Multi-Vitamin

[srf99]

Hey Everybody!

I'd really like to start taking a good multi-vitamin but I'm not sure about which one to take. What are some things to consider when choosing a multi-vitamin? What do you take and why? I'm not a vegetarian but I do try to watch my meat intake. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[WanderingOak]

One thing that I have heard is that we really do not have much of an understanding of what a 'vitamin' really is. Also, in many cases, the 'vitamins' in a tablet are in many cases questionalble in effectiveness. This article explains the issue quite well in my opinion.

[joey m]

I just read through that article, and can't say I agree with much of what is said there (although some of the info is ok). I don't tend to agree with the philosophies of those in the Weston Price Foundation.

For a multivitamin, there are a few things you want to keep in mind:

(1) Try and get the vitamins from food sources whenever possible (if you buy a good supplement, which I think you should, it should have the vitamins from from food sources.

(2) Avoid any supplement that has preformed Vitamin A, isolated beta carotene, or iron (unless you are anemic). All of these are toxic or are unhealthy as has been shown in numerous studies published in the most respected medical journals.

(3) Should have at least 800 IU's of vitamin d.

(4) Should have ample amounts of all nutrients without megadoses of any one nutrient.

I can recommend some multivitamins if you wish, but I will tell you I think most of them out there are garbage!

Best,
Joey

[Trustme]

The industry wants to make us believe that we don't get enough vitamins with our food and we have to take these supplements or our teeth my fall out.

Maybe someone has a link to a site with daily requirements and what this equates to in terms of fruit/vegetables. I think it might be quite interesting.

[Andy]

I take centrum regularly, anyone have opinions on how good that one is?

[tropicality]

A good test to do is take a glass of water and add something to it (maybe vinegar... I have forgotten now, its been a while. Something to somewhat replicate our stomach environment) and add the vitamin and let it sit for a day. Some of them stay in the same form... which gives you an idea of how they come out.. undigested.

The ones that i tested are GNC and Shaklee, the GNC one stayed solid...ewww I actually used these for a month. But the Shaklee ones dissolved.

Another recommendation is to use one that says it is for male or female (use your respective one) because both sexes are not exactly the same, there are variations in our chemical makeup.

[Trustme]

Originally Posted by Andy

I take centrum regularly, anyone have opinions on how good that one is?

Good - my gf is in med school and they discussed supplements in general. I remember she told me that experts said if you feel you have to take one for whatever reason take this one.

As far as I remember there are different kind of production methodologies and you might end up paying for something your body can't even use and Centrum is at least something that's similar to natural vitamins.

Of course it still leaves the question whether one does get enough vitamins with regular food or not and so needs an additional source of vitamins.

[joey m]

The vinegar test is actually not a good test to determine a vitamins ability to break down. This is because certain vitamins, like Centrum for instance, are not designed to have the outer shell breakdown. In fact, the outershell basically stays intact even once it comes back out of you the other way. But the stuff inside (where the nutrients are) do get absorbed out.

That being said, centrum is really a bad vitamin supplement. It does not surprise me that medical schools might teach that this supplement is fine because unfortunately their curriculum is not designed to adequately teach nutrition or health. This is not meant to be a slight on medical schools, but more just a fact about their priorities (medical schools are intent on teaching people how to become doctors, not nutritionists). Also, many of the textbooks and curriculum for medical schools are created by and donated by the pharmaceutical companies. The creator of Centrum is Wyeth, so there is a bit of an undue influence here.

Centrum contains isolated beta carotene, and presumably preformed Vitamin A. These are both unhealthful ingredients according to the studies. It also contains iron which is also bad (again, unless you are anemic). According to the studies, the Vitamin D levels are too low in Centrum to impact serum levels positively. Neither the calcium nor selenium levels are sufficient either. Also, their nutrient sources are not from food, so this is not ideal.

One thing I will say positive about Centrum is at least they don't use megadoses (this is good). It is also cheap, but you get what you pay for, unfortunately.

Joey

[Trustme]

thanks for clarifying, I'd hate to give bad advice

[Jon]

In search for the best solution for myself, I spent countless hours researching this topic.

Basically, I would recommend you to stay away from synthetic / isolated / megadose vitamins. Find a whole-food based supplement. Everyone nowadays is claiming that their product is "natural" but all you have to do is look at the label for:

- vitamin C. Does it say "ascorbic acid"? It was synthesized in a lab and is not the whole thing your body needs. Interesting reading: ascorbic acid is not vitamin c

- vitamin E. dl-alpha-tocopherol or d-alpha-tocopherol? DL- was synthesized in a lab and it's not the same thing you find in food. Even if it is natural D-alpha, vitamin E is really a blend of 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols, consume anything less and you're missing out on a lot of benefits.

- vitamin D. D2 or D3? Plants produce D2 when irradiated with UV lights. Better than nothing, but humans evolved getting their D3 from the sun or cold-water fish.

- Beta-carotene. Carrots and other colorful veggies contain hundreds of carotenoids, which no vitamin pill can ever hope to provide.

I could go on and on about every single ingredient you find in most supplements, but the point is: nature still knows best. I've noticed many people place too much responsibility on their vitamin pills. What you really need to stay healthy is a balanced veggie-fruit-nuts rich diet, avoiding processed junk, healthy gut, positive emotions, a sense of purpose, sun, clean air, clean water and regular, enjoyable exercise

If you insist on taking supplements:
- Garden of Life Living' Multi is the best multi I've found so far.
- For omega-3, there's the excellent Cod Liver Oil by Carlson.
- Super green drink: Green Vibrance Green Vibrance Super Food
- Use Virgin Coconut oil for cooking. It's the healthiest and the tastiest.

Recommended reading:
Dr. Ben Kim
Weston A. Price Foundation

with a caveat: The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin and The Doctor Within

[mrkpinero]

Read the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements.

The scientist who created this book was the former Minister of Health for Canada and used individual studies of highly credible nutritional doctors, so I don't think his opinions would be biased. ^^

[joey m]

For whatever it's worth, the only multivitamin I will take is a superfood powder called VITAFORCE. It is a green food powder, and it is the only one that actually provides you with all your nutrients (from actual foods in their actual whole food form, rather than synthesized at all). From my extensive studies, I have not ever found anything else that is even close to the same health wise or quality wise.

Joey

[samjbrowne]

Definitely check out the comparative guide, it makes it pretty obvious that a vast majority of supplements on the market, here in New Zealand, in the USA and everywhere else, are highly inadequate. I own a copy of the guide, and Centrum, for example got a score of around 4.0 out of 100. Many of the most well-known brands have the poorest ratings, as their budgets are going towards marketing rather than R & D.

[salamat]

Hi srf99,


I myself take Isotonix MultiTech but fully appreciate the enthusiasm I have for Isotonix, it helps to have a thorough understanding of how and why Isotonix works the way it does....

All fluids in the human body have a certain concentration, which is called the osmotic pressure. The body’s common osmotic pressure – which is isotonic – allows a consistent maintenance of all body tissues. In order for a substance to be used in the body’s metabolism, it must be changed to the isotonic state.

The efficiency of absorption is also affected by the digestive system. All substances that are acted on in the stomach go through a degradation process (breakdown) before they can be passed through the opening from the stomach to the small intestine to allow absorption.
The digestive process can cause substances to lose some nutritive value and this whole process takes time!

The secret of the isotonic process is probably now becoming clear! When an isotonic substance enters the body, it will be absorbed into the bloodstream rapidly. With isotonic fluids, little nutritive value is lost making the absorption of nutrients highly efficient. There is nothing artificial about it. An isotonic fluid is nature’s own nutrient delivery system. What could be more natural?

Salamat

[KittyG]

I take a little-known vitamin called "Optivite."
It can not be purchased on a vitamin aisle and it's not prescription but it's potent so it's kept behind the counter, you have to ask the paharmicist for it.
It's a female vitamin, I didn't check your profile. .but that's my recommendation.
Good luck.

[uon]

as far as quality control & content testing .. I'd recommend NOW Foods. (google it)

[elainevdw]

I take a vegan multi for pregnant women (good for hair and skin!), vit C, vit E, and flax seed softgels.

With the exception of vit C and vit E, I avoid multivitamins that give you more than 100% of your daily needs of each vitamin -- you just pee it back out. You should also be aware of what vitamins can be toxic if you get too much. If you take a multi plus other vitamins, you don't want to accidentally overdo something.

You may also want to look into research on what vitamins need what for proper absorption. Fat-soluable vitamins have to be taken with food, for example. And some researchers have done numerous studies on not only what you eat with a vitamin, and what vitamins you take with other vitamins, but when you take them.

It can get complicated, but if you go for a multi that doesn't give you 1,000% of every single vitamin, is digestible, take it with food, and eat lots of fresh produce -- you'll be fine!

[Dimitry]

I take a product from a company called Isagenix. My mother did some extensive research on them and has reported back that herself and anyone else she recommended the product too have all loved it.

Here is the link to the particular product for a nutrional supplement: Isagenix™ Ionix Supreme Dietary Supplement

Though from what I hear their other products are good also.

[DQueens]

i would suggest not taking a vitamin at all. if you eat a diet that follows the food guide pyramid, eating the proper amounts of fruits and vegetables, dairy and grains then there should be no need for a suppliment. your body will not utilize extra vitamins and some vitamins are not beneficial in high amounts. it is really just extra work for you liver and kidneys to excrete them. also, you dont need to worry about getting every vitamin that is required every day as your body can store some vitamins for several days at a time.

if you still believe you should be taking suppliments try using fitday.com to record your dietary intake for a week. i believe that that database spits out all the vitamins and minerals you've ingested and tells you where you are lacking. if you are a vegetarian, you may need to take b vitamin suppliments, as those are only present in animals products.

also, keep in mind that most vitamins that come in suppliment form are not absorbed as well as the ones present in whole food. many require other vitamins or some fats to be absorbed properly.

all in all the best way to be healthy is to stick as close to nature as possible. eat a variety of whole foods, and stick to the food guide.

hope that helps.

[tc33]

Originally Posted by Andy

I take centrum regularly, anyone have opinions on how good that one is?

Go to Wal Mart and buy the huge store brand bottle ('Equate'?) of Centrum. Pick up the two bottles and compare the ingredients -- they are identical. With the money you save, you can take up smoking!

[srf99]

Thank you everyone for your helpful replies!

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Jon

If you insist on taking supplements:
- Garden of Life Living' Multi is the best multi I've found so far.
- For omega-3, there's the excellent Cod Liver Oil by Carlson.
- Super green drink: Green Vibrance Green Vibrance Super Food
- Use Virgin Coconut oil for cooking. It's the healthiest and the tastiest.

Jon, Green Vibrance looks interesting. I was actually thinking of ordering Tony Robbins' green drink. Have you had any experiences with Green Vibrance?

[joey m]

Alvin,

I have taken Green Vibrance, and I found it to be a good supplement for purposes of getting more greens. I have also taken just about every other superfood out there. All I can tell you, is that the one I am taking now is VITAFORCE, and you should probably at least check it out before deciding to take others. I started taking this one a few months ago, and am not going back to any of the other ones because this one is so much better.....

Check it out if you wish --http://www.organichealthandbeauty.com/VITAFORCE_p_140-81.html

There are numerous links on this page, but I think the most telling one is this chart where they compare the nutrient levels in VITAFORCE versus many of the other top selling green powders:

Nutritional Comparison Chart

Best,
Joey

[Alarin]

I've tried a few supplements / multi-vitamins over the years but the only one I've ever seen results from is Juice Plus which is basically all the vitamins and minerals of fresh vegetables compacted into tablet form (they have capsules, chewable tablets and gummies).

The results are really good - more energy, better overall health, and much better immunity, I used to get 3 colds a year before I started taking Juice Plus, now I'm lucky to get one and it lasts all of 2 days instead of a week.

[Jon]

Originally Posted by Alvin

Jon, Green Vibrance looks interesting. I was actually thinking of ordering Tony Robbins' green drink. Have you had any experiences with Green Vibrance?

Yes, it's what I use daily, even though I'm having it shipped to EU and paying arms and legs for shipping / customs duties / taxes. Taste is rather bad, but that's not what I'm looking for in a healthy supplement anyway.

I noticed better mood, better skin, better digestion and my immunity is uber strong (I never get sick) - but I have to 'blame' all these benefits on overall lifestyle improvements too. I used to be seasonally depressed in winters, starting as early as August, but I'm doing very well even now. Fish oil seems to be especially beneficial with that.

Vitaforce looks good too, I'll look into it.

[complete daily health]

Make sure there are no artificial coatings that are used to mask the taste of raw vitamins and minerals. Next check to see if there are secondary ingredients called excipients, these are artificial chemicals used in the manufacturing process. Why would we want to put these unhealthy products in our bodies? Also check to see if your multi has carotenoids, a very powerful antioxidant, which plays a crucial role in molecular signalling processes that protect cells against constantly occurring damage. You want optimal health and vitality, we do not want to fall short of complete nutritional support. This includes eating right, exercise regularly, drinking plenty of water, and filling in the gaps with supplements to keep our bodies running at its peak potential. Most multis out there fall short of what our bodies need to reach its peak vitality, with just a sprinkling of vitamins and minerals. So read up on testimonials, experience is the greatest tool out there for understanding how a multi will affect you, but also do your research. We need to know that our Multi will boost energy, protect your heart, keeps our mind and memory sharp, fight off aging to look and feel younger, combat stress and fatigue and that it will help our mood because HAPPY PEOPLE ARE FUN TO BE AROUND AND TEND TO LIVE LONGER!

[John Hill]

Hi srf99,

The Blackmores multivitamin from Australia is one of the best in the world. It is exported worldwide.

I don't know if you have considered it but taking antioxidants are just as helpful if not more than taking a multivitamin supplement.

You can get a thorough explanation of antioxidants and their benefits and other health and fitness information at Universe Of Success

Cheers,
John

[kpreston]

I take One a Day with EGCG and a Calcium supplement, because I'm Lactose Intolerant and thought the amount of calcium in One a Day wasn't sufficient.

[kpreston]

I started taking a Calcium supplement for the first time a few days ago, and I've noticed that I get a VERY strong urge to vomit shortly after taking it. Is this just my body trying to get used to it, or should I stop taking the vitamin?

Edit: I take it right after breakfast with a glass of water.

[impaul99]

Originally Posted by DQueens

i would suggest not taking a vitamin at all. if you eat a diet that follows the food guide pyramid, eating the proper amounts of fruits and vegetables, dairy and grains then there should be no need for a suppliment. your body will not utilize extra vitamins and some vitamins are not beneficial in high amounts. it is really just extra work for you liver and kidneys to excrete them. also, you dont need to worry about getting every vitamin that is required every day as your body can store some vitamins for several days at a time.

if you still believe you should be taking suppliments try using fitday.com to record your dietary intake for a week. i believe that that database spits out all the vitamins and minerals you've ingested and tells you where you are lacking. if you are a vegetarian, you may need to take b vitamin suppliments, as those are only present in animals products.

also, keep in mind that most vitamins that come in suppliment form are not absorbed as well as the ones present in whole food. many require other vitamins or some fats to be absorbed properly.

all in all the best way to be healthy is to stick as close to nature as possible. eat a variety of whole foods, and stick to the food guide.

hope that helps.

I'm currently studying to be a nutritionist. I haven't completed my course yet (about half way), so take my advice with a grain of salt, however from what I've learned, and you can verify this with your own nutritionist, the pyramid guide such as the one here (http://www.fldoe.org/nutrition/images/pyramid.gif ) is not very healthy. Most of it is influence by big corporations and not nutritionists. For example, just look at the picture, it shows a muffin at the bottom. Is that a chocolate chip muffin? It's hard to tell. Is that white bread? Also it doesn't go into food combining either.

Anyway, personally, I got fedup with listening to people telling me what's good and what isn't. Meaning, relatives, friends, the TV, newspapers, magazines, etc. All you hear is contradicting stories from these sources. I decided to take my own nutrition course instead and also to consult a nutritionist. You'll be amazed at the information they will tell be able to tell you which is in many cases the exact opposite of what you hear on TV and in the general public. I realize that not everyone will want to take a formal nutrition course just to figure out which vitamins to take, but I would recommend you go visit a nutritionist and get setup with a proper plan for yourself.

Your needs for vitamins will vary depending on your sex, age, activity level, medical conditions etc. There are some supplements which you might be allergic to or might worsen your condition if you have things like Croh's disease or diabetes or high blood pressure etc. From what I've learned so far though is that unless your current diet is VERY good, and you're eating a lot of organic vegetables and fruits, nuts etc., it's very difficult to get all the vitamins and minerals from foods nowadays. The older generation, like my parents, might tell you "just eat balanced and you'll be ok" but we don't live in the same times as the 1930's or 40's or 50's anymore when they were establishing their eating habits from their parents. Today we have to worry about things like bio-engineered foods, synthetically created supplements, tomatoe's the size of grapefruits, onions the size of watermelons (well, almost), pestisides, chemicals, sprays, etc.

Take the time to educate yourself and see a nutritionist. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel.

I have a multi-vitamin, but I'm not going to say which one because it is meant for my body type, size, weight, age, activity level etc. so it doesn't matter what I take, it only matters what is right for you.