Extreme Nutrition CoachTM

Eating healthy, getting regular exercise and managing stress are all vital to achieving optimum health, but sometimes these just aren't enough. While vitamins and supplements shouldn't be taken as substitutes for a healthy diet, they can be beneficial by filling in any gaps.    

Look for an antioxidant formula that provides mixed carotenoids, selenium and coenzyme Q10.

There are critical vitamins that americans tend to be short on, especially women. These include calcium, folic acid, iron and vitamin D. Despite trying to eat well, we may not get all the nutrients we need. So taking a multivitamin is a good idea.

Here are some guidelines to help you find a good multivitamin:

• Search for a vitamin with most of your daily needs, look for a vitamin with 100 percent of the daily value for the following vitamins: vitamins A, B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, B12, C, D, E, and folic acid. Take calcium separately, because calcium is bulky, you can't get the value in a single tablet or capsule. Take a calcium supplement if you're not getting enough from your diet instead of trying to make up for it with two or more multivitamins a day.
• Watch out for missing ingredients-some multivitamins are short on some vitamins and minerals, check brands with at least some of the daily value amount of chromium, selenium, zinc and vitamin K. Note however; if you take blood thinners, vitamin K could be a problem (which is why a lot of multivitamins don't contain vitamin K) ask your doctor if you can take it and how much is optimum for you. 
• Remember that more is not better, too much of a good thing can cause harm. high amounts of vitamins in supplements plus what you get in food can put you over the safe limit. There are several vitamins that you can go overboard on: vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. Beware of mega amounts, several fold beyond the daily value in supplements.
• Take your age and gender into account, the amount of iron you need depends on both. Men and postmenopausal women need only around 8mg a day, while premenopausal women (who are still menstruating) need 18mg a day. Going with one of the age formulas "under or over age 50" is a good idea.
• Select a trustworthy manufactuer, look for the USP stamp on the label, The United States Pharmacopeia ia a volunteer-based, not for profit organization that tests supplements-if the manufactuer requests it, they pay for it-to verify that the pills contain what the label says they do. the USP acts as a quality control check on the ingredients.
• Finally don't expect a multivitamin to be a miracle pill, your daily diet should be the main source of your nutrients including vitamins and minerals. be sure to eat a wholesome diet of plenty of fruits vegetables, legumes, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy products and good fats, such as those found in olive oil, nuts, and coldwater fish like salmon and tuna.