Multivitamin Confusion

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MerBear1985
MerBear1985 Posts: 131
in Food and Nutrition
I have taken multivitamins for a few years now, just to round out my nutrition for days that I don't eat enough of what I need. Lately I have been looking into different forms and am just a little confused. I have heard that if you take a pill multivitamin your body doesn't absorb most of it. I have also heard they don't have enough of the vitamins etc. that you need in them.

This leads me to thinking...what form of vitamin is best (in your opinion)?

1. Pill (One a Day)
2. Gummy (Vitafusion MultiVites)
3. Powder (GNC Women's Ultra Mega Maximum Nutrition)

(I included some brand names just to make a comparison).

Also another option:

4. You would be wasting your money :p

Opinions please?

Replies

  • wazzanz
    wazzanz Posts: 78
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    4. Expensive Urine is one way I've heard them described. A balanced diet and you'll be fine. Unless a short term hit whilst pregnent or recovering from something.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I take the gummy vitamins. The pills are giant and nasty tasting so I forget to take them, but the gummies are delicious. I also take Vitamin D (recommended by my dr since I live in WA and we're lacking in sun)
  • MerBear1985
    MerBear1985 Posts: 131
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    bump
  • creature275
    creature275 Posts: 348 Member
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    4. Expensive Urine is one way I've heard them described. A balanced diet and you'll be fine. Unless a short term hit whilst pregnent or recovering from something.

    this ^ but only on the occassion that your diet is plan is well balanced, it took me about 8 hours on the USDA website to create a nutrition plan that was within all my specifications (and Ive been doing this stuff for a while) so if your eating is very well balanced you dont even need multi-vitamins!
  • madmish00
    madmish00 Posts: 35
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    It is true that only some of the contents of a multivitamin will be absorbed just as when you eat any food containing vitamins only some of it will be absorbed. For example lots of iron in spinach but due to the high oxalate content the absorption level is pretty low.

    You also should consider that many vitamins work in antagonistic pairs. For example taking too much zinc can lead to a deficiency in copper. Too much calcium can decrease levels of magnesium.

    The RDA values for most vitamins are very much on the low side. Provided you are eating a healthy balanced diet don't worry about vitamin levels on a day to day basis. It generally takes a bit of time to get into a 'deficiency' status.

    I would generally say take supplements only where you need them to assist the body- e.g if suffering from specific symptoms - vitamin C when suffering from a cold etc.

    I personally supplement fish oil capsules because I cannot stand fish and I know that my Omega 3 intake is therefore pretty low compared to my Omega 6. I do this to balance out a deficiency in my own eating.

    Multivitamins are helpful for some particular in times of greater stress on the body but they are less bio available and therefore quite expensive compared to the benefit obtained from them
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    4. Expensive Urine is one way I've heard them described. A balanced diet and you'll be fine. Unless a short term hit whilst pregnent or recovering from something.

    That is not particularly true. Studies have shown that our foods nutrients can vary depending on where they grow and may have less nutrients than you think. It is widely known that people don't get much folic acid in their diet and other B vitamins are low as well. Vitamin D is a major concern in the US and other parts of the world. A good multivitamin just helps you cover your bases.
  • MerBear1985
    MerBear1985 Posts: 131
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    Does it make a difference that I work shift work and my shift lengths are 12 hours and constantly change from days to nights? I know it stresses out my body and it also means I am eating at weird times and on nights not really eating full meals just healthy snacks.
  • creature275
    creature275 Posts: 348 Member
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    It is true that only some of the contents of a multivitamin will be absorbed just as when you eat any food containing vitamins only some of it will be absorbed. For example lots of iron in spinach but due to the high oxalate content the absorption level is pretty low.

    You also should consider that many vitamins work in antagonistic pairs. For example taking too much zinc can lead to a deficiency in copper. Too much calcium can decrease levels of magnesium.

    The RDA values for most vitamins are very much on the low side. Provided you are eating a healthy balanced diet don't worry about vitamin levels on a day to day basis. It generally takes a bit of time to get into a 'deficiency' status.

    I would generally say take supplements only where you need them to assist the body- e.g if suffering from specific symptoms - vitamin C when suffering from a cold etc.

    I personally supplement fish oil capsules because I cannot stand fish and I know that my Omega 3 intake is therefore pretty low compared to my Omega 6. I do this to balance out a deficiency in my own eating.

    Multivitamins are helpful for some particular in times of greater stress on the body but they are less bio available and therefore quite expensive compared to the benefit obtained from them

    very good I second this as well, if I didnt know any better id say she has taken some nutritional classes, few people are aware of how vitamins and minerals block each other, like how zinc and iron compete for the same blood transport proteins and therefore block each other...not good since they come from the same sources!! also Iron absorption maxes out around 25% without something that boosts its absorption rate, things like coffee and tea will block iron as well, most women heavily lack iron and likely could use to supplement this especially when pregnant. at any rate multi-vitamins are not really needed in a good solid diet, using a multi-vitamin to make up for a lack of healthy diet is NOT the way to go.
  • Kate_D_68
    Kate_D_68 Posts: 7 Member
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    I started taking a powder vitamin about a month ago. It's broken into two doses, one in the morning and one in the evening to counter the interactions that some of the vitamins and minerals can have. All I can say is that I feel better than I have in a long time, but I've also been exercising more and finally drinking enough water so I can't be sure that it's because of the vitamin.
  • Csitri
    Csitri Posts: 132 Member
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    bump, to read later
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    While I agree that many multivitamins can be useless, things like Vitamin D (as mentioned) are VERY difficult to get the necessary amounts for deficiency. For example, I need to take 2000 IUs because my thyroid medication leeches calcium from my bones (yay!). Would I be able to eat enough fish to get the proper amount? No/I don't think I could stand to eat THAT much that often. Granted, I have a specific medical purpose for taking a vitamin supplement... but just pointing out that the "vitamins are dumb!!!!111" comments aren't covering everything, either.
  • creature275
    creature275 Posts: 348 Member
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    While I agree that many multivitamins can be useless, things like Vitamin D (as mentioned) are VERY difficult to get the necessary amounts for deficiency. For example, I need to take 2000 IUs because my thyroid medication leeches calcium from my bones (yay!). Would I be able to eat enough fish to get the proper amount? No/I don't think I could stand to eat THAT much that often. Granted, I have a specific medical purpose for taking a vitamin supplement... but just pointing out that the "vitamins are dumb!!!!111" comments aren't covering everything, either.

    adequate sunlight will give you more than enough vitamin D. unless you live in a place like the PNW like I do. at any rate, yes you are right vitamin supplementation has a place in special circumstances but the main topic was multivitamins, the use of supplementing them all which people normally do to try and compensate for their lack of balanced meals

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