How do you choose a multivitamin that fits you?

Multivitamins are hard to compare, because each tablet holds dozens of nutrients and no two formulations are alike.

Where do you start?

With your own diet, not with the label.

A multivitamin exists to fill gaps. The formulation that suits someone who eats few vegetables is not the one that suits someone who eats no meat, or someone training hard.

How do you read the nutrient table?

Look at three things.

First, what is in it and what is not. Many formulations leave out iron. Some leave out calcium, because it takes up a lot of room in a tablet.

Second, the amount against the reference intake. Labels usually show a percentage against the Thai Recommended Daily Intakes, which is easier to read than the raw figures.

Third, tablets per serving. Some formulations need two or three tablets to deliver the table, which changes both the daily cost and the convenience.

Is a higher percentage better?

Not always. Some nutrients have tolerable upper intake levels, particularly the fat-soluble vitamins and certain minerals.

If you take other supplements as well, add up across all of them rather than reading one product at a time.

Are formulations split by sex or age group necessary?

Some requirements genuinely differ by sex and life stage, iron and calcium among them, so the split has a basis. What to judge is the actual nutrient table, not the wording on the front of the box.

When should it be taken?

The fat-soluble vitamins — A, D, E and K — are absorbed better with a meal containing some fat, so taking it with food is a sensible default.

What should you check before buying?

The อย. food serial number, allergen information, expiry date, and servings per pack against cost per day.

If you take prescription medication, speak to a doctor or pharmacist first, as some nutrients interact with medicines.

Dietary supplements are not intended to prevent, treat or cure any disease.