Quote:
Originally Posted by
Don Carlos 
Despite what marketing and packaging will claim, pretty much all multivitamins will do the same job for you. All that matters is whether you feel like paying $5 or $50 per bottle.
Not all vitamins are the same. You need to go with reputable brands that should be certified GMP. Chelated minerals are absorbed best and it also depends on the compound of the vitamins which can vary in quality. Some might be laced with heavy metals if you get a bad brand and some might not have the amount of the vitamin listed or even too much of it, which I think is more of a problem with multi vits.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
alex99
I don't take any multivitamin anymore, just fish oil. I stopped after reading about the link between multivitamins and prostate cancer (the main culprit seems to be folic acid). I asked my doctor if he took a vitamin and he literally said "I take vitamins every day, they're called vegetables. Don't take pills, they're all a scam."
If your doctor finds that you have an actual vitamin deficiency, then you may need a specific supplement. If you don't live where there is a lot of sun or get much exposure, then you may need Vitamin D. Otherwise I would avoid and concentrate on a healthy diet.
The link is probably with multivitamins because people aren't understanding what they are taking and just buy whatever multivitamin they see first and think it's the same. SOME vitamins can increase cancer risk if taken in excess, like zinc and prostate cancer.
Pills aren't a scam and a hefty quantity of all vitamins and minerals can't be obtained through vegetables every day. Deficiencies aren't the only issue, certain vitamins in medicinal doses can be used to treat ailments. Food is not what it once was and many times people obtain very little of needed nutrients from diet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bringusingoodale
So is it good to take or not.
I am worried about my aging body. How about just taking calcium tablets?
If that's all you think you need, but D3 is usually taken in combo if not in the sun a lot.
I've yet to find a multivitamin I'd take. Maybe a B complex vitamin but even then there's always too much B12. The multivitamins I've seen usually have at least one vitamin in a dose too high. I get individuals and break them if the dose is too much. Some vitamins have no upper limit, while others do. Some can be toxic at high levels, others are not. Having them individually gives you more control.
For example, B6 usually shouldn't go over 25mg in a day. I've read that (in Europe?) it's recommended to stay around 15mg a day or less. Zinc can cause adverse effects at doses going higher than 30-40mg. I keep mine at 10mg.
Edited by Nosu3 - 2/19/12 at 9:53am
that's incredible.
