Vitamin Measurements for Supplements

One of the most common issues people have with supplements is translating the different vitamin measurements. To help you better understand supplement labels and the abbreviations used on them, Vitarich Laboratories has listed the three most common vitamin measurements and what they mean.

The first and most common form of vitamin measurements is a milligram. This measurement is abbreviated as “mg.” A milligram is a thousandth of a gram. A milligram should not be confused with a microgram, which is abbreviated as “mcg” or “µg.” This vitamin measurement is a thousandth of a milligram, meaning it is a millionth of a gram. Obviously, confusing the two could cause huge issues and possibly dangerous health effects.

The last of the vitamin measurements is the International Unit, which is abbreviated as “IU.” This measurement was the criteria by which all supplements were measured until about 1980. Although it is no longer the standard, it is still used to measure certain ingredients, especially Vitamins A, D, and E. 1 IU can change from substance to substance; for example, 1 IU of insulin is 45.5 µg while 1 IU of Vitamin C is 50 µg. The amount of a substance that comprises 1 IU is agreed upon by a part of the World Health Organization known as the Committee on Biological Standardization.

At Vitarich Laboratories, we will not only help you decipher these vitamin measurements, but also advise you on the proper amounts of ingredients in a supplement. Call or e-mail us today for more information on our liquid supplement manufacturing, chewable supplement manufacturing and many other services.