Walking down the vitamin aisle at your local pharmacy can be an intimidating experience. Some bottles are targeted at specific populations while others are based on the benefits that their "unique formulas," often enhanced with minerals, herbs and other plant and animal substances, provide.
Some micronutrients (a collective term for vitamins and minerals) act as building blocks while others promote crucial chemical reactions and help the body process macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats). Since so many Americans fail to eat a diet that provides the necessary vitamins and nutrients our bodies need, health experts agree that multivitamins are essential for proper growth and functioning, especially among women of child-bearing age.
What to Look for
Ten years of studies released by the March of Dimes report that only one third of women get the amount of folic acid needed from their multivitamin to prevent head and spine defects in their babies. Folic acid protects against neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, which occur in the earliest weeks of pregnancy often before a woman realizes she has conceived. This crucial vitamin has the potential to prevent up to 70 percent of neural tube disorders.
The combination of iron and Vitamin C is also important. Pregnant women, as well as athletes and those who experience severe menstrual bleeding, usually require greater amounts of iron. This substance helps hemoglobin in the blood deliver oxygen at greater volumes to parts of the body. Vitamin C helps the intestines absorb iron.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), women need calcium to build bone mass during their early years of life. Low calcium intake is an important factor in the development of osteoporosis, a loss of bone mass more common among women. Vitamin D helps with the body's absorption of calcium.
Women's Health Magazine also recommends a multi with magnesium and Vitamin K. Magnesium can protect against heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer. Vitamin K is important to bone health.
Common Pitfalls
A study from ConsumerLab.com reveals a lack of uniform manufacturing rules among dietary supplements. Bottles may make false claims, could be contaminated or include tainted ingredients. Sticking with larger names recommended by the site ensures the safest way of determining which brand to buy.
A vitamin's formula should be consistent with the recommended Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). However, critics warn consumers against placing too much emphasis on these numbers; they haven't been updated since 1968.
If multivitamins irritate your stomach, try taking it with food. The fats will also help absorb some of the ingredients.
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