Choosing a Multivitamin for your Antiaging Program

Choosing a multivitamin is the basis for your supplementation program. This is where you should start. On this page I will give you some points to consider for picking the best multivitamin to take to maximize the benefits of multivitamins whether you buy them online or in a vitamin shop.

The first thing you should consider is the quality of what you are buying. When it comes to vitamin/mineral formulas you really do get what you pay for in a vitamin shop.

Don’t be cheap when buying your vitamins; your health is worth the extra money for quality supplements.

What to look for

There are several things that a quality vitamin formula should have.

• Potency at least 100% of the RDA for every nutrient
• Minerals that are chelated, and in a form that ends with “ate”
• B vitamins in the “methylated” form

Capsules, gel caps, or liquid form maximize the benefits of multivitamins, as they are easier for the body to break down than tablets and thus are the best multivitamin to take. There ARE good formulas that come in tablet form, but you should try to get them in the other forms if you can.

Choosing a multivitamin also involves knowing how certain vitamins or other nutrients react with your personal biochemistry. You may also be taking medication that can be affected by a vitamin that is in the multivitamin product you are using.

For the most part vitamin supplements are extremely safe, but be sure to check into any possible interactions with drugs that might exist. It is better to be safe than sorry when you are dealing with your health.

What the ingredient list should look like

Take a look at the breakdown below to get an idea of what a high quality vitamin/mineral formula might look like. Again to get the benefits of multivitamins you should take them in either capsule or liquid form.

These exact nutrients and potencies are not an absolute, as formulas will vary, but when choosing a multivitamin, you can use this as a comparison to the products you find, and see how they stack up!

six vegetable capsules contain:

• mixed carotenoids 25,000 i.u.
• providing: beta carotene - 15,000 mcg.
• lutein‡† - 850 mcg.
• zeaxanthin †† - 170 mcg.
• lycopene 425 mcg. -
• vitamin D3 - 800 i.u.
• d-alpha tocopherol succinate (vitamin E) - 400 i.u.
• ascorbyl palmitate (fat soluble vitamin C) - 100 mg.
• pantothenic acid (calcium pantothenate) (B5) - 400 mg.
• niacinamide - 100 mg.
• thiamine HCl (B1) - 100 mg.
• inositol hexaniacinate (no-flush niacin) - 90 mg.
• riboflavin (B2) - 50 mg.
• riboflavin 5' phosphate (activated B2) - 25 mg.
• pyridoxine HCl (B6) - 25 mg.
• pyridoxal 5' phosphate (activated B6) - 25 mg.
• methylcobalamin (B12) - 1,000 mcg.
• folic acid - 800 mcg.**
• biotin - 800 mcg.
• calcium (citrate/malate) - 300 mg.
• magnesium (aspartate) - 200 mg.
• potassium (aspartate) - 99 mg.
• zinc (picolinate) - 25 mg.
• manganese (aspartate) - 10 mg.
• boron (glycinate) - 2 mg.
• copper (glycinate) - 2 mg.
• chromium (polynicotinate) - 500 mcg.
• selenium (selenomethionine) - 200 mcg.
• vanadium (aspartate) - 200 mcg.
• molybdenum (aspartate) - 100 mcg.
• alpha lipoic acid (thioctic acid) - 100 mg.
• hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) extract -100 mg.
• (standardized to contain 2% vitexins)
• ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract - 100 mg.
• (standardized to contain 5% gingerols)
• milk thistle (Silybum marianum) extract - 100 mg.
• (standardized to contain 80% silymarin)
• turmeric (Curcuma longa) extract - 200 mg.
(standardized to contain 97% curcuminoids)
• reduced glutathione - 50 mg.
• coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) - 50 mg.

The levels of vitamins are “therapeutic levels,” not the RDA! The RDA is not reflective of real nutritional needs, and so the best multivitamin to take will significantly exceed the RDA for each nutrient.

Some other considerations

Other considerations in choosing a multivitamin are whether iron is in the formula. Some individuals have problem with iron, in terms of buildup in the body, so those people should avoid supplements that include it. There are formulas without iron so you can still get the benefits of multivitamins without the risk of iron toxicity!

It is best to use a formula that has methylated b-vitamins, and you can recognize that when b-12 is referred to as “methylcobolamin” on the label. Some quality products do not have them, but the best multivitamin to take will have methylated b-vitamins.

Lastly, you will want to avoid any supplement that includes hydrogenated oils, excessive fillers and binders like magnesium stearate. It is also important when choosing a multivitamin to recognize that there may be things in the formula, which do not agree with your individual biochemistry.

If you are or seem to be reacting negatively to a multivitamin formula, check the ingredients and your blood type list for problem interactions. I recently reacted with join pain to a formula that contained aloe vera, a problem for my blood type B!

Following these guidelines will help you determine the best multivitamin to take, and receive as much of the benefits of multivitamins as possible. Choosing a multivitamin is the most important step in any supplement program for antiaging.

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