With so many vitamin options, which is best for you?

Vitamin D, vitamin E, a multivitamin? With so many options, which one should you take? Claire Edgemon, a registered dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine, explains that the best vitamin for you depends on your needs.

If you’re eating a balanced diet, you have a variety of food sources coming from plants, animals, fruits and vegetables and are most likely doing fine when it comes to getting proper vitamins and minerals. Some people might take a vitamin to “fill in” something they think might be missing, but research says there is no benefit to that.

“The research shows that the biggest benefit of vitamin use is if you have a known deficiency,” Edgemon said.

She recommends taking a vitamin if you are deficient in a particular area or have dietary practices that are limiting your intake of a particular vitamin or mineral.

“For example, if you have lab work done and you find out you are low in vitamin D, then we would recommend that you take a vitamin supplement,” Edgemon said. “Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in animal sources. People who don’t eat meat, eggs or dairy products are going to be low in vitamin B12 and should take a supplement.”

Taking vitamins also depends on age, life status or stage.

“If a woman is pregnant, we know she needs more folic acid, iron, iodine, vitamin D and choline,” Edgemon said. “If she takes a specific prenatal vitamin, it should include what she needs.”

Due to changes in the body that comes with aging, Edgemon recommends a multivitamin, B12 or vitamin D.

Some vitamins and minerals have upper limits, meaning that if you take above those amounts, you can start to see negative effects. If you’re taking medications that prevent blood-clotting, you might want to be careful about multivitamins with vitamin K since it is involved in the blood-clotting process.

“Also, iron and calcium should be taken separately, not together, because they can inhibit the absorption of each other. The same goes for zinc and copper,” Edgemon said.

When taking vitamins or any other supplements, be aware of:

• Supplements/vitamins are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration before being sold

“The company that manufactures these products has to prove its safety,” Edgemon said. “If you want to take a vitamin mineral supplement, make sure it is reputable and look for an independent seal on the bottle where it says that a third party has analyzed it.”

Other points to consider include:

• If you’re a smoker or have been one in the past, vitamin A or beta-carotene supplements could potentially increase your risk of developing cancer.
• There also is concern about pregnant women taking vitamin A, as it comes in different forms. There is an active form of vitamin A that is found in animal foods and can cause issues. Accutane also is a vitamin A derivative that is not recommended during pregnancy. 

By Taylor Barnes