Vitamin Supplements

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I am wondering about multi-vitamins. There are too many out there and when you read the reviews they all have the same plus and minus remarks. Does anyone have a favorite multi-vitamin or know where I should look for assistance?
Thank you

Replies

  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
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    Unless you have been diagnosed with a specific deficiency, supplementation is a waste of money.

    There is no evidence to support routine supplementation. There is also reason to avoid taking megadoses of vitamins, as this can cause toxicity, and even short of toxicity the evidence becomes more compelling at higher doses of the risks of supplementation.

    https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/vitamins-and-mortality/
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    OP it is paying for expensive urine. A balance diet is way better than supplements.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Go to your doctor to have blood work done. Unless you are deficient in a specific vitamin, diagnosed via blood tests, there is really no reason to take vitamin supplements. On top of that, taking supplements when not needed can actually be dangerous. Vitamin toxicity, while rare, can be fatal.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    do you have a reason to suspect you have a deficiency? If yes, time to visit a dr. If not, you do not need vitamins.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    Unless you have been diagnosed with a specific deficiency, supplementation is a waste of money.

    There is no evidence to support routine supplementation. There is also reason to avoid taking megadoses of vitamins, as this can cause toxicity, and even short of toxicity the evidence becomes more compelling at higher doses of the risks of supplementation.

    https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/vitamins-and-mortality/

    I agree with this. Unless you have a deficiency, there isn't really a need for a supplement. If you do have a deficiency, or just decide you want a multivitamin, I would recommend finding one that is audited by the USP. Many vitamins say that contain X amount of a vitamin when in fact they do not.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
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    To use for convenience, on the days where your diet is not perfect, Controlled Labs Orange Triad or Source Naturals Life Source would be my recommendations. They have properly sourced vitamins and minerals with good amounts. The former is also much more than a multivitamin with the added joint and digestive support.
  • pgm012197
    pgm012197 Posts: 12 Member
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    I have blood work scheduled for Sept.. I will wait till then and see what is needed. Thank you for your help
  • Pinnacle_IAO
    Pinnacle_IAO Posts: 608 Member
    edited August 2015
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    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    OP it is paying for expensive urine. A balance diet is way better than supplements.
    Very True!
    I ceased supplements years ago. That's a huge scam - wow!
    FREE INVESTMENT SUGGESTION
    The supplement industry never has iron poor blood. Niche markets within the larger vitamin and supplement industry are on fire, with some reaching double-digit growth.

    Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.. :)
    They sure know how to juice the herd.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    Few people eat perfectly all the time, plus there's no consensus on what constitutes a "healthy" diet.. plus a reduced-calorie diet can reduce nutrient intake.. so there's little harm in taking a non-megadose multivitamin as insurance (unless you have a medical need to restrict vitamin usage). Besides, vitamin D deficiency is quite common:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21310306

    OP, if you take one, realize it's an unregulated industry, so choose one that's verified by USP:
    http://www.usp.org/usp-verification-services/usp-verified-dietary-supplements/verified-supplements

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    pgm012197 wrote: »
    I have blood work scheduled for Sept.. I will wait till then and see what is needed. Thank you for your help

    Despite being anemic for decades, I always have to request the iron level test. Despite never having an issue with my cholesterol, this is ordered automatically. I recommend you discuss with your doctor what's going to be tested.

    According to the CDC, Of all the nutrients listed, the most people had vitamin B6, iron, and vitamin D deficiencies, and the fewest people had vitamin A, vitamin E, and folate deficiencies.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I take a Centrum. There is no way I can hit all my micros every day, so the Centrum helps. Maybe one day, I'll get there. It won't be soon, lol. I also take a variety of other supplements because I have a body that just doesn't always want to cooperate and likes to be deficient.

    If I could, I'd stop taking most of the supplements. It's a pain in the patootie.