It’s the New Year (goodbye 2020) and you are ready to hit the ground running! Maybe you are the New Years Resolution “type” maybe not, but what you do know is that you are ready to take control of your health. Finding the right vitamins, is not always an easy task. With so many different options on the market these days, what do you look for? How do you know that the supplement you are picking is a good choice? Not all supplements are created equal...here are some ideas to ease this aspect of your 2021 Kick Start:

3rd Party Testing: Quality is crucial when choosing a supplement. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not evaluate whether supplements are effective, safe or meeting their label claim before they make it to the shelf. The FDA does require supplement manufacturers to adhere to Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) – these are intended to ensure quality and safety; however, compliance is not always enforced. That being said, we as consumers, must do our part to ensure what we choose is right and safe for us. Finding a company that is third party tested ensures accurate labeling, packaging, holding and manufacturing processes. This is to prevent contamination and impurities from being in the final product. Third-party testing is not required and companies that do so, do so voluntarily. Third-Party testing companies that you may see on the side of some supplement bottles include: NSF, USP and ConsumerLab.

Nutrients not Fillers: The term “other ingredients” used on supplement labels, is one to watch out for. This is usually referring to fillers, binders or bulking agents that were added and provide no nutritional value. Fillers you may see include: Magnesium stearate, propylene glycol, vegetable gum, starch, and silicon dioxide. Stay away from supplements that are using these and go towards the companies committed to pure, high quality ingredients.

Specific Needs at Various Stages of Life: We often choose a specific supplement due to a need we may have. For example, pregnancy. Be well-informed when you are choosing your prenatal. It is critical to have a good balance of key nutrients to aid in this stage of life as the growing mama and babe have incredibly unique needs during this incredible time. For example:

Folate: minimum of 400 mcg, likely aim for closer to 800 mcg.

Choline: need of 450 mg, don’t choose a supplement with 5 mg.

Iron: need of 27 mg, taking a supplement with 60mg without your medical providers guidance can lead to constipation or in some cases, lead to a higher incidence of developing gestational diabetes.

Other key nutrients to look for in a prenatal supplement include calcium, vitamin D, zinc to name a few.

Nutrient Form Matters: There are forms of specific nutrients that are optimal for absorption and will be overall much more effective in your body. For example, when scouring the shelfs, look for supplements that contain specific forms such as:

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol): When supplementing with vitamin D, it is important to choose a form that is well absorbed, especially in the winter months when we are outside less and not getting as much sun exposure.

Magnesium citrate or glycinate vs Magnesium Oxide: We often see Magnesium oxide on the store shelves, however, it has been shown to not be well absorbed by all. Choosing a different form will benefit.

Folic Acid vs. Methylfolate: Methylfolate is what some providers refer to as “body-ready folate”. This is the most active and natural form of folate. When we take folic acid, our body still needs to convert it to methylfolate, however, some of us are unable to do so. Taking methylfolate will remove that barrier (if one has it).

Supplement and Medication Interaction: It is important to check with your medical provider before adding supplements to your daily routine. Not only sharing with your doctor which supplement you are interested in taking, also ask if there are potential interactions. For example, calcium supplements may reduce absorption of iron from food or supplements and vitamin E may increase risk of bleeding if one is on blood-thinning medications.  

We all hope to meet our nutritional needs through diet as much as possible, however, there are times in life where we may need an extra boost when it comes to health and supplementation. Choosing the right supplement is critical. It not only matters which nutrients are in the supplement, but you need to evaluate the supplement as a whole. When cruising the aisles looking for the right supplement for you, look for one that is third-party tested and has what you need for your stage of life and only what you need!