Multivitamins. Which do you take and why?

Bound4Kona
Bound4Kona Posts: 53 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm on the search for a quality multi-vitamin and the market is saturated with different types and labels. How is anyone to choose?

If you take multi-vitamins as part of your daily diet, which one (brand) do you take and why did you choose that one?

Thoughts?

Replies

  • tegalicious
    tegalicious Posts: 629
    I take a children's multivitamin (store brand chewable similar to Flintstones Complete). It has 100% of a lot of vitamins and doesn't go overboard. I can't take regular multivitamins because they upset my stomach and I need the iron because I am female.
  • Pickachoo1
    Pickachoo1 Posts: 43 Member
    I actually take a children's multi-vitamin as well... Flinstones with extra C. I've tried the other adult multi-vitamins like, One A Day Women's Complete, Centrum and even the generic brands.. but they all seem to give me palpitations. No problems with Flinstones... not that they would be the choice for you :laugh:
  • jmcreynolds91
    jmcreynolds91 Posts: 777 Member
    I take One a day women's. It is simple and has everything I need.
  • Teksavvy
    Teksavvy Posts: 133 Member
    Centrum chewable. I haven't experienced the stomach irritation that I've experienced with other brands. I think the chewable types are more digestible (based on my family's results).
  • Bound4Kona
    Bound4Kona Posts: 53 Member
    @jmcreynolds: Killer transformation. KUDOS!
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I don't take one. Studies show they do nothing to improve your health, unless you live in an area where food is scarce. Though studies DO show that people who take them are healthier, but that's because people who take vitamins are also the people who pay more attention to their health overall and have disposable income.

    Like Freakonomics says, be the kind of person who takes a multivitamin, but save your money.
  • Pinkranger626
    Pinkranger626 Posts: 460 Member
    I take a Centrum for women multi every morning. I was having problems with extreme fatigue and after looking at my intake over a period of a few months I found out that I was having trouble getting enough iron. Yes I eat meat, and yes I eat leafy greens etc. So I made a conscious effort to eat more iron rich foods, it helped but I still wasn't reaching 100% of DV on a regular basis. I added in my multi that I made sure had iron in it and haven't had a problem since. I figure, heck if I have to spend $20 on a bottle of multivitamins every two months to not feel like that again it's worth it. I made this decision after researching a bit and found that a lot of runners, especially females have an issue with keeping up with iron consumption so I gave it a go.
  • RunningRichelle
    RunningRichelle Posts: 346 Member
    My favorite is Garden of Life Vitamin Code. Very bio-available, includes digestive enzymes and probiotics, too. I buy on Amazon for the best price.
  • babeontherun
    babeontherun Posts: 10
    Flintstones Complete because it was the first one I tried that I didn't have a bad reaction to. I tried Women's One A Day prenatals when I was pregnant and broke out in head to toe hives. Tried it twice to make sure it was the vitamins that were causing the problem.
    I also take a Viactiv Calcium Chew because I have trouble getting anywhere close to the recommended amount. A dietician told me once that the chews are easier for your body to absorb than the pills.
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
    I take a prenatal vitamin but have been taking it even before I started trying to have a baby. I take it because I doubt I usually get enough iron or Folic acid - both which are huge in these.

    I switched over to a brand that is certified by the USP who actually tests vitamins to see if they are what they actually claim to be. Keep in mind, the vitamin industry is not heavily regulated so I think it's worth it to check out the ones USP certified. It will label it on the bottle.

    I also take glucosamine. I just started a month or so ago and am not taking it daily (more of as I remember) but it does seem to help with my knees? Though it could just be that with less running and adding more variety I'm not beating them up as much...
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    None. They're often contaminated with impurities. And even if they aren't, most data suggests that they aren't beneficial. Do you eat a well balanced diet? If so, why do you need a mvi?
  • lauraleighsm
    lauraleighsm Posts: 167
    I take one from Rainbow Light without added sugar, and it's whole food based. I like all of their vitamins. I also take cordyceps for immune health, feverfew for headaches, vitamin c and a probiotic. Our food supply isn't as nutritionally dense as it once was. Better safe then sorry.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Some store brand women daily vitamin, when I don't forget to take it.
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    store brand prenatal. Need the folic acid.
  • eblakes93
    eblakes93 Posts: 372 Member
    I don't take one. Studies show they do nothing to improve your health, unless you live in an area where food is scarce. Though studies DO show that people who take them are healthier, but that's because people who take vitamins are also the people who pay more attention to their health overall and have disposable income.

    Like Freakonomics says, be the kind of person who takes a multivitamin, but save your money.

    This. I haven't seen anything to convince me that its worth the money.

    I do sometimes take zinc during a cold though, as there is some *very small and slight* evidence that it can help reduce cold length.
  • forthemoney
    forthemoney Posts: 24 Member
    I take a children's multivitamin (store brand chewable similar to Flintstones Complete). It has 100% of a lot of vitamins and doesn't go overboard. I can't take regular multivitamins because they upset my stomach and I need the iron because I am female.

    I thought I was the only one! I also take Flintstones Complete. Many adult vitamins have some ingredient -- I'm not sure which so I don't know what to avoid -- that makes me throw up. I can take the Flintstones Complete without any problems.
  • acrowder99
    acrowder99 Posts: 63 Member
    I like the Nature's Way Alive! vitamins. It's a whole food vitamin & the ingredient list seems much better than most of the multis. I am sure they aren't perfect but I have done a lot of looking into them and can't find much bad rep so that's what I stick with. I am far from a perfect eater so I need a little kick.
  • t8tersalad
    t8tersalad Posts: 85 Member
    I take the Flintstones Chewable Complete. Compare in the store when you go shopping for your vitamins, you will be surprised of everything it contains, and at 100% at that :) Plus, I like that its chewable, my brother saw a porta potty dumped once ( the owner was showing him) and it was full of vitamins floating around. lol So, atleast with chewable, you know your getting the vitamins and not just passing them.
  • rllewell
    rllewell Posts: 234
    None. They're often contaminated with impurities. And even if they aren't, most data suggests that they aren't beneficial. Do you eat a well balanced diet? If so, why do you need a mvi?

    Agree to a point and always ask why do you feel you need it? For me I try to get everything through whole foods and I fill in that gap by taking Juice Plus+ which is also a whole food, just more fruits, vegetables, and berries.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    None. They're often contaminated with impurities. And even if they aren't, most data suggests that they aren't beneficial. Do you eat a well balanced diet? If so, why do you need a mvi?

    Well, I don't eat a well-balanced diet and that isn't likely to change. I don't like (or even feel 'meh' about) enough different types of veggies and fruit. That whole 'eat the rainbow' thing? Not happening. Not interested in changing that right now, either.

    So, I take a gummy adult vitamin - gummy because swallowing a pill for a couple of days gets my gag reflex going, and then that's the end of that. And I hate the chewable tablets. They get stuck in my teeth.

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