Five ways to know if you should throw out your multivitamin

Most of the multivitamins on the market are low-quality and have forms of vitamins that are not only ineffective, but are often associated with adverse outcomes. With so many options out there, it’s nice to know whether to veto your multivitamin just by looking at the label.

1. You see “folic acid” on the back label:

This form of Vitamin B9 is synthetic. Taking it is associated with numerous health problems and pre-natal complications for pregnant women. Look for “folate” or “5-MTHF” instead.

2. It has added sugar:

Aren’t you a little old for that?

3. The form of Vitamin E is “DL-alpha tocopherol”:

Supplementation with “DL-alpha tocopherol” has been associated with SHORTER lifespan. The non-synthetic counterpart is called “d-alpha-tocopherol,” but still, it is only one of four tocopherol subtypes. The highest quality multivitamins will contain alpha, better, gamma and delta tocopherols.

4. The form of Vitamin B12 is “cyanocobalamin”:

There are four kinds of B12. Cyanocobalamin is the cheapest, but many people can’t use this form of the vitamin.

5. It has high doses of supplemental calcium:

Use of supplemental calcium is associated with increased risk of cardiac events and decreased bone density in some studies (yep – calcium supplements turn out to do the opposite of what the naturally occurring stuff does.)