我们对补品的痴迷每年达到300亿美元。和该列表的顶部？多种维生素。

“I try to get all of my nutrients from my kitchen instead of my medicine cabinet, but as a realist, I know that meeting my nutrition needs all of the time is not possible,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of比节食更好。On top of that, there may be other life factors that make supplementation necessary —怀孕，，，，menopause, or even chronic conditions.

一 2002 review found that vitamin deficiencies are commonly linked to chronic diseases, and supplementation may help. Even a complete diet may not be giving you the nutrients you need, when you need them. That’s wheremultivitaminscome in.

对于初学者来说，每日多种维生素可以帮助您的健康奠定良好的基础。它也可以保护您经历压力，，，，睡得很差，，，，or not gettingregular exercise。营养师Dawn Lerman，MA，CHHC，LCAT，AADP解释说，即使使用“完美”饮食，这些问题也可能使您的身体很难正确吸收营养。

But with so many vitamin and mineral combos, how do we know exactly what to look for when shopping for a multivitamin? Luckily, you don’t need an advanced degree in nutrition to figure out which multi is worth taking with your morning OJ. We asked four experts to tell us which seven ingredients your multivitamin should have, no matter what brand you choose.

Vitamin D帮助我们的身体吸收钙，这对骨骼健康很重要。无法获得这种维生素的足够增加可以增加：

  • 你生病的可能性
  • your chances of bone and back pain
  • 骨折

从技术上讲，您应该能够通过sunlightfor 15 minutes, the reality is that over40 percent美国的人没有。生活在寒冷的地方，阳光很小，在9到5生活的办公室里工作，applying sunscreen(which blocks vitamin D synthesis) makes getting vitamin D hard. This vitamin is also hard to come by in food, which is why Taub-Dix says to look for this ingredient in your multi.

Pro-tip:这National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends that children 1-13 years of age and adults 19-70, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, get 600 IU of vitamin D per day. Older adults should get 800 IU.

Magnesiumis an essential nutrient, which means that we must get it from food or supplements. Lerman notes that magnesium is best known for being important to our bone health and energy production. However, magnesium may have more benefits than that. She adds that this mineral can also:

  • 平静我们的神经系统并减少
    stress after 90 days
  • 缓解睡眠问题，如建议
    经过 an older study on
    mice
  • regulate muscle and nerve function
  • balance blood sugar levels
  • 制作蛋白质，骨骼甚至DNA

但很多人magnesium deficient因为他们不吃right foods，不是因为他们需要补充。尝试吃更多的南瓜，菠菜，朝鲜蓟，大豆，豆类，豆腐，糙米或坚果（尤其是坚果Brazil nuts) before jumping to supplements for solutions.

Pro-tip:Lerman建议寻找300-320毫克镁的补充剂。这 NIH agrees ，，，，recommending no more than a 350-mg supplement for adults. The best forms are aspartate, citrate, lactate, and chloride which the body absorbs more completely.

Over 40 percent of the U.S. population doesn’t get enoughcalcium从他们的饮食。这意味着那些人并不通用tting the mineral they need forstrong bones和牙齿。尤其是妇女开始早些时候失去骨密度，从一开始就获得足够的钙是针对这种损失的最佳营养防御。

如果您的饮食富含这些食物，那么您可能已经获得了足够的钙。

Pro-tip:这 recommended amount of calcium per day is 1,000 mg for most adults, and while you probably don’t need to get all of your calcium needs from a multivitamin, you do want there to be some, Lerman explains. Jonathan Valdez, RDN, spokesperson for the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner ofGenki营养建议您以柠檬酸钙的形式获得钙。这种形式优化了生物利用度，在患有吸收问题的人中导致症状更少。

“Zinc tends to be low in older people and anyone under a lot of stress,” says Lerman. Which, (hello!) is basically everyone. And it makes sense.Zincsupports our immune system and helps our body use carbohydrates, protein, and fat for energy. It also aids in wound healing.

这average American diet isn’t rich in foods that offer zinc, and the body can’t store zinc, which is why Lerman recommends your daily supplements highlight this ingredient.

Pro-tip:Lerman建议找到一种具有5-10毫克锌的多种维生素。这 NIH suggests 您每天大约得到8-11毫克的锌，因此您希望多种维生素的量取决于饮食。

“Iron should be in your multivitamin, but not everyone needs the same amount of iron,” Lerman advises. Some of the benefits ofironinclude:

  • increased energy
  • 更好的大脑功能
  • 健康的红细胞

Those who eat red meats typically get enough iron, but certain circumstances like having your menstrual cycle, going through puberty, and being pregnant may increase the amount of iron you need. This is because iron is essential during times of rapid growth and development. Vegetarians and vegans may also want to make sure their multivitamin has iron, especially if they’re not supplementing meat with other铁丰富的食物。

Pro-tip:Valdez建议：“寻找以硫酸亚铁，亚铁葡萄糖酸酯，柠檬酸铁或硫酸铁的形式形式的大约18毫克铁的多种铁。”除此之外，瓦尔迪兹说您可能会感到恶心。

Folate (or folic acid)以帮助胎儿发育和预防先天缺陷而闻名。但是，如果您要长出指甲，抗击抑郁症或寻求打击炎症，则这种成分也很重要。

Pro-tip: You should aim to get around 400 mcg of folate, or 600 mcg if you’re pregnant. “When choosing a multi, look for methyl folate on the label. It’s a more active form which generally indicates a more wholeful product,” suggestsIsabel K Smith，，，，MS, RD, CDN. Valdez adds that when you take folate with food, 85 percent of it is absorbed, but when taken on an empty stomach, you’ll absorb 100 percent of it.

这B-Vitamin复合物is like a factory made up of eight diligent workers who band together to create and sustain our body’s energy supply by breaking down the micronutrients we consume (fats, proteins, carbs).

但是每个人也都有专业角色。勒曼说，具体vitamin B-12works to keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Vegan or vegetarians are prone to维生素B-12缺乏因为大多数food sources are animal-based like meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.

Pro-tip:这 recommended amount of B-12 is less than 3 mcg, so Lerman recommends looking for a vitamin with 1 to 2 mcg per serving because your body gets rid of any extra B-12 when you pee. B-12 also has many forms, so Smith recommends that you look for a multi that carries B-12 as methylcobalamin (or methyl-B12), which is easiest for our bodies to absorb.

“这可能很明显，但值得重复：关于维生素和矿物质，首先要从食物中获取。” Taub-Dix提醒我们。我们的身体旨在从我们吃的食物中获取营养，只要我们吃多样化且均衡的饮食，我们就会获得所需的所有营养。

Because at the end of the day, supplements should be considered bonus boosters, not replacements for food. And all the experts we spoke to agree: A double-decker with a morning multi just won’t cut it.

加布里埃尔·卡塞尔（Gabrielle Kassel）is arugby-playing, mud-running, protein-smoothie-blending, meal-prepping, CrossFitting,总部位于纽约的健康作家。她是成为一个早晨的人，尝试了整个30挑战赛，并以新闻业的名义食用，喝酒，用擦洗，擦洗和洗澡。In her free time, she can be found reading self-help books, bench-pressing, or practicing hygge. Follow her onInstagram。