How to choose vitamins

 Though ideal, it is not always realistic to get all our nutrients from our food.  If you were prescribed high dose vitamin C (5000 mg)  by your health practitioner,  you would have to eat 75 oranges to get that amount of Vitamin C  into your body.   That’s a lot of oranges.  Supplementation is clearly the simpler route. However, when faced with the plethora of vitamin brands in the market,  how is one to choose?  Here are some hints, facts and recommendations:  

1. Most vitamins contain synthetic powders.  Synthetic vitamins are cheaper and work as well as whole food vitamins. Whole food vitamins are very rarely made solely of whole food and are usually lower in potency.  One would have to take 6 or more pills a day and, as a result,  pay a higher price.
2.  The main difference in brands is what is not in the tablet.  Avoid products with artificial colors, chemicals and  artificial sweeteners. Particularly avoid any vitamins that contain sugars that end in “ose” like sucralose.  Bring your reading glasses as these ingredients are usually written in small print. 
3. Natural fillers that hold the pill together like magnesium stearate, sodium citrate, dicalcium phosphate, cellulose and silica are harmless, according to vitamin expert, Andrew Saul, PHD.
4. Vitamin E is an exception to the synthetic rule.  The natural form, D-Alpha Tocopherol, is superior.  Read the label very carefully,  as the synthetic has a similar name, DL-alpha tocopherol.  
5. Powdered or liquid  forms  of vitamins are easier to absorb especially if your digestion is compromised.
6. When shopping, consider the source of your advice.  Stores want to make a buck, sales staff are rarely trained, dieticians are often biased against supplementation and most physicians know little about nutrition.  

Before purchasing a supplement, I recommend reading the full label, comparing brands, and getting some professional assistance.   You can also write to the manufacturer and ask for  full disclosure of all ingredients in the products they sell.   A nutritionist, such as myself, can help you navigate your vitamin needs and be an invaluable source of information.