The Myth of the One-a-Day Multiple;

Or, is any multiple vitamin mineral supplement worth taking?

Recent headlines called into question once again the value of taking nutritional supplements, particularly the multiple vitamin and mineral combination (MVM) form. In a nutshell, the rational response to the review paper that made headlines is this: because the specific vitamin and mineral content content and quality of the random, self-selected and self-reported supplements taken by the subjects studied were not evaluated, not controlled for uniformity or potency, the study conclusions are minimally useful.  I recommend good quality powdered, MVM taken at least twice daily, for most people.

“Good quality” is probably best understood as subjective.  There is as yet no universally agreed upon set of standards manufacturers must hold to in order to offer products to the public.  Here’s a list of elements that I’d consider important to a definition of good quality MVM:

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