Vita-right: Tips and tricks for choosing the best nutritional supplement

There are vitamins for men and women, seniors and children, and healthy eyes, bones and joints. A walk down the nutrition aisle can be confusing enough to wonder -- do I really need a vitamin? For local health experts, the answer is a definitive, unanimous yes.

"If you eat a well-balanced diet you will already have all your nutritional needs met. Unfortunately, very few of us eat a well-balanced diet," says Raina Childers, registered dietitian and nutrition services coordinator at HealthPoint Fitness in Cape Girardeau.

Ben Tally, pharmacist at Medicap Pharmacy in Cape Girardeau, agrees. "Chances are that yes, you are missing something," he says. "Most diets come up a little short of certain vitamins because most of us don't eat well enough."

Even the American Medical Association recommends that all adults take a daily vitamin, says Mark C. Kasten, M.D., of Regional Primary Care in Cape Girardeau. "There is no question that the number of people who sit down to eat three meals a day that are completely balanced is extremely small," he says. "The primary purpose of supplementation with a good nutritional is to fill in the gaps in our diet. Despite all this, less than half the population takes a good multivitamin every day."

Childers, Tally and Kasten all say a basic daily multivitamin will do the trick; Childers also recommends an omega-3, or fish oil, supplement, which acts as an anti-inflammatory and blood thinner and is good for heart and brain health. Multivitamins intended for a specific age or gender are a good idea, she says.

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It's also smart to be screened for your vitamin D levels, says Childers, as studies have shown that Americans are lacking in vitamin D, a fact that may be tied to rising cases of cancer and heart disease. If you are found to be deficient, vitamin D supplements are available. Tally adds that most smokers need higher amounts of vitamin C, and certain medical conditions may prevent the body's absorption of vitamins. In either case, you may want to ask your doctor about recommended levels.

When shopping for vitamins, always check the expiration date and see that the product has been approved by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), say Childers and Kasten. Also read the back of the bottle for the daily recommended intake, shown as a percentage. The goal, says Childers, is to get a good, well-balanced multivitamin and not exceed 150 percent of the recommended intake in any area.

"There are many, many vitamins and nutritionals on the market. What most people don't realize is that this is an unregulated industry," warns Kasten. "Since there is no regulation and they are considered food supplements, there is a lot of fraud and abuse in many products." Kasten recommends multivitamins that come from plants grown on certified organic forms, and those plants should be processed as quickly as possible to avoid loss of potency.

Consumers should also be aware that it is possible to take too many vitamins. Childers explains that there are 13 vitamins, and nine are water-soluble. If you take larger amounts of the water-soluble vitamins, there are no side effects because they are simply excreted through urine. The four remaining fat-soluble vitamins -- A, D, E and K -- can reach toxic levels in the liver and fat cells, though this is rare.

"Over the counter, we don't have a dose big enough to overdose with without working at it," says Tally, estimating that a person would need about 138 doses in a week, plus an additional supplement, to reach toxic vitamin levels. However, if you do experience any strange symptoms, such as fatigue, stop taking the vitamin right away, says Childers, and never take a megadose vitamin unless you are truly deficient.

Childers, Tally and Kasten say vitamins are important for children, too.

"We are a very overfed, undernourished society," says Kasten. "Children are finding themselves eating a lot of fast food and developing early diabetes. They are generally deficient in omega-3s."

Though many foods are now fortified with extra vitamins, young children are also likely to be picky eaters and miss out on nutritional needs.

"If I could get my children to eat all their fruits and vegetables and whole grains, it would be a good day," says Childers. "Like with many other parents, that's a challenge. By giving my children vitamins, I feel more comfortable that their nutritional needs are being met."

To encourage children to take vitamins, Tally says many companies are making chewable vitamins in fun colors and tasty flavors. As with adults, though, it's important that children not overdo their vitamin dosage.

"Children are more susceptible to vitamin overdose than adults," says Tally. "The vitamin might look like candy and taste like candy, but you have to be extremely careful not to give children more than one a day. Be careful to keep them up out of children's reach."

In the end, though, Childers still believes there is no "easy way out" to healthy eating, for children or adults -- we still need to eat our fruits and vegetables.

"Supplements are not a replacement for a good diet. They should be taken in addition to a healthy diet," she says.