Buy better vitamins, cheaper

By S.D. Hubbard, National Enquirer May 17, 2004

Expert advice for smart shopping

SUPERMARKET and drugstore brands can be just as effective disease fighters as fancy health food store vitamins -- and usually cost less.

But you have to do a little homework to make sure you're getting the biggest health bang for the buck from your vitamins, an ENQUIRER investigation has found.

"A decent vitamin and mineral supplement can be found at most stores, regardless of whether it's a health store or a chain drugstore," Earl Mindell, Ph.D., author of "Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible for the 21st Century," told The ENQUIRER.

SEEK QUALITY

"But, not all vitamins are equal. A high price tag in a health store doesn't necessarily mean a quality product, and an inexpensive brand isn't necessarily junk."

"You can find a good product in a drugstore, but you have to know what you're doing. You can also find good products on-line. You, as the consumer, must take the responsibility to educate yourself."

Here, from Dr. Mindell and Dr. Allen S. Josephs, section chief of neurology at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, N.J., are tips to help you buy vitamins:

• Read labels. "Know exactly what you're paying for," said Dr. Mindell. "Look for quality ingredients. Some ingredients cost more than others and some cheap brands omit them from their formulas. Two of the most expensive ingredients are B-12 and CoQ-10. Make sure they are included."
• Choose an "all-natural" vitamin. "Natural vitamin E is about twice as potent as the synthetic," said Dr. Mindell. "If the label lists vitamin E as d-alpha tocopherol, you're getting natural E. If you see E as dl-alpha tocopherol, you're getting a synthetic."
• Check to see how many tablets make one serving. If it takes six tablets to reach the recommended amounts listed on the label, then a 180-tablet bottle will last just 30 days.
• To save money, look for inexpensive "all natural" single supplements like vitamin C or calcium. "Vitamin C from ascorbic acid, can be made inexpensively from natural sources such as corn dextrose," said Dr. Josephs.
• Buy a vitamin that contains vitamin A in the form of carotenoids, such as beta-carotene. "Avoid supplements that contain vitamin A in the form of fish oils," said Dr. Josephs. "Your body can convert carotenoids into vitamin A in the amounts needed."
• Make sure enough of a particular ingredient is included to be effective, said Dr. Josephs. "One vitamin company advertised that they include lutein, which is good for the eyes. But the amount is 1/40 what studies have shown to be effective."
• Get more selenium. Said Dr. Josephs: "Study results showed that 200 micrograms of organic selenium a day reduced the risk of dying of cancer by 50 percent, and lowered the risk of developing cancer by 37 percent. But many formulations still contain only 20 micrograms."
• Shop at the health food store for service. "Some consumers would be better off shopping in a smaller health food store if cost isn't a consideration because workers there tend to know more about their products," said Dr. Mindell.
• Consider buying on-line. On-line stores can offer the same high-quality vitamin brands sold in health stores at up to half off retail price. "Since there is no middleman, on-line suppliers can sell their products for much less," said Dr. Josephs, who is affiliated with the on-line company www.vitacost.com.