Comments on: A Better Vitamin?

Question: A Better Vitamin?

jed — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 17:56:37 -0800

VitaminFilter: I am a reasonably healthy male in my twenties, and I take a regular old Centrum multivitamin every day. My current huge container is almost empty, and before I buy another one, I'm wondering if there's something better. Is there really any difference between the various brands of multivitamins? Is there a brand better suited for someone my age? I have access to Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joes, etc., if that helps.

By: aramaic

aramaic — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:06:35 -0800

Um, this is going to come across as being snide, which is unfortunate because I do genuinely mean this to be helpful: have you considered a balanced diet? Multivitamins aren't really necessary in most cases -- which makes for some pretty expensive urine.

By: stonerose

stonerose — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:34:56 -0800

Every doctor I've had has suggested a multivitamin. It's loading up on specific vitamins that is a waste of $.

I would go for a reputable store brand, rather than a brand name like Centrum.

By: pedantic

pedantic — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:41:13 -0800

If you follow a healthy diet, they're not necessary. You don't need a designer name-brand all-natural vitamin. A standard store-brand is fine, especially if meets the standards of the United States Pharmacopeia.

There isn't any agreement on their health effects, but taking a multivitamin (has minimal doses of many) is cheap insurance ($10 for 250 vitamins = 4 cents a day).

Think of it as insurance, not a substitute.

Research courtesy of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy by Walter C. Willett, M.D. Great read, by the way. He's a proponent of evolving nutrition research. In particular: the benefits of unsaturated fats, overmarketing calcium, the importance of what you drink and good sources of protein (high in unsaturated fats, low in saturated).

By: gramcracker

gramcracker — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:45:46 -0800

Sometimes I know I'm not getting a balanced diet, especially in iron, as I don't eat beef, and I don't eat enough leafy greens or other plant sources of iron. I know, I know. But all the multivitamins generally have the same ingredients; go for a name brand, if only because supplements aren't regulated by the FDA.

By: pedantic

pedantic — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:46:05 -0800

Postscript: One can of Mountain Dew a day is 30 cent pee.

I'd say that makes more expensive urine. ;)

By: docpops

docpops — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:52:26 -0800

I have long been a skeptic of the overmarketing of vitamins, but more and more would agree that a MVT is just common sense. And an inexpensive store brand at that, to echo an earlier post, since most vitamins are produced at one of only a few factories. Most of what is in them may be redundant, but things like folate, vitamin D (especially in climates with longer winters or low sunlight) and B6 are all reasons to take one periodically, if not daily.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:53:05 -0800

Take them with food. Just because 100% of a given nutrient is in the pill doesn't mean you will absorb it efficiently. Taking your vitamin with food increases that efficiency. And bear in mind that the USDA recommended percentages are a really vague average. They may be excessive or insufficient depending on your size, physiology, diet, environment, condition, etc. And even if 100% really is what you need, the pill probably needs to have a little more than that to account for absorption. It's doubtful you'll ever absorb absolutely all of what's in the pill, so it's kind of misleading when they say it has 100% of what you need.

Most doctors will recommend a multivitamin because most people's diets are shit. But it is honestly better to take a look at your diet, learn which foods are rich in what vitamins, and eat a healthy, balanced meal. A multivitamin will help fill in the gaps. You can't ever get enough bannanas, broccoli, garlic, blueberries, and greens. You can live to 110 on stir frys and smoothies.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 18:55:20 -0800

Incidentally, Bukowski said "take vitamins but don't lift weights" and, despite a horrendous liftstyle, lived to a ripe old age.

By: seawallrunner

seawallrunner — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:13:53 -0800

I'm also a consumer of supermarket vitamins, my container of Centrum finished, I purchased a container of Jamieson. I bought this current batch at a natural foods store. There wasn't much of a price difference between the Centrum and the Jamieson and the quantities of each mineral and vitamin are about the same.

I wonder whether anyone here has experience with the vitamins that are marketed by Usana. A friend was trying to get me to buy them, use them and resell them (yes, they are a MLM). The uninteresting MLM angle aside - are Usana vitamins really that much better than the 'commodity' vitamins one finds at the supermarket or pharmacy? The price of the Usana vitamins is MUCH higher

By: docpops

docpops — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:17:40 -0800

If someone tries to involve you in a MLM scheme I'm pretty sure it's a federal statute that you must kill them on sight.

By: invisible ink

invisible ink — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:30:58 -0800

Center for Science in the Public Interest : How to Pick a Multivitamin (.pdf file)

By: stray

stray — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:13:20 -0800

What about Children's vitamins...except, eaten by an adult?

....I like the pretty colours...

By: jed

jed — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:26:36 -0800

Thanks for the CSPI link, invisible — looks like I'll be getting a nice CVS generic. As for the diet comments, I realize that a healthy diet is the best source of nutrients. That said, I do eat a healthy diet, and my doctor recommended taking a vitamin at my last physical.

By: seawallrunner

seawallrunner — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:28:51 -0800

docpops - I wouldn't want to /work/ for them as a reseller or distributor, just askin' about the quality of the product. the price per bottle is outrageous even after factoring in distribution 'costs'.

stray- do the math on the side of the label, eat away! might take a number of colorful capsules to even reach your daily recommended minimum. kids' vitamins are adjusted for the needs of young growing bodies

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 21:25:55 -0800

buy them, use them and resell them

No one is going to want your used vitamins, swr.

By: kamikazegopher

kamikazegopher — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 21:41:01 -0800

I get the Trader Joe's childrens gummy bear vitamins. I figure that my diet is healthy enough to only supplement a little. I hate swallowing pills, and the gummy bears are good.

By: skallas

skallas — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 22:40:59 -0800

>How to Pick a Multivitamin (.pdf file)

While that article is full of excellent advice, I think dismissing ginseng out of hand like they do is a bit premature. Its makes me almost crazy in large doses and is a stimulant, to me and others I know who use it, on par with caffeine. Two 200mg panax ginseng pills feel like a shot of espresso and will easily add a bit of time to my cardio workouts.

Of course the larger issue is how these studies were performed, but I find it hard to believe its the placebo effect at work here.

By: shoos

shoos — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 02:13:45 -0800

One-a-Day (brand) multivitamin isn't coated very well, so you have to wash it down quickly with a lot of liquid or it'll get sticky and leave a bad taste in your mouth.

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 04:21:16 -0800

gramcracker, you're probably aware of this, but men shouldn't take supplements with iron unless directed to by a doctor.

By: orange swan

orange swan — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 05:05:37 -0800

I use the Exact brand you can get at Zellers. I figure, hey, the Exact ibuprofen works just as well as Advil.

I have to take it with food though - otherwise it comes right back up.

By: wackybrit

wackybrit — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 06:51:34 -0800

There's a big difference between a healthy diet and a full balanced diet. I primarily eat vegetables, pasta, and rice. For all purposes, this is very healthy, though it lacks certain nutrients, which is why a multivitamin works for me.

I consider certain foods with these 'missing' nutrients to be too expensive or distasteful. For example, I can't afford lots of fruit or organic juices.. and the cheap juices are 99% water and sugar with some fruit flavor thrown in.

Taking multivitamins can be a very good idea if your diet is healthy, but not full.

By: mkultra

mkultra — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 07:28:32 -0800

I primarily eat vegetables, pasta, and rice.

Not to derail, but a diet heavy in pasta is not healthy. All those empty carbohydrates aren't good for you.

By: electroboy

electroboy — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 08:03:04 -0800

I prefer the ones designed "for men". They typically leave out iron, which you really don't need and can actually be harmful if you get too much.

By: ObscureReferenceMan

ObscureReferenceMan — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 09:53:37 -0800

I get the supermarket brand comparable to Centrum - same dosage, half the price. Expensive pee? See what pedantic said. Better safe than sorry. Also, be careful of iron supplements - good if you're enemic, bad if you have too much iron (hemochromotosis sp?) like my brother.

By: wackybrit

wackybrit — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 16:21:23 -0800

Not to derail, but a diet heavy in pasta is not healthy.

Of course not, but my diet isn't 'heavy' in pasta. Pasta just happens to be one of my main staples. I tend to overload on the vegetables then have something like pasta as a base, but vegetables probably outnumber the pasta or rice by 2:1.

Besides, I don't subscribe to with the modern Western thought on carbs.