# Vitamins and Minerals: Which bands are best?



## NextTimeAround (Dec 15, 2011)

I'm trying to choose for myself.

I meant "brand" of course.


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## Sparta (Sep 4, 2014)

Garden of life
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## arbitrator (Feb 13, 2012)

*I use a cost-effective mail-order brand called "Puritans Pride" and have had no problems!*
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Lostinthought61 (Nov 5, 2013)

Beware that most of the vitamins you take are pissed away....literally. 
I'm with arbitrator, I use Puritan pride vitamin D and red yeast rice.


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## kristin2349 (Sep 12, 2013)

I buy Source Naturals and Mega Foods brands.


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## 225985 (Dec 29, 2015)

We use the Alive brand, that I get from Costco (cheaper than Walmart.) We use them because they have the highest dose of some important vitamins, such as K, which my wife needs.
@Xenote is right in that most of the vitamins will be pissed away, but for older folks or sicker folks a multivitamin is good insurance. Most of us struggle to get all the needed vitamins.

Note that some vitamins will cause upset stomach (or so our doctors have told us) so a chewable vitamin might be an option. Easier to digest but the chewables will contain less vitamins than a tablet. And the liquid versions, which are the most bioavailable, contain less vitamins due to stability.

Make sure you take the vitamins with food, as the fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E etc need fat to be absorbed. And taking with food will be less likely to upset your stomach. If have digestion problems, talk to your doctor because you might have difficulty digesting that hard tablets. 

My doctor actually tests my Vitamin D levels and mine are low enough that he recommended Vitamin D-3 at 2000 mg/day. 

You really cannot make a wrong choice here. If you have a medical issue, discuss with your doctor. Otherwise, take any brand that does not upset your stomach and that is easy or less expensive to purchase. And don't overdose. More is not better and the fat solubles can be toxic at high levels, especially if you have liver issues.


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## Kivlor (Oct 27, 2015)

blueinbr said:


> My doctor actually tests my Vitamin D levels and mine are low enough that he recommended Vitamin D-3 at 2000 mg/day.


Just curious, do you not get in the sun much, or is it something else?


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## kristin2349 (Sep 12, 2013)

Kivlor said:


> Just curious, do you not get in the sun much, or is it something else?




Vitamin D deficiency is really common in adults. If you supplement with Vit. D it is important to balance it with Vit. K.


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## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

I would be cautious of purchasing anything from Wal-Mart. They had a study done recently showing some of their vitamins and supplements didn't contain anything they claimed to have.


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## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

Source Naturals Pycnogenol

Nutrigold Vitamin D3

Nutrigold Vitamin K2 MK7

Myodyne OPTIMIZED CURCUMIN LONGVIDA

These above are my staples.


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## 225985 (Dec 29, 2015)

JukeboxHero said:


> I would be cautious of purchasing anything from Wal-Mart. They had a study done recently showing some of their vitamins and supplements didn't contain anything they claimed to have.


Well, since Walmart sells all the major brands - Centrum, Alive, One-A-day that statement has no basis in fact. Trust the brand. They have billions at stake if their products were revealed to not be what they advertise. 

If you are referring to the off brands or store brands, I would not believe that either. I used to be involved in pharmaceuticals (can't say anymore than that) and at least the companies we dealt with that supplied the store brands to Walmart, Walgreens, CVS etc were all major reputable companies that met all FDA requirements. If it is a pharmaceutical and sold at one of these stores in US, you can basically trust them.

Same applies to basic vitamins and minerals. When you start getting into plant extracts and similar supplements, which are not FDA covered, the risk of not getting what you see on the label increases. 

A Walmart contract is worth tens of millions or more annually to a supplier. They tend not to risk that. Plus Walmart has a huge risk too themselves and they check on their suppliers, as does Walgreens, CVS etc. 

Can companies occasionally screw up? Certainly and they have in the past if you went to the store and ALL of a certain brand is off the shelf due to recall.


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## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

This is the article I found. I'm assuming it was Store brands and probably more along the lines of the herbal supplements.

Massive herbal-supplement scam uncovered: Walmart, Target, GNC accused of selling bogus products - Salon.com


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## NextTimeAround (Dec 15, 2011)

JukeboxHero said:


> I would be cautious of purchasing anything from Wal-Mart. They had a study done recently showing some of their vitamins and supplements didn't contain anything they claimed to have.


What study was this? I'm trying to remember the brand(s) I bought from Wal-Mart, but I think at least was sold elsewhere, like at CVS.

I guess the derivative issue here is, what's the best consumer guide for vitamins?


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## NextTimeAround (Dec 15, 2011)

JukeboxHero said:


> This is the article I found. I'm assuming it was Store brands and probably more along the lines of the herbal supplements.
> 
> Massive herbal-supplement scam uncovered: Walmart, Target, GNC accused of selling bogus products - Salon.com



Thanks.


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## bandit.45 (Feb 8, 2012)

kristin2349 said:


> Vitamin D deficiency is really common in adults. If you supplement with Vit. D it is important to balance it with Vit. K.


Yep. When I lived in Arizona I used to drive out to the desert and find a big flat rock to lay on. Best tanning bed in nature.


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## bandit.45 (Feb 8, 2012)

kristin2349 said:


> I buy Source Naturals and Mega Foods brands.


These are what I use. Good stuff, but they have a short shelf life so you have to make sure you take them daily.


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