Variety may make life spicy, but it surely makes picking a multiple vitamin as time-consuming and confusing as car shopping. You could research them for months. Tablet or chewable? Regular or age-specific formula? Added nutrients or not? Want some herbs with that? As a nutrition and herbal expert this week I'll tell you some specifics as to how to choose a multiple vitamin.  We'll also give you some of my top picks at my STORE.

What should you look for?

The multiples for women "has at least 100 percent of the Daily Value [DV] of all of the essential vitamins and minerals and important trace minerals". But don't expect ANY one to have 100 percent of the DV of calcium, because that amount is too large to fit into a multi. And be sure to note the amount of vitamin A. "Taking more than 100 percent of the DV may cause bone fractures in postmenopausal women and is linked to birth defects," says Helen Delichatsios, MD, instructor of nutrition at Harvard Medical School. "To play it safe, select a multi that has part or all of its vitamin A as safer beta-carotene or mixed carotenoids.  MOST important for all multis is that the nutrients are extemely bioavailable meaning a form that doesn't require extensive metabolic gymnastics in order to convert them to a form usable by the human body....

Do you need a special formula?

A basic multi is all you need unless you fall into a group with special vitamin/mineral requirements. Women who are or are trying to become pregnant should choose a prenatal supplement because it has higher-than-normal amounts of folic acid, iron, zinc, and calcium--all critical to healthy births. Most older people don't have to watch the iron content of their multi as carefully as you might think. "The evidence that supplemental iron might be a heart disease risk factor in men and postmenopausal women is mixed," says JoAnn Manson, MD, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "The small amount of iron [18 mg per day] from a standard multi is probably safe for most people." However, if you have hemochromatosis (iron overload), select an iron-free preparation.

Should you choose all-natural, sugar-free, starch-free, or slow-release products?

Many people prefer using products with all-natural ingredients or no sugar or starch. It's really a personal decision. But those terms don't mean the product is better absorbed. As for slow-release multis, researchers say there's not enough evidence as yet that they offer any advantage.

Is there any benefit from added lycopene and lutein?

Unfortunately, the benefit is only minimal. Lycopene, lutein, and other carotenoids may help to lower the risk of chronic diseases. However, the amounts that are found in most multis are low. Although every little bit helps, you still need to eat lots of fruits and veggies to get optimal intakes of these important compounds.

What about the other extras such as enzymes, green algae, EGCG, amino acids, or herbs such as ginkgo? 

Again while every amount helps to some degree, and there are synergistic effects of most nutrients . As for herbs, it may seem convenient and economical to get herbs in your multi,  however, Herbs are not nutrients; they are taken for very specific effects in the body."  In order to get therapeutic effects from herbs you will need therapeutic dosages.If you want to take an herb such as ginkgo, then buy a product that contains only that and in the proper dosage."

Here are two products I highly recommend: Revitalize 

http://www.apple-a-day-clinic.com/m9/332--complete-one-a-day.html

 they are available on line here or please feel free to stop in and pick one up.  Visit our Vitamin Aisle for excellent values on TOP professional products FREE shipping on all orders and 10-20% OFF all orders over $99!