Selecting a high quality vitamin isn’t always easy. With so many companies claiming they have the “best” product choosing the right supplement can seem impossible. How do you know which one to choose? How can you be sure it is natural?

Using these 5 simple tips can help you choose a high quality vitamin.

1. Can you pronounce and identify most of the ingredients

In a quality vitamin you should be able to recognize and pronounce most of the ingredients on the label. In a high quality vitamin you will see ingredients such as: liver, nutritional yeast, soybean lecithin, magnesium lactate, calcium lactate.

Some manufacturers even put the source next to the ingredient, which can be very helpful in selecting a high quality supplement.

2. Look for whole food ingredients

Whole food ingredients are best because they contain all the known and unknown nutrients and minerals found in food. Contrary to what we are lead to believe, a small amount of a whole food vitamin is more beneficial than mega doses of synthetic, chemical vitamin. Look for whole foods in the ingredient list: various fruits and vegetables such as beet-root, carrot, broccoli; animal sourced ingredients such as liver, spleen, pancreas, fish oil and other whole food ingredients such as nutritional yeast, rice bran, wheat germ oil and herbs.

3. Avoid artificial colors/flavorings

Artificial colors and flavors are cheap but have no nutritional value, and reduce health when consumed. When you are reading the label look for artificial dyes such as Red Dye #3, Yellow Dye #5, etc. As well look for “artificial flavoring” listed in the ingredient label.

4. Avoid low quality fillers 

One of the biggest differences between vitamin companies is the ingredient used for stabilizers or fillers. Corn or wheat fillers are very popular because they are cheap. However, corn and wheat filler offers little to no nutritional value and can cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Higher quality supplements use antioxidant rich fillers from vegetable sources to prevent oxidation and breakdown of the vitamins.

5. Look for cold/low temperature processed vitamins

Cold or low temperature processing ensures vitamins/oils maintain their active enzymatic properties. Heat processing is less expensive but causes enzymes to become inactive and useless. Many manufactures will list “cold processed” on the label, if it is not, call the customer service number and ask.

There are numerous supplements available on the market today. Choosing a high quality supplement can be difficult. Remember these 5 simple tips and you will be well on our way to making a good choice.