Vitamins

Options
jr825
jr825 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What would be the best brand of vitamins to buy ???
«1345

Replies

  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    Options
    Depends purely upon your specific nutritional needs. I personally just plan on going back to Centrum tablets until I start lifting again. Once I do that, I'll probably switch back to Animal Pak.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Options
    I buy the brand that's on sale and near expiry at my pharmacy. If you are in the US, look for the USP logo.

    http://www.usp.org/usp-verification-services/usp-verified-dietary-supplements
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
    Options
    I take D because I'm deficient, any high quality brand will suffice.

    I take a multi because they are cheap enough, so why not.

    I take anything else I get for free from work because I like free stuff. As long as it's water soluble, I don't worry.

    Would I take anything more than D and a multi if I had to pay for it? No... just a waste of money if my body doesn't need it.
  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
    Options
    I started out with Centrum Silver. When they ran out I changed to the Equate One-A-Days. I found that I felt better with Equate (generic Walmart brand) and haven't been sick once since taking them. Since supplements aren't regulated, it's hard to tell which ones are really effective. Simply choose one that's made for men in your age bracket.
  • liveagain
    liveagain Posts: 97 Member
    edited June 2016
    Options
    I'm no expert, but have been working with supplements for 3 years. I prefer Nature's Way Alive. They're whole food based with extra blends to help support your specific needs and it's very cost effective. You can take a one-a-day or multiple. The more active you are the higher the dose of each nutrient you'll need. If you're an athlete or have a specific goal in mind aside from weight loss, there are many options, such as Animal Pak, that can help you acheive your goals.

    Please just don't take Centrum. It's not worth the bottle it comes in.
  • liveagain
    liveagain Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    [quote="CaptainJoy;36936078"Since supplements aren't regulated, it's hard to tell which ones are really effective. Simply choose one that's made for men in your age bracket.[/quote]

    Supplements are regulated by the FDA. They are just not allowed to make claims regarding treatment of specific illnesses. I wouldn't recommend picking just any vitamin. Last year there were several companies who got in trouble by the FDA for not meeting purity and/or potency standards.
  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
    Options
    Excuse me for saying they are not regulated. I meant to say that the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring they contain what the label claims, not the FDA. The manufacturer is looking at the profit margin and can easily mislead or deceive the consumer, in my opinion.
  • MrSimmers
    MrSimmers Posts: 32 Member
    Options
    Centrum is pretty much useless, the active ingredients are far below RDI. In saying that, there is counter-evidence to show that supplements are in fact useful, particularly multivitamins. In fact they can be necessary for some people. Be careful of two opposing industries sponsoring research and propaganda in their power games against each other ;-)
  • Domilg23
    Domilg23 Posts: 44 Member
    Options
    Yes - I used Centrum as well
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Options
    -I take a prescription vitamin D megadose once per week. I'm always deficient in this.
    -I take the equate one-a-day for women. Some calcium, iron and the Bs are the main reason. I flip around as deficient in these from year to year, so I supplement now to prevent that. If I stay on keto, we'll see if I continue to need these.
    -I take a cal/mag/zinc and extra salt and potassium because I'm still new to keto.

    Lots of supplements right now! My body doesn't like being in a deficit, and goes haywire whenever I am. So to prevent my doctor from pulling her hair out, I work with her on where my deficiencies are on average.
  • MrSimmers
    MrSimmers Posts: 32 Member
    edited July 2016
    Options
    Vitamin B and D are definitely the key ones. Most people are deficient in vit D, and some 20% of the population is deficient in the natural form of Vit B-12 (methylcobalamine) which leads to depression, anxiety and insomnia. Funnily enough these people are also put on SSRI's, zolpidem and other medications when B-12 deficiency is the cause. PM me if you want me to get into it more.

    I recommend a good brand like Life Extension for B12 and VitD. Whatever brand you choose, make sure the B12 is in the natural form (methylcobalmine) and NOT the synthetic, artificial mass-produced form of cyanocobalamin. The artificial version is not properly absorbed by the body and, additionally, is taxing on the liver. Quite simply the body doesn't know what to do with it since it doesn't exist naturally.
  • TheDevastator
    TheDevastator Posts: 1,626 Member
    Options
    Multivitamins usually don't contain a high enough dose to show a difference. When I want a minimum of vitamins I take Rainbow Light One a day Men's. For the vitamins separately: Vitamin A should be acquired by food(eggs,butter,liver) or beta carotene(spinach,lettuce,kale,sweet potatoes,carrots,etc). The B vitamins are usually low in most people and they should take a B-100 complex or the vitamins separately like I do. Vitamin C can be acquired by food easy if you eat fresh fruit but can be supplemented too. Most people are deficient in D since they don't get enough sun and should be supplemented. Most people are also low on vitamin E and should take mixed tocopherols. It's also good to supplement Vitamin K especially K2 since that is not in a lot of foods(natto,certain cheeses,eggs especially Pasture Raised.)
    Don't forget minerals:
    Most people are deficient in Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Iodine and Chromium.
  • TheDevastator
    TheDevastator Posts: 1,626 Member
    Options
    MrSimmers wrote: »
    Vitamin B and D are definitely the key ones. Most people are deficient in vit D, and some 20% of the population is deficient in the natural form of Vit B-12 (methylcobalamine) which leads to depression, anxiety and insomnia. Funnily enough these people are also put on SSRI's, zolpidem and other medications when B-12 deficiency is the cause. PM me if you want me to get into it more.

    I recommend a good brand like Life Extension for B12 and VitD. Whatever brand you choose, make sure the B12 is in the natural form (methylcobalmine) and NOT the synthetic, artificial mass-produced form of cyanocobalamin. The artificial version is not properly absorbed by the body and, additionally, is taxing on the liver. Quite simply the body doesn't know what to do with it since it doesn't exist naturally.

    I eat sardines almost every day since they are so high in B-12, omega 3 and protein.
  • TheDevastator
    TheDevastator Posts: 1,626 Member
    Options
    FunkyTobias wrote: »
    Unless you have a specific deficiency, the answer is none

    http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/more-evidence-that-routine-multivitamin-use-should-be-avoided/

    Science based medicine is a joke. Skeptics don't know what they are talking about.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    Options
    TheDevastator wrote: »
    FunkyTobias wrote: »
    Unless you have a specific deficiency, the answer is none

    http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/more-evidence-that-routine-multivitamin-use-should-be-avoided/

    Science based medicine is a joke. Skeptics don't know what they are talking about.

    Please elaborate why you believe this. What actual critiques you have about their methodology, apart from the fact that many of their conclusions conflict with your beliefs?

  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    Options
    TheDevastator wrote: »
    FunkyTobias wrote: »
    Unless you have a specific deficiency, the answer is none

    http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/more-evidence-that-routine-multivitamin-use-should-be-avoided/

    Science based medicine is a joke. Skeptics don't know what they are talking about.


    Science bad........
  • MrSimmers
    MrSimmers Posts: 32 Member
    Options
    FunkyTobias wrote: »
    Please elaborate why you believe this. What actual critiques you have about their methodology, apart from the fact that many of their conclusions conflict with your beliefs?
    I'll chime in here, since I agree with TheDevastator. These are my beliefs though.

    If you look into the primary influence behind "Science Based medicines" war on supplement brands, it's pharmaceutical companies. Follow the money trail behind any major clinical review or meta analysis targeted against supplement products and you'll find it is, in some way, sponsored by a university board with ties to pharmaceutical companies, or is conducted by some organization sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.

    The great irony is that these studies are critical of supplement brands and yet they themselves fall into a heavy bias by promoting prescription drugs instead, which, you guessed it - funded the research indirectly.

    In fact an impartial review study found that the conflict of interest and bias is LOWER in published peer-reviewed papers that tout the benefits of supplements than those studies touting the benefit of prescription drugs. Be wary of who's really behind the "science based medicine" that critiques supplements.

Categories