulate them. Any suggestions for what to look for would be awesome. (If it helps I'm a 29 year old woman. )

Do you eat a balanced diet with a normal amount of fruit, vegetables and meat? Then you don't need to take multi-vitamins as you won't be deficient. Taking vitamins without being deficient can damage your health, as not all vitamins are water-solvable, so if you take too many of them, your body can't get rid of the surplus. There are a few exceptions to this:

Typically, people in developed countries are deficient in vitamin D, because sun blockers prevent the skin from producing it even in summer. So it makes sense to take a vitamin D supplement (unless you work outside all day).

If you do lots of sports or sweat a lot for other reasons (Sauna etc.), you also might not be able to get enough magnesium through your diet, so taking Magnesium might be a good idea. A lack of Magnesium often shows itself as muscle twitches and cramps, especially at night.

One supplement proven to boost your immune system is selenium. Only trace amounts are needed, so don't take too much.

Another thing you can do for your immune system is taking a small amount of zinc.

If you're a smoker, you should NOT take a vitamin A supplement as those have been proven to increase the risk for lung cancer in smokers.

And one last thing: if you're trying to get pregnant, you and your partner should take folic acid as that significantly reduces the risk of birth defects (especially spina bifida) in your baby.

Other than that you're likely good. If your a vegetarian or a vegan, you should consult a doctor about the vitamins you need to take (and perhaps have your blood screened for deficiencies).

Kelandry wrote: I want to start taking a multivitamin, but I am unsure how to find the one that's right for me that will give me the best health benefits. I am also unsure how to judge the quality of the different brands available especially since I know that the government does not regulate them. Any suggestions for what to look for would be awesome. (If it helps I'm a 29 year old woman. )

Centrum or One A Day are common for multivitamins, but you can shop around to find out which one suits you. To find that out, as stated in other responses, you can have your blood drawn to see where you're deficient. Multivitamins are like an insurance plan for your diet. That is, if you aren't getting enough of a particular vitamin, the multivitamin will suffice, but they aren't necessary. Now, if you're only deficient in a few things, I'd suggest only taking supplements for those things instead. Regardless, both Centrum and One A Day have specialized multi's that are for men, women, active adults, senior adults, etc. I've taken generic brand multi's and they do just fine.

Have you tried eating fruits and vegetables? I know that sounds old-fashioned but all vitamins are extracted from plants and then packaged into a bottle for a very high markup.

If you are indeed deficient in something I would figure out how to get it into your diet first, before going the vitamin route.

Keladry wrote: I want to start taking a multivitamin, but I am unsure how to find the one that's right for me that will give me the best health benefits. I am also unsure how to judge the quality of the different brands available especially since I know that the government does not regulate them. Any suggestions for what to look for would be awesome. (If it helps I'm a 29 year old woman. )

Hello, Keladry --

I'm just curious as to "why" you want to take something ... How do you feel ? Do you feel that you need something because you are fatigued ? is there something ailing you physically ? feeling a lack of concentration ? memory difficulties (beyond the ordinary frailty of human memory, that is) ? What leads you to believe that you need a multivitamin ?

Now, I'm not some crunchy, hippie "all-natural" prat ... I get my share of conveniences from the chemist's too. But, you haven't told us how you feel, just that you want to take the stuff. And just wanting something can have some pretty flimsy reasons for it.