Multivitamins

[Metalhead]

Do you guys recommend these vitamins packed from A-Z full of everything you need? Is it a scam and is it safe?

[Clint]

It varies vitamin to vitamin. Some companies are great quality other suck horribly. Here's Kabuki's list of good vitamin choices from Sherdog's nutrition forum:

1) Balanced Essentials from Heaven Sent - Here you have a formula made from whole food sources that comes in liquid form and the taste isn't excruciating. With liquid you get the better absorbancy, and the whole food source mean this would be like what you SHOULD get from Vitamin content of all your food, but don't because food in the US SUCKS.

2) Sea Essentials by Heaven Sent - This was their first formula. People had discrepencies because it doesn't list the precise values of Vitamins it contains. But Heaven Sent aren't to blame for this. The FDA is. Because of the nature of the blend (Sea Vegetable preparation) the numbers vary slightly from batch-to-batch. The FDA said if they can't make it precise, they can't put numbers. But the antipoxidant and mineral properties of this are very good. And it was the Sea Essentials that I took and never, EVER got sick. I switched to Mega Men this year, and got my first cold in 3 years.

3) GNC Ultra Mega Green - Most Americans just do not get enough greens. Plain and simple. This is another Vitamin with whole food nutrients in it. But the drawback is these things are GIGANTIC. Not Horse pills, Elephant pills. And suggested use is 3 times per day (to supplement veggies with your meal), but like Mick states I think this is a bit of overkill. 2 per day in the morning should do.

4) Garden of Life's Living Multi - Notice a theme here? I hate the idea of purely synthetic vitamins. If you can score a good one with whole food nutrients you're going to find the health benefits a bit better. This is a good one. Garden of Life is a good line of things anyway, very reputable.

5) Nature's Plus - Source of Life. The customers who use this never, ever consider taking another one. And yet again another whole food source Vitamin.

Now, cheap? What will suffice? Well you have GNC's Mega Men, Twinlab's Daily Two, Solgar has a decent multi (Solgar is actually an excellent line but they tend to be pricey as well as they come from Japan.)

Another excellent choice is Greens+.

[Alwaysbelieve1]

Other than water this is the absolute most important item to have in your diet. Do not use generics such as store brands, Centrum or One-A-Day merely because of the binders in them. They have been proven not to dissolve or absorb at all in your system. The only reason they are able to be manufactured then sold is because the FDA does not regulate supplements. One of the brands I would recommend which is very cost effective as well is Source Natural’s Life Force Multivitamin w/o iron for men and with iron for females. (females who are post menopause should also use the w/o iron version). Take one directly after the first food meal of the day and then again around lunch time. You may notice from the very first couple days of taking it that you will have much more energy, but most people achieve the full potential in about 30-45 days.

I also stand by the Standard Process Brand. Their items are whole food based. They are free of all binders and are 100% non-synthetic. I currently use these myself.

After working for GNC for about 3 years I will NEVER touch one of their multis to my tongue. The type of binders and cheap ingredients they use is issue in itself.

Do your best NOT to intake synthetic vitamins like the once a days, GNC binder types, etc. Here are a few examples of synthetic vitamins’ possible harmful effects:

1) Synthetic vitamin C can thicken artery walls.

2) Synthetic vitamin A may increase the rate of cancer.

3) Synthetic vitamin E actually extracts vitamins and minerals form your bones.

[Metalhead]

Does the package say "Synthetic"right on it?

[supermark21]

Originally Posted by Alwaysbelieve1

Other than water this is the absolute most important item to have in your diet. Do not use generics such as store brands, Centrum or One-A-Day merely because of the binders in them. They have been proven not to dissolve or absorb at all in your system. The only reason they are able to be manufactured then sold is because the FDA does not regulate supplements. One of the brands I would recommend which is very cost effective as well is Source Natural’s Life Force Multivitamin w/o iron for men and with iron for females. (females who are post menopause should also use the w/o iron version). Take one directly after the first food meal of the day and then again around lunch time. You may notice from the very first couple days of taking it that you will have much more energy, but most people achieve the full potential in about 30-45 days.

I also stand by the Standard Process Brand. Their items are whole food based. They are free of all binders and are 100% non-synthetic. I currently use these myself.

After working for GNC for about 3 years I will NEVER touch one of their multis to my tongue. The type of binders and cheap ingredients they use is issue in itself.

Do your best NOT to intake synthetic vitamins like the once a days, GNC binder types, etc. Here are a few examples of synthetic vitamins’ possible harmful effects:

1) Synthetic vitamin C can thicken artery walls.

2) Synthetic vitamin A may increase the rate of cancer.

3) Synthetic vitamin E actually extracts vitamins and minerals form your bones.

What do binders have to do with multis?
and is it pertaining to multis in general or extended release ones?

[Clint]

Originally Posted by supermark21

What do binders have to do with multis?
and is it pertaining to multis in general or extended release ones?

All vitamins will have binders since they need something to hold the vitamin together. However cheap ones will prevent the vitamins from being absorbed.

[supermark21]

Originally Posted by Clint

All vitamins will have binders since they need something to hold the vitamin together. However cheap ones will prevent the vitamins from being absorbed.

Well thats some bullshit!!
Ive been taking them for the last 6 or 7 years! How can you tell the good from the bad?

[Clint]

Your best bet is to find a whole foods vitamin or just get one off the lists above.

[supermark21]

I was hoping to get some from Wal Mart or something and stay my cheap self. But if it's what's needed...

[Clint]

AlwaysBelieve will disagree with me but for cheap GNC Ultra Mega Green is probably your best bet. They generally test pretty well. The others would be better but they work and are cheaper than the better kinds.