Stay healthy for way less
Vitamins
Worth it? Yes, if your food choices aren’t cutting it.
Most experts say you don’t need to take vitamins if you eat a diverse mix of fruits and veggies, lean meats, legumes, and whole grains. Problem is, if you don’t eat well, are a vegetarian, have a food allergy, or are pregnant (or hope to be)—categories that include most of us—you might not be getting the nutrients you need. In that case, an inexpensive multivitamin may give you peace of mind. Look for a brand that has 100% of the daily recommended values of vitamins and minerals and has the USP seal, which means that U.S. Pharmacopeia, the organization that verifies the ingredients and quality of dietary supplements, has given it a thumbs-up. Store-brand multivitamins go for about $3 to $6 for 100 tablets, compared with about $8 to $10 for brand names. Don’t spend money on additional supplements (fish oil, vitamins D and C) unless your doc has ID’d nutritional gaps. For instance, if you aren’t getting enough calcium from dairy (1,000 milligrams for 19- to 50-year-olds), pop a daily Tums with calcium (150 tablets cost $5 to $6).
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