Which vitamin is in your medicine cabinet

Options
2

Replies

  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    Options
    christinev297 wrote: »
    I see a lot of women take prenatal multi's. What's the difference between those and regular vitamins?

    This is a generalization, but usually they have higher levels of folic acid, calcium and iron which are important for growth and prevention of neural defects. With that said, you'll find multi vitamins with 100% of your daily iron in them, sooooo....
  • conqueringsquidlette
    conqueringsquidlette Posts: 383 Member
    Options
    I'm on a prenatal vitamin (because I'm actually TTC) and take a calcium supp too because I'm starting to get up in years enough to worry about it. Bonus: one of my meds can cause a B12 deficiency and calcium apparently keeps that from happening.

    christinev297: The prenatals have more folic acid to prevent neural tube defects, for sure. I'm not sure what else is different. Mine also has DHA which supports fetal brain and eye development.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Options
    Thanks guys. I've noticed prenatals are a lot more expensive here too.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    Options
    Flintstones
  • Jacqui_Runs
    Jacqui_Runs Posts: 68 Member
    Options
    Gummy vitamins for adults. I'm a kid at heart. And I don't swallow correctly, so swallowing pills is difficult for me.
  • GreenTeaPotato
    GreenTeaPotato Posts: 40 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    Multi-vitamins may be a waste of money at best, harmful at worst. New evidence going mainstream the past few years:

    Forbes: The Top Six Vitamins You Should Not Take
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2014/01/13/the-top-six-vitamins-you-shouldnt-take/

    Slate: Medical Journal Study Finds Multivitamins Are a Complete Waste of Money, Why Do We Keep Taking Them?
    http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/12/16/a_medical_journal_on_multivitamins_stop_wasting_your_money.html
  • Horrorfox
    Horrorfox Posts: 204 Member
    Options
    @GreenTeaPotato incorrect.
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 901 Member
    Options
    @GreenTeaPotato Annddd what do you say to people like me, who are severely anemic [yoooo, iron deficiency], and take vitamins per doctor recommendation so I don't pass out?
  • CheriAlpers
    CheriAlpers Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    I am actually a thriver. 3 steps in the morning and I am set foot the day. Premium high grade vitamins and feel amazing!

  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    Options
    GreenTeaPotato wrote: »
    Multi-vitamins may be a waste of money at best, harmful at worst. New evidence going mainstream the past few years:

    Forbes: The Top Six Vitamins You Should Not Take
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2014/01/13/the-top-six-vitamins-you-shouldnt-take/

    Slate: Medical Journal Study Finds Multivitamins Are a Complete Waste of Money, Why Do We Keep Taking Them?
    http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/12/16/a_medical_journal_on_multivitamins_stop_wasting_your_money.html

    I think they are vastly over utilized and utilized inappropriately. That doesn't mean someone with a single deficiency or multiple deficiencies won't benefit from supplementation, as above posters alluding to.
  • GreenTeaPotato
    GreenTeaPotato Posts: 40 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    GreenTeaPotato wrote: »
    Multi-vitamins may be a waste of money at best, harmful at worst. New evidence going mainstream the past few years:

    Forbes: The Top Six Vitamins You Should Not Take
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2014/01/13/the-top-six-vitamins-you-shouldnt-take/

    Slate: Medical Journal Study Finds Multivitamins Are a Complete Waste of Money, Why Do We Keep Taking Them?
    http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/12/16/a_medical_journal_on_multivitamins_stop_wasting_your_money.html
    kkenseth wrote: »
    I think they are vastly over utilized and utilized inappropriately. That doesn't mean someone with a single deficiency or multiple deficiencies won't benefit from supplementation, as above posters alluding to.
    Agree. But if we're not deficient in something, they're practically useless, especially the ones mentioned in the articles. You'd have to be starving or severely malnourished to lack something so prevalent in food as vitamin C, for instance. We should be getting those basic vitamins from food.

    Personally I take B-12 because I don't eat animal products (which contain bacteria that form it), so I don't get that "vitamin" from food. Would I spend money on a multi-vitamin? No.
  • Mizz_Mo
    Mizz_Mo Posts: 64 Member
    Options
    Rainbow Light Women's Organic Multivitamin and Rainbow Light Calcium Citrate Minitabs.
  • conqueringsquidlette
    conqueringsquidlette Posts: 383 Member
    Options
    Cobalamin (B-12) is not bacteria. It's only synthesized by bacteria and archaea, but it is not a bacterium itself.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    Horrorfox wrote: »
    I guarantee no one is getting all the vitamins that they should be getting daily, through just food. Eat what you normally eat, and then go get your blood work checked. I think you'd be surprised.

    No, no surprises. Had it done when we were investigating for a health problem in the past. Dr ordered it among other weird tests, although she said she almost never saw vitamin deficiencies in adults, and I was no exception. Perhaps it depends on what "normally" eating means for you?

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    Options
    This is an interesting report: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2009/north-america-asia-lead-vitamin-and-supplement-usage.html
    As someone in southern Europe myself, where vitamin consumtion is not that popular, I wonder if it means people are eating more balanced diets here, or if companies are more aggressively marketing these products in other countries.
  • GreenTeaPotato
    GreenTeaPotato Posts: 40 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    Horrorfox wrote: »
    I guarantee no one is getting all the vitamins that they should be getting daily, through just food. Eat what you normally eat, and then go get your blood work checked. I think you'd be surprised.
    aggelikik wrote: »
    No, no surprises. Had it done when we were investigating for a health problem in the past. Dr ordered it among other weird tests, although she said she almost never saw vitamin deficiencies in adults, and I was no exception. Perhaps it depends on what "normally" eating means for you?
    Same here. Results of my latest annual blood test last fall: No deficiencies. Not even in the "Sunshine Vitamin" (D), and I live in foggy San Francisco.

    MFP, being more calorie and weight loss oriented, is not the greatest at showing a broad view of nutrition. I occasionally use Cronometer too. I've been amazed at how easy it is to get more than enough daily required vitamins and minerals from a variety of foods.

  • conqueringsquidlette
    conqueringsquidlette Posts: 383 Member
    Options
    aggelikik wrote: »
    This is an interesting report: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2009/north-america-asia-lead-vitamin-and-supplement-usage.html
    As someone in southern Europe myself, where vitamin consumtion is not that popular, I wonder if it means people are eating more balanced diets here, or if companies are more aggressively marketing these products in other countries.

    I suspect the US and Asia are, in general, the woo capitols of the world.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited August 2015
    Options
    GreenTeaPotato wrote: »
    Multi-vitamins may be a waste of money at best, harmful at worst. New evidence going mainstream the past few years:

    Forbes: The Top Six Vitamins You Should Not Take
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2014/01/13/the-top-six-vitamins-you-shouldnt-take/

    Slate: Medical Journal Study Finds Multivitamins Are a Complete Waste of Money, Why Do We Keep Taking Them?
    http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/12/16/a_medical_journal_on_multivitamins_stop_wasting_your_money.html

    I think these views are over-generalized.

    People who diet at a lower calorie budget for long periods may unescapably be deficient in some vitamins and/or minerals. Even if a person is not deficient, that's not the only reason to take a vitamin. B complex is useful managing arthritis, Magnesium is a godsent for constipation, B12 is essential for vegans to avoid (rather than treat) a deficiency and even if the cause and effect of vitamin D levels flipped, wouldn't low levels be considered a deficiency regardless if they caused the disease or were caused by the disease? And wouldn't this deficiency need to be corrected?

    I'm currently not taking any vitamins, but I have a tendency towards iron deficiency so when my levels go lower than my doctor is comfortable with, I take iron and vitamin C. I don't have a vitamin C deficiency, but it greatly increases the absorption or iron.

    Takeaway: although gulping vitamins like candy for no reason can be a waste of money (can be debated), making a list of vitamins you should not supplement or making broad statements is not helpful either. In addition to that, MFP members are not a randomized section of the general population, so they have different needs eating at a deficit, recovering from eating disorders or performing more physical activity than the average person.

    With that said I don't take multivitamins because they're expensive although I know I should (being at a deficit for more than two years undeniably left me with some unfilled holes).
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Options
    aggelikik wrote: »
    This is an interesting report: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2009/north-america-asia-lead-vitamin-and-supplement-usage.html
    As someone in southern Europe myself, where vitamin consumtion is not that popular, I wonder if it means people are eating more balanced diets here, or if companies are more aggressively marketing these products in other countries.

    Yes re marketing.
    Also, the EU has stricter guidelines/regulations for vitamins and supplements than the U.S. does.
  • Mistraal1981
    Mistraal1981 Posts: 453 Member
    Options
    Berocca and fish oil.

Categories