Buying Vitamins From a Drug Store

For instance, on one hand even whole foods are not always absorbed optimally and some vitamin pills are formulated for maximum absorption of the vitamins contained. There are many facors which contribute to the quality and effectiveness of packaged vitamins, including:

• Fillers used in the vitamins
• Sources of the vitamins
• Processing and packaging procedures
• Storage, age, combination and percentage of vitamins

Fortified products is one way in which people get ‘extra’ vitamins in their diet. For instance, many dairy products, breads and cereals, and juices are fortified. However, it may be healthier to eat more wholesome versionso f these same products and get the vitamins without the product having been through mass processing and then needing ot be fortified. Increasingly, supermarket shelves are offering food enriched with vitamins that are excellent values. It will always pay to be informed about what you are buying, and to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible.

If your doctor recommends synthetic vitamins for you, study the labels on the bottles. Check the units of various vitamins, consider the doses as indicated on the label. Depending on the reputation of the maker and the availablility of the vitamins involved, in general you are liekly to get what you pay for. For instance, certain vitamins such as vitamin A and vitamin D are relatively cheap, while a good B complex is likely to be expensive. Some cheaper companies will use filler or the cheaper vitamins to form the majority of the supplement and provide either very little of the important and healthy stuff, or an improper balance.

Even when we eat plenty of whole foods, it is not always easy to get the optimal amount of vitamins and a vitmain supplement may be necessary. Drugs store vitamin supplements can be excellent, but are not substitutes for food. Concentrated vitamins are useful in cases of gaps in one’s diet.

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