It’s time to re-stock the multi-vitamin shelf! There’s a report I’ve been using for a few years now — I subscribe for 30 days and get my $10 report; I re-subscribe every year. To me it’s worth the $10 to know which vitamins are best for my family, and which ones are just money down the drain, or worse, could be dangerous for us because of overdosing or contamination. If you’d like to subscribe, it’s ConsumerLab.com.

The last update was 1/19/07, and I’m summarizing the current info here on multivitamins for ourselves, and maybe for some of you who need it. They evaluate individual vitamins and supplements as well.

These are the approved vitamins:

Multi-Vitamins:

Floradix ® Epresat ® Multivitamin, Liquid Extract Formula at eVitamins
Kirkland Signature from Costco
Nutrilite Daily
Nutrilite Double X
Pharmanex ® LifePak ® Dietary Supplement, New! Anti-Aging Formula
Vitamin World ® Time Release Mega Vita-Min Long Acting Formula
Puritan’s Pride Time Release Complete One
Puritan’s Pride Time Release Mega-Vitamin

For Men:
Vitamin World ® High Potency Time Release Ultra Vita Man
Nature’s Bounty ® High Potency Time Release, Ultra Man
Puritan’s Pride ® High Potency Time Release Ultra Vita Man

For Women:
One A Day ® Women’s Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplement
Vitamin World ® Time Release Mega Vita Min For Women
Puritan’s Pride ® Time Release Mega Vita Min For Women

For Kids:
Dr. Fuhrman Pixie-Vites Children’s Multi-Vitamin Wild Berry Blast
Flintstones Complete, Children’s Multivitamin/
Multimineral Supplement
Puritan’s Pride Children’s Multi Gummies
Vitamin World ® Children’s Multi Gummies

And for Mommy and Papa:
Centrum ® Silver ® Specially Formulated Multivitamin/
Multimineral Supplement for Adults 50+
Member’s Mark ® Complete Multi
One Source Complete ® 50 Plus Advanced Multivitamin and Mineral for Adults 50+, Improved Formula – this is the only one I can’t find information on
Puritan’s Pride ® ABC Plus ® Senior, Multi-Vitamin Multi-Mineral Formula, with Lutein and Lycopene, Iron Free Formula
Vitamin World ® ABC Plus ® Senior, Multi-Vitamin Multi-Mineral Formula, with Lutein and Lycopene, Iron Free Formula

Before Consumer Lab, I’d purchase whatever’s on sale at the natural foods store or through the co-op, usually pick an organic label and trust that the manufacturer knows what they’re doing. Lately it’s been more difficult to do that unless you’ve got a trusted authority like a knowledgeable doctor who keeps up on things and brands, etc. Ours combines traditional medicine with other treatments like acupuncture, nutritional therapy, massage, etc. Her trusted vitamin/supplements provider recommends Dr. Udo for probiotics. Another friend who’s had long-time experience with nutritional healing recommends Primadophilus.

One disadvantage about Consumer Lab is that they don’t (or haven’t yet) test the brands usually available at the co-op, so if I go by what CL recommends they’re not the organic/non-GMO kind.

Also, I’m being cautious these days about choosing a multivitamin that’s iron-free. I haven’t completed my research but what I’ve read so far tells me that the latest studies recommend an iron-free supplement because of links to heart disease and cancer increase. If you know more about this, I’d appreciate you sharing! Thanks.