Freetrainers.com brings you another tip of the week. This time we'll face the issue of selecting vitamins and mineral supplements.  Should you choose to take a multivitamin, comprised below are guidelines that can help you weed through the many name brands, types and prices. Remember to think "food first". A supplement will not compensate for an unhealthy, unbalanced diet.  · Choose a supplement with the vitamins and minerals close to 100% of the Daily Values (DV). Don't expect to find 100% of the DV for calcium and magnesium listed on a label, because these minerals are too bulky to include into one pill.  · Don't purchase supplements that contain excessive doses of vitamins and mineral, especially minerals. High doses of one mineral can offset the benefits of another. For example, too much zinc can interfere with the absorption of copper.  · Choose a supplement with beta carotene, not vitamin A. Beta carotene is the precursor to vitamin A and acts as an antioxidant.  · Buy a supplement before its expiration date and store it in a cool, dry place.  · Ignore claims about "natural" vitamins. These usually tend to be a mixture of natural and synthetic vitamins and offer no benefits. The one exception is vitamin E, which is more potent in its natural form.  · Chelated supplements offer no advantages, nor do those made without sugar or starch.  · Just because the price tag is high does not mean the supplement is better. A well-known brand name costs more than generic but often times has the same amounts of vitamins and minerals in it. Be careful choosing!  · Take a vitamin with a label that states it has passed the 45-minute dissolution test. A supplement is of little value unless it can be absorbed by the body.  · Lastly, to optimize absorption, take a supplement with or after a meal. TriSite.com