Vitamin Blecchh

July 28, 2008 2:48 PM

Recommendations for a Vitamin B-Complex supplement that won't make me want to vomit?

I have for many years tried to incorporate Vitamin B supplements into my diet, but they taste so awful that I feel nauseated for several hours after I take one. I've never actually puked one up (THANK GOD) but unless it's a developing embryo in the far-off future I'd prefer to avoid all sources of daily morning nausea. I was taking the tablet form for awhile, then switched to capsules, and both suck. Know you of a less vile form? Unfortunately it has to be unsweetened, too.

posted by granted to health & fitness (12 comments total)

You need to take B supplements with food, or they will make your stomach hurt. This is probably what´s causing the nausea.
posted by yohko at 2:54 PM on July 28, 2008

Whole Foods has a B complex in capsule form so all you taste is the cellulose shell rather than a yeasty tasting tablet.

If you can deal with fructose (a sweetener, yes, but not sucrose) then you might like the Emergen C powders. They have B12 and B6, plus vitamin C.
posted by Burhanistan at 2:56 PM on July 28, 2008

Burhanistan beat me to the suggestion: I take EmergenC effervescent powders for exactly this reason. I cannot stomach large vitamins, but have so problem sucking down a small glass of fizzy vitamin 'juice.' Also, the super orange is surprisingly delicious. You can pick these up at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or any number of cute little co-op's in the greater SF area.
posted by numinous at 3:13 PM on July 28, 2008

Most everything with Vitamin B in it will have that distinctive vitamin B smell. Some will have less than others, though. EmergenC does have less of a smell though!
posted by majikstreet at 3:18 PM on July 28, 2008

On a related note...
posted by HotPatatta at 4:43 PM on July 28, 2008

Maybe you don't need them and your body is letting you know.
posted by zadcat at 4:46 PM on July 28, 2008

yohko: I've always taken it with a big-ass breakfast, so the empty stomach hypothesis is out, sadly.

Burhanistan: I've tried the Whole Foods capsule form and that flimsy shield isn't quite enough.

I've checked out EmergenC but I can't do the fructose. Sorry to be such a debbie downer. :(

zadcat: Interesting...do you have any backup data for this suggestion, or is it just a hunch?
posted by granted at 5:43 PM on July 28, 2008

HotPatatta said: "On a related note..."

This was my post. I never found a B-complex supplement that didn't make me want to ralph. It seems the only thing I can manage is Flintstones.
posted by loiseau at 8:31 PM on July 28, 2008

How about taking them at night just before you go to bed?
You'll have alarming pee in the morning, and maybe some crazy dreams, but at least you won't want to hurl.
posted by bink at 10:51 PM on July 28, 2008

Niacin is a mild nauseant, apart the smell (although I find that of the B-vitamins the smell of niacin is the one that's mildly objectionable to my nose, sort of like Total™ fortified cornflakes on overdrive.)

So try finding one that has little or no niacin.
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:53 PM on July 28, 2008

I haven't tried this- but a friend of mine grinds her B vitamins and puts them in a smoothie- I'm not sure if this jives with your "unsweetened" criterion.
posted by mistsandrain at 5:54 AM on July 29, 2008

Thanks for the tip about niacin! I couldn't find a niacin-free B-Complex, so I just purchased separate B6, B9, and B12 supplements. They're totally inoffensive. Hooray!
posted by granted at 6:17 PM on July 30, 2008