Multivitamins

[groo]

Hi everyone,

did a search on this forum for multivits but not much info or exchange of information on it.

Just wanted to have something going on whats really a good multivitamin to take for those of us who cannot find time to have a balanced diet. (me one of them)

I was on Blackmore's Exec B and Blackmore's Bio C (1000mg) for sometime now. Went into a GNC outlet in Malaysia and they recommended GNC MegaMen. Two tablets a day in a 90 tablets bottle. A bit pricey it is but thought might as well try it.

My brother is on Centrum and many people recommend it but I don't see anything special in it.

So what do you people out there take and whats the review of it?

[groo]

Hi everyone,

did a search on this forum for multivits but not much info or exchange of information on it.

Just wanted to have something going on whats really a good multivitamin to take for those of us who cannot find time to have a balanced diet. (me one of them)

I was on Blackmore's Exec B and Blackmore's Bio C (1000mg) for sometime now. Went into a GNC outlet in Malaysia and they recommended GNC MegaMen. Two tablets a day in a 90 tablets bottle. A bit pricey it is but thought might as well try it.

My brother is on Centrum and many people recommend it but I don't see anything special in it.

So what do you people out there take and whats the review of it?

moderators please delete this post as no one is interested in replying it. thank u.

[Mighty Mouse]

I'll answer you.

I suggest that you don't waste your money on vitamin supplements. Very few of them, if any, do what they they claim to do, and many can do you more harm than good if taken in excess.

Supplements were never designed to replace wholesome meals. You state that you don't have the time for a balanced diet. I find that difficult to believe. You need to be able to manage your time better so that you can eat properly.

Breakfast is your most important meal of the day. Forget the bacon and fried eggs, forget the pancakes and hotcakes, get some freshly squeezed orange juice into you, porridge or wheat bix, wholemeal bread/toast with Vegemite or similar and glass of milk. (skim, goats, reduced fat if you like)

If you don't have a lot of time, buy a blender. Put in an egg, a banana, a dollop of honey and fill it up with milk. Whisk it around and drink it. Then eat some fruit on the way to work or wherever you are going.

Do a Google search on the amount of profit these vitamin tablet companies are making. They set a standard price for their products. (a high price) Customers like you believe the hype and are for the most part, being ripped off.

You are better off searching the internet for some information on obtaining your daily vitamin needs from nutritious fresh food. Save your money and enhance your health.

[h90]

I do not agree!

First of all it is nearly impossible to any harm with multi-vitamins. You need very high does of just one vitamin (example Vit. A).

Second if you don't eat a balanced diet, it is stupid, but it is even more stupid if you than don't add vitamins. And they do exactly what they promise. If you don't eat any source of Vit C (in the past sailors), you loose your theet+many other problems, if you eat vitamin tablets you remain healty, so it does work.

Third: I agree: try to drink a glass of orange juice ©, a glass of beer (Vit , an apple (hugh differences in their vitamins) a day is not so difficult, you may still add the multivitamins but overall it is better.

I'll answer you.

I suggest that you don't waste your money on vitamin supplements. Very few of them, if any, do what they they claim to do, and many can do you more harm than good if taken in excess.

Supplements were never designed to replace wholesome meals. You state that you don't have the time for a balanced diet. I find that difficult to believe. You need to be able to manage your time better so that you can eat properly.

Breakfast is your most important meal of the day. Forget the bacon and fried eggs, forget the pancakes and hotcakes, get some freshly squeezed orange juice into you, porridge or wheat bix, wholemeal bread/toast with Vegemite or similar and glass of milk. (skim, goats, reduced fat if you like)

If you don't have a lot of time, buy a blender. Put in an egg, a banana, a dollop of honey and fill it up with milk. Whisk it around and drink it. Then eat some fruit on the way to work or wherever you are going.

Do a Google search on the amount of profit these vitamin tablet companies are making. They set a standard price for their products. (a high price) Customers like you believe the hype and are for the most part, being ripped off.

You are better off searching the internet for some information on obtaining your daily vitamin needs from nutritious fresh food. Save your money and enhance your health.

[chuchok]

I listened to a yankee doc on NZ radio a year or so ago. He said that the two most important supplements that a bloke shoud take was Folic Acid and Zinc.He also said that most vitamin supplements did no harm, but they did not do that much good either.

[Firefan]

I have been taking strong multivitamins for years and I can feel a difference especially as I have a slight allergy where vit C+B seems to improve things for me.

I take GNC Gold or Megamen(he,he - love that name!) or other similar supplement. In addition I take an extra mixed antioxidant (Blackmores ACE is the easiest to get here - but I prefer the ones that also include more of the new antioxidents such as lucopene, pine bark Etc.). Sometimes I add some fish oil but try to eat fish twice a week.

GNC Gold and similar versions have extras added such as ginseng/garlic/green tea/lucopene Etc. - the doses are however not that big.

Finally I make fruit shakes in my blender (adding a scoop of whey protein) and drink green tea every day.

Now back to my pizza...

Cheers!

[groo]

I have been taking strong multivitamins for years and I can feel a difference especially as I have a slight allergy where vit C+B seems to improve things for me.

I take GNC Gold or Megamen(he,he - love that name!) or other similar supplement. In addition I take an extra mixed antioxidant (Blackmores ACE is the easiest to get here - but I prefer the ones that also include more of the new antioxidents such as lucopene, pine bark Etc.). Sometimes I add some fish oil but try to eat fish twice a week.

GNC Gold and similar versions have extras added such as ginseng/garlic/green tea/lucopene Etc. - the doses are however not that big.

Finally I make fruit shakes in my blender (adding a scoop of whey protein) and drink green tea every day.

Now back to my pizza...

Cheers!

are u taking 2 tablet a day of GNC Megamen or just one? The GNC people say take 2/day. Bottle says 1. Most internet sites say 2. I am still on 1 tablet per day till i confirm someone else is taking 2 of them. I take Blackmore's C as an anti oxidant.

[h90]

I would be carefully with metals, not too much.....

And don't trust yankee docs....

I listened to a yankee doc on NZ radio a year or so ago. He said that the two most important supplements that a bloke shoud take was Folic Acid and Zinc.He also said that most vitamin supplements did no harm, but they did not do that much good either.

[Firefan]

I take 2 even if Megamen(he,he) - GNC gold says take 2 also actually. Do not remember Megamen (he,he - still giggling!) but believe strength is about the same PER TAB as GNC Gold. Iron is the one you as a man do not want TOO much of according to recent research but most supplements only have 30-40% of RDA anyway of that so 2 tabs still ok for me.

If you take 2 it makes sense to take 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening(where most of your cell repairs take place) unless the vit Bs and Cs affect your sleep. (some people are not aware that vit Bs are energizing - check you Red Bull..besides the Taurine 1000 mg and a bit of caffeine the main ingredients are vit Bs. Vit C is in Europe accepted as an energizing compound too - France even have it on their vit C supplements).

As a rule I want to get at least 400 iu of vit E per day and about 800-1000 mg vit C from my supplements.

With stress, pollution, frequent workouts, lacking nutritional foods(not just a question of eating enough healthly foods - with the mass production/overuse of the fertile grounds and use of pestisides Etc. the nutritional value of veggies/fruits Etc. have dropped dramatically I believe) I need the extra supplement - others might not (the ones that have no stress, are not exposed to pollution, eat 5-6 servings of greens/fruits(from good grounds/non pestiside) per day, do not work out too hard and so forth).

Cheers!

Edited April 23, 2006 by Firefan

[kat]

I take a multi-vitamin plus antioxidants, and I drink lots of green tea and eat fish. And they most certainly do work because I can feel the difference when I stop.

hey firefan, my favorite Megaman

*I take Blackmores here because I can't get anything better

Edited April 23, 2006 by kat

[h90]

I take a multi-vitamin plus antioxidants, and I drink lots of green tea and eat fish. And they most certainly do work because I can feel the difference when I stop.

hey firefan, my favorite Megaman

*I take Blackmores here because I can't get anything better

actually vitamins or not, good food or not, antioxidants or not.

even heavy smoking and drinking or not, I can feel not even a little difference....

(now 6 month not smoking and drinking just a little bit, but no change in feeling )

[kat]

You've got to be kidding - no smoking in 6 months and you don't feel the difference? C'mon now, I can feel the difference even when I relapse and smoke 6 ciggies in a week, which I am currently working out of my system.

Perhaps you are just unobservant about your health, or things in general.

[chuchok]

I would be carefully with metals, not too much.....

And don't trust yankee docs....

I listened to a yankee doc on NZ radio a year or so ago. He said that the two most important supplements that a bloke shoud take was Folic Acid and Zinc.He also said that most vitamin supplements did no harm, but they did not do that much good either.

The guy had a top reputation and was nobodies fool. The radio host that had him on dosn't pick idiots.

not only is it very important for the immune system, it does wonders for mens bits as well.

zinchealth

[Firefan]

Zinc is fine (and needed/important) as is selenium and others - but apparently recent research shows that too much iron is not good for men.

Kat; you will always be my Megawoman! He,he!

H90 - if you feel no difference, then don't waste your money (which I am sure you don't) unless you believe there might be some long term preventive value build in. I do. Others do not. Oh; and if you feel no difference from smoking and drinking then why hold back!? Personally both knock me hard....must be getting old...

Cheers!

[Firefan]

Forgot; a good place to go for vitamins here is MBK - at all those small shops (on the 2nd floor?) selling funny make up and creams. Have a pretty good selection of the stuff you can not get at GNC including strong vitamins and antioxidants - some kind of "direct import" I guess.

Not especially cheap though. Cheers!

[Mighty Mouse]

Most pill/tablet multivitamins are made from synthetic vitamins which the body has a harder time assimilating. Further, pills and tablets generally have a 2-20% absorption rate. For every $100 you spend on vitamin tablets, $80 of it is literally going down the toilet.

Firefan mentioned taking Vitamin C and wanting to get between 800 - 1000 mg per day.

Researchers in the United States are today saying that the 'C' in Vitamin C may in fact stand for clog.

A study carried out at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, found that people taking daily Vitamin C supplements in megadose had accelerated the thickening of their artery walls in their neck.

The average person needs about 1500 mg of vitamin C per day. A fresh orange contains approximately 500 mg of natural vitamin C. Drink the squeezed juice of two oranges for breakfast and you are 3/4 of the way there.

There was also mention in this thread of vitamin E as being beneficial in fighting the free radicals in our bodies.

The jury is still out on the possible dangers of taking excessive amounts of this vitamin. By excessive, I mean in excess of 500 mg per day.

Vitamin E supplements found in multivitamins are generally considered safe as long as the levels are consistent with the recommended daily average. However, very high doses of vitamin E supplements taken over a long time can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea. High doses of supplements may also slow the way the body absorbs vitamins A, D, and K and result in deficiencies of these vitamins. Some recent studies have shown that excessive amounts could also cause cancer.

The thing that I don't understand, is why people believe all the hype churned out by the likes of Blackmores. What guarantee do they give consumers that they are getting what they pay for? How can you be certain that the pill/tablet you buy contains what it is supposed to contain?

Why pay good money on these supplements when most of them are going down the toilet before your body can absorb them?

If you are going to take these pills/tablets, you should take them just before bed time so that they stay in your body longer.

There is no better alternative to a balanced diet, fresh food and regular exerise.

Perhaps you should do some research into the benefits of taking a daily asprin rather than manufactured vitamin supplements.

Asprin has recently been touted as a 'wonder drug.' Evidence is rapidly growing that supports aspirin's use in lowering the rates of heart attack, stroke, colon cancer and even Alzheimer's disease.

Compare the costs, compare the benefits.

[Firefan]

Mighty Mouse; we can throw various studies around proving and dis-proving whatever. You are right it comes down to whether one believes in it or not. I can feel a difference. Others can not.

I have read enough studies (part of a previous job actually-related to sports physiology) to convince me that taking extra vitamins and especially antioxidants are beneficial for people exposed to the factors I mentioned before. For every study dis-proving there are about 10 proving (when talking the main antioxidants; C, E, betacarotene, selenium).

As to saying that people need 1500 mg of vit C you about 10-20 doubled the recommended RDA(depending on country) but I do certainly not disagree that it will be fine for me.

Also I try to pick the vitamin versions being the most natural versions (D instead of DL for Vit E, C with bioflavinoids, beta carotene rather than pure A and so forth).

I also fully agree that a balanced diet is the best - but 5-6 green/fruit recommended servings and so forth is hard for most and in addition there are all the factors I mentioned before(stress/pollution/farms overutilizing the grounds/pesticides/serious workouts and so forth.

Aspirin studies surely shows promise - I have not started taking it myself - as vit E also functions as a blood thinner (like aspirin) but might want to look into it again in the future.

Expensive? Well, I don't smoke or take illegal drugs so I guess I save some dough there

Cheers!

[h90]

Zinc is fine (and needed/important) as is selenium and others - but apparently recent research shows that too much iron is not good for men.

Kat; you will always be my Megawoman! He,he!

H90 - if you feel no difference, then don't waste your money (which I am sure you don't) unless you believe there might be some long term preventive value build in. I do. Others do not. Oh; and if you feel no difference from smoking and drinking then why hold back!? Personally both knock me hard....must be getting old...

Cheers!

I belive in the long term preventive value, absolute!

kat: sorry the caught (is it spelled like that?) went away, but everything else is the same, I feel exact the same. Maybe it is due to a slow progress. If I feel better just an unrecognizable little bit every day after smoking, I may belive after 6 month that I feel the same but in fact I feel better.

Maybe I am not monitoring good...

[h90]

were did you get the figures.

Recommendation is 40-100 mg per day for vit. C

1 kg oranges have arround 500 mg, so you need to squeeze 3-5 kg (considering that some vit. remain in the orange) to get 1500 mg.

For the absorption rate: it is not because they are synthetic it is because of the enviroment. A clean natural vit. c will be the same assimilated than a synthetic.

The point is the enviroment, if you put your synthetic vit c in the orange juice you get more out of it than if you drink it with water.

Bye the way Linus Pauling ate and recommend 6000-20.000 mg per day and got pretty old....

Most pill/tablet multivitamins are made from synthetic vitamins which the body has a harder time assimilating. Further, pills and tablets generally have a 2-20% absorption rate. For every $100 you spend on vitamin tablets, $80 of it is literally going down the toilet.

Firefan mentioned taking Vitamin C and wanting to get between 800 - 1000 mg per day.

Researchers in the United States are today saying that the 'C' in Vitamin C may in fact stand for clog.

A study carried out at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, found that people taking daily Vitamin C supplements in megadose had accelerated the thickening of their artery walls in their neck.

The average person needs about 1500 mg of vitamin C per day. A fresh orange contains approximately 500 mg of natural vitamin C. Drink the squeezed juice of two oranges for breakfast and you are 3/4 of the way there.

There was also mention in this thread of vitamin E as being beneficial in fighting the free radicals in our bodies.

The jury is still out on the possible dangers of taking excessive amounts of this vitamin. By excessive, I mean in excess of 500 mg per day.

Vitamin E supplements found in multivitamins are generally considered safe as long as the levels are consistent with the recommended daily average. However, very high doses of vitamin E supplements taken over a long time can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea. High doses of supplements may also slow the way the body absorbs vitamins A, D, and K and result in deficiencies of these vitamins. Some recent studies have shown that excessive amounts could also cause cancer.

The thing that I don't understand, is why people believe all the hype churned out by the likes of Blackmores. What guarantee do they give consumers that they are getting what they pay for? How can you be certain that the pill/tablet you buy contains what it is supposed to contain?

Why pay good money on these supplements when most of them are going down the toilet before your body can absorb them?

If you are going to take these pills/tablets, you should take them just before bed time so that they stay in your body longer.

There is no better alternative to a balanced diet, fresh food and regular exerise.

Perhaps you should do some research into the benefits of taking a daily asprin rather than manufactured vitamin supplements.

Asprin has recently been touted as a 'wonder drug.' Evidence is rapidly growing that supports aspirin's use in lowering the rates of heart attack, stroke, colon cancer and even Alzheimer's disease.

Compare the costs, compare the benefits.

[Firefan]

For the reason H90 mentioned I always take my vitamins with food.

Mighty Mouse is coming over so now back to squeezing 3-5 kilos of oranges for each of us!

Cheers!

[kasi]

I do a Centrum silver everyday.

Sometimes if something specific is ailing me I might target it with certain vitamins. ie. Vit C, A, E and zinc are very good for skin problems.

But I also agree with MM that a wholesome diet is more important. I try to eat some Somtam everyday, fresh oysters once a week, a nice steak once a week, mixed in with fresh pinneaple and papaya should cure what ails as well.Massage, swimming and an active sex life are also conducive to vibrant health.

[Mighty Mouse]

Firefan and H90 - You are both right and I'm hopelessly wrong. I have just given myself an uppercut.

I was relying on my memory for the vitamin C content of an orange and the daily requirement.

(maybe I need a vitamin tablet for my poor memory. )

I have looked it up on this site:

http://www.naturalhub.com/natural_food_gui...t_vitamin_c.htm

I found that an orange contains around 53 mg of vitamin C and that the daily requirement for a healthy man is around 200 mg per day. (according to the link at the bottom of the site as mentioned above)

Interestingly they list the Kiwi fruit as containing 74 mg of vitamin C, but this drops down to 57 mg if the fruit is cool stored.

As you correctly stated, we could pull out numerous figures and findings on the benefits and/or dangers of taking vitamin supplements, and would still not be able to prove the point conclusively.

It does make an interesting discussion though.

[Firefan]

It certainly does! I have been taking strong vita/anti-ox for about 20 years now and am still alive.. Now THAT is proof! he,he.

The human body is an intriquing machine for sure - and as we all agree; a healthly well balanced diet is the best - I just take the extras as an added insurance (whether I need it or not) for the reasons I mentioned. Oh, I really like junk food....

Maybe we should have a health forum meet-up so we could judge who looks the healthiest!

Cheers!

[kat]

I belive in the long term preventive value, absolute!

kat: sorry the caught (is it spelled like that?) went away, but everything else is the same, I feel exact the same. Maybe it is due to a slow progress. If I feel better just an unrecognizable little bit every day after smoking, I may belive after 6 month that I feel the same but in fact I feel better.

Maybe I am not monitoring good...

Well, you stopped coughing, so that's a big change! Good on you for giving up, H90. I'm sure that has made a big difference, even if you haven't noticed. But you reap more and more recovery and progress the longer you have stopped. Congratulations!

[h90]

bye the way an interesting fact:

friend of mine when they made the doctor in foodtechnologie made for fun a screening of apples, and in the middle of their doing they got an order from gouverment to stop that.

Factum is that these wounderfull apples like "golden delicous" have after a long storage (I don't know what is possible at the moment I guess 1 year) when they enter supermarket no vitamin C at all anymore.

While these old european apples races (is it called races in english??), which look ugly (brown) and inside yellow and more sauer have still a lot of vitamins.

So to be fresh is an important point and there are hugh differences between different kinds of the same fruit.

in europe the best source for Vit C is sausage

they add ascorbin acid (which is vit C) as antioxidants

In Thailand I could not find it on the packaging so I am not sure if they add it or not.

Firefan and H90 - You are both right and I'm hopelessly wrong. I have just given myself an uppercut.

I was relying on my memory for the vitamin C content of an orange and the daily requirement.

(maybe I need a vitamin tablet for my poor memory. )

I have looked it up on this site:

http://www.naturalhub.com/natural_food_gui...t_vitamin_c.htm

I found that an orange contains around 53 mg of vitamin C and that the daily requirement for a healthy man is around 200 mg per day. (according to the link at the bottom of the site as mentioned above)

Interestingly they list the Kiwi fruit as containing 74 mg of vitamin C, but this drops down to 57 mg if the fruit is cool stored.

As you correctly stated, we could pull out numerous figures and findings on the benefits and/or dangers of taking vitamin supplements, and would still not be able to prove the point conclusively.

It does make an interesting discussion though.

[h90]

I belive in the long term preventive value, absolute!

kat: sorry the caught (is it spelled like that?) went away, but everything else is the same, I feel exact the same. Maybe it is due to a slow progress. If I feel better just an unrecognizable little bit every day after smoking, I may belive after 6 month that I feel the same but in fact I feel better.

Maybe I am not monitoring good...

Well, you stopped coughing, so that's a big change! Good on you for giving up, H90. I'm sure that has made a big difference, even if you haven't noticed. But you reap more and more recovery and progress the longer you have stopped. Congratulations!

thanks

60 ciggies per day were to much, as smoking less does not work for me I stopped it.

Now I make the same with drinking.

But also with 60 ciggies per day and every evening drunk, I felt very healthy (but who knows how I would have felt 5 or 10 years later??).

So I don't get to much reward

[Firefan]

Impressive H90! Keep up the new path and you will hopefully feel a difference (before you go to heaven....or wherever )

Cheers!

[h90]

Impressive H90! Keep up the new path and you will hopefully feel a difference (before you go to heaven....or wherever )

Cheers!

no joke: I just bought 3 liter orange juice and I will drink it now (not sure if I get some side effects (toilette)).

I found out, I always drink a lot in the evening, 3,4,5,6 0.66 liter bottle beer, if I drink something non alcohol, I drink the same (beside soda, it blows me up...).....

tomorrow I can tell if I get drunk from an overdose orange juice....

[kat]

h90:

I think it's time for you to join a gym now. When you start to talk about overdosing on orange juice, I think it's time for a bit more variety in your health regime.

Mega -- you're still on the multivitamin thread???

Edited April 24, 2006 by kat

[BambinA]

being a doc ..

1 - Vit supplement is not necessary if you eat well , its necessary for some conditions only (scavy , osteoperosis(A /D /Cal) vit deficiency (numb ,seizer..etc)..(sound like lack Vit B )

btw .. human 's liver can produce Vit B and C from liver

2 - alcohol from booz will kill germs ... hahahha

ps... fat soluble Vit as A D E K are hepato toxic

Edited April 24, 2006 by BambinA