Earlier this month the New York Times released an article titled “Knowing What’s Worth Paying for in Vitamins.” Author Leslie Alderman explains how quality and safety can be checked to ensure consumers know that they are getting what they need from their vitamin supplements.

According to the article, Americans in general are lovers of vitamins. Data shows that about half of adults take a daily multivitamin. Sales over the last decade have been growing by about 4 percent annually, and as a result of the economic downturn, this year vitamin sales are expected to grow by 8 percent as customers attempt to protec t their health and stave off doctor bills.

While vitamins remain a controversial topic within developed countries such as the US, most professionals, including Professor Rimm  of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, agree that if you don’t eat well or if you are stressed out, there may be benefits from taking a multivitamin. Furthermore, Rimm added “certain subgroups, including women of child-bearing age attempting to get pregnant, may need specific supplements, like folic acid and omega-3.”

 Alderman goes on to explain how consumers can get “the most vitamin for the least money,” bringing attention to some bigger issues concerning safety and quality while taking vitamin supplements. One quality check that consumers can make, although it is not a perfect screening, is to “see whether a product is certified by one of several nonprofit organizations that check supplements for purity and quality. The two most commonly used groups are the United States Pharmacopeia (www.usp.org) and NSF International (www.nsf.org).” Manufacturers can voluntarily submit a product for review, and if it passes, the product will bear an approval seal. Vitamin Angels is pleased to say that NSF International is currently working with Vitamin Angels to fine-tune our vitamin A manufacturing specifications to help assure both the safety and efficacy of vitamin A manufactured for use in our programs.

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