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Written by: Erin O'Donnell
VITAMINS
Your multi should provide 100 percent of the
federally established daily value (DV) for the
following seven vitamins. For optimal health,
you may want a product with more than 100
percent of some vitamins or with certain forms
of a particular vitamin, as detailed below. To
get what you need, you may have to take
additional supplements.
Vitamin A
Daily Value: 5,000 IU
What you need for optimal health: Choose
a brand that provides 50 to 100 percent of
vitamin A as beta carotene; most labels state
the percentage.*
Vitamin B6
Daily Value: 2 mg
What you need for optimal health: Take 2
to 50 mg to protect against heart disease.
Vitamin B12
Daily Value: 6 mcg
What you need for optimal health:If
you're over 50, take 25 to 100 mcg to protect
against heart disease and nerve damage.
Vitamin C
Daily Value: 60 mg
What you need for optimal health: Take
200 to 500 mg for possible protection against
heart disease and other diseases of aging.
Vitamin D
Daily Value: 400 IU
What you need for optimal health: If you
live in a region north of Boston, Chicago, or
Salt Lake City, take 600 IU in fall and winter
to keep bones strong and protect against cancer.
Vitamin E
Daily Value: 30 IU
What you need for optimal health: Take
400 IU to protect against cancer and possibly
heart disease.
Folic Acid
Daily Value: 400 mcg
What you need for optimal health: Take
400 to 800 mcg to protect against heart disease.
*If you smoke or
are a vegetarian or an endurance athlete, you
may need a different dose. Read the main story
for details.
MINERALS
If your multi doesn't offer 100 percent of the
DV for the following minerals, you may want to
add individual supplements. The one exception is
iron; see below.
Calcium
Daily Value: 1,000 mg
What you need for optimal health: Get the
amount you need from a combination of food and
supplements to keep bones strong. If you're 51
to 70, aim to get 1,200 mg daily. If you're
older than 70, shoot for 1,500 mg daily.
Chronium
Daily Value: 120 mcg
What you need for optimal health: Take
200 mcg for possible protection against
diabetes.
Iron
Daily Value: 18 mg
What you need for optimal health: If
you're a menstruating woman, you need up to 18
mg to prevent fatigue and other symptoms of iron
deficiency; everyone else should avoid iron,
because too much could possibly increase heart
disease risk.*
Magnesium
Daily Value: 400 mg
What you need for optimal health: Get the
DV from a combination of food and supplements to
protect your bones and heart. Good food sources
include beans and artichokes.
Selenium
Daily Value: 70 mcg
What you need for optimal health: If
you're a man, take 200 mcg to protect against
cancer. If you're a woman, take the DV or less,
because selenium appears to have no benefit for
women.
*If you
smoke or are a vegetarian or an endurance
athlete, you may need a different dose. Read the
main story for details.
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