Vitamins Generic Versus Brand Names

Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

Do all brand vitamins have the same quality in their vitamins? If not, what brand names would you recommend to take to get all the nutrients from the vitamins?

Signed,

Curious

Dear Curious,

When buying vitamins, look for the USP verified mark on the container which indicates that the U.S. Pharmacopeia has verified the "identity, strength, purity, and quality of dietary supplement finished products" (U.S. Pharmacopeia at www.usp.org/USPVerified).

Often the store's own brand name vitamins are similar in quality to brand names. For example, Costco Kirkland multivitamins are less expensive than major brand names such as Centrum or One A Day and follow the same USP guidelines and standards (www.costco.com).

Just be sure to take the vitamins as instructed, normally one tablet per day with meal.