Vitamin or no Vitamin?

[Wnh5001]

I was wondering whether i should take daily vitamins to supplement my diet. Alike most of you, i'm in college and probably not getting enough of the daily vitamins in my body. To those who do take vitamins which ones/brands would you recommend?

 

[crt1530]

Kirkland Signature (Costco). I take a basic multi-vitamin, a B complex and a glucosamine supplement. I also take a bunch of fish oil, but that's a food supplement.

 

[mjh]

I take a multivitamin and fish oil every day.

 

[Mr Cool]

I take GNC Mega Men Sport. It's one of the best multi-vitamins out there. The only better ones might be Animal Pak.

 

[OpenThirdEye]

Originally posted by: Mr Cool
I take GNC Mega Men Sport. It's one of the best multi-vitamins out there. The only better ones might be Animal Pak.

QFT! I take those as well. Unlike Centrum and other multis that just give you expensive urine, the GNC multis are on a slower time-release ensuring that your body gets as much of that multi as it possibly can.

 

[GoatMonkey]

If your taking other supplements like protein drinks, they usually have a lot of vitamins in them anyway. If you drink those and have a reasonably good diet otherwise, I don't see a need for taking extra vitamin pills.

Megaman and some others contain some things that are not really vitamins. Ginseng, Saw Palmetto, and that kind of thing are not really vitamins, but could be good anyway. I'd just get the extras that you want separately.

 

[Cstefan]

Originally posted by: crt1530
Kirkland Signature (Costco). I take a basic multi-vitamin, a B complex and a glucosamine supplement. I also take a bunch of fish oil, but that's a food supplement.

Minus the glucosamine, same. I love my costco.

 

[Jgtdragon]

I take GNC mega men.

 

[Crono]

You might be getting enough vitamins as it is, especially if your food is already supplemented with vitamins (esp. protein products, like GoatMonkey said). Even regular foods have been fortified with vitamins for decades, as a measure to fight against vitamin deficiency. I take a multivitamin, usually a generic equivalent for Centrum (can't remember the brand name), only 1-2x a week, just in case, because I usually avoid fortified foods. I do get enough vitamins from my diet, which is very varied and fairly healthy right now. It's preferred to get vitamins from food that actually contain the vitamins naturally, because they are more readily absorbed and they contain other beneficial substances (like phytonutrients) that vitamin supplements don't usually include.

So if you are already taking in fortified foods, no, I wouldn't recommend taking a multivitamin. If you aren't, then I would say yes. Multivitamins really only ensure that you don't get deficiency related conditions, and don't ensure optimal health. Getting too much of certain vitamins, like iron, can be a bad thing.

 

[TheNinja]

Yes. They are cheap and it can't hurt....well it can in certain cases (fat soluable and certain metals) but for the most part just get a decent one and take it every morning. I don't see the need for the super duper animal pak stuff for $.50 a serving of 13 vitamins and pills, but a good multi (I use AST's 32x) is something I would recommend.

http://www.vitacost.com/AST-Sports-Science-MultiPro-32X

$13 for 100 of them.

 

[Wnh5001]

it seems a few of you take the GNC Mega Men multivitamins, ive been taking one a day for men. I have been eating junk food for the most part, so im probably not getting enough of the regulated amt, so i guess ill start to take them everyday or so.

 

[StageLeft]

I have stopped. I just have to admit I don't like the fact that they have STILL not been shown to be of any real benefit in healthy people as a net; maybe some help here, but some detriment there (and even from pretty normal levels of intake). I have a nice bottle of twinlab dual tabs sitting in my cuboard. Frankly, until I can see a convincing reason to take anything, I think it's better to not put it in my body. The only sup I take is protein. I would take fish oil but ran out (and its benefits are dubious, too).

 

[irishScott]

More than 2500 IU of Vitamin A (retinol, acetate, etc) has been linked to bone brittleness. Beta-Carotene is fine (you can't overdose), as your body only converts it to Vitamin A as needed.

I take One-A-Day Mens with some herbal stuff and a calcium/magnesium/Vitamin D supplement, as well as a separate Vitamin E supplement, and Vitamin B-12 supplement. One-A-Day Men's has IIRC about 3000 IU of retinol (the remaining 500 being beta-carotene), and that's about as low as I can find (I found others that are lower, but they're lacking in everything else). Besides, I doubt 500 over the "optimal limit" of Vitamin A is enough to do long-term damage. The study with bone brittleness had people taking around 5000 IU retinol daily IIRC.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I have stopped. I just have to admit I don't like the fact that they have STILL not been shown to be of any real benefit in healthy people as a net; maybe some help here, but some detriment there (and even from pretty normal levels of intake). I have a nice bottle of twinlab dual tabs sitting in my cuboard. Frankly, until I can see a convincing reason to take anything, I think it's better to not put it in my body. The only sup I take is protein. I would take fish oil but ran out (and its benefits are dubious, too).

You can't get everything from your diet unless you eat 6 hours a day with a perfect diet. Admitantly, you do have to do your research and figure out what's and overdose and what isn't (I put about 7 hours into multivitamins alone), but once you find one that meets most of the criteria, it certainly can't hurt.

Also, there's a reason multivitamins haven't shown any "conclusive" benefit. Quality multivitamins haven't been around that long. Vitamin deficiency can have long-term effects that take place decades later. Better safe than sorry.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I have stopped. I just have to admit I don't like the fact that they have STILL not been shown to be of any real benefit in healthy people as a net; maybe some help here, but some detriment there (and even from pretty normal levels of intake). I have a nice bottle of twinlab dual tabs sitting in my cuboard. Frankly, until I can see a convincing reason to take anything, I think it's better to not put it in my body. The only sup I take is protein. I would take fish oil but ran out (and its benefits are dubious, too).

You can't get everything from your diet unless you eat 6 hours a day with a perfect diet. Admitantly, you do have to do your research and figure out what's and overdose and what isn't (I put about 7 hours into multivitamins alone), but once you find one that meets most of the criteria, it certainly can't hurt.

Also, there's a reason multivitamins haven't shown any "conclusive" benefit. Quality multivitamins haven't been around that long. Vitamin deficiency can have long-term effects that take place decades later. Better safe than sorry.

That's cutting it pretty damn close, especially since there are no meaningful studies showing that healthy people really benefit from a multi in the first place.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I have stopped. I just have to admit I don't like the fact that they have STILL not been shown to be of any real benefit in healthy people as a net; maybe some help here, but some detriment there (and even from pretty normal levels of intake). I have a nice bottle of twinlab dual tabs sitting in my cuboard. Frankly, until I can see a convincing reason to take anything, I think it's better to not put it in my body. The only sup I take is protein. I would take fish oil but ran out (and its benefits are dubious, too).

You can't get everything from your diet unless you eat 6 hours a day with a perfect diet. Admitantly, you do have to do your research and figure out what's and overdose and what isn't (I put about 7 hours into multivitamins alone), but once you find one that meets most of the criteria, it certainly can't hurt.

Also, there's a reason multivitamins haven't shown any "conclusive" benefit. Quality multivitamins haven't been around that long. Vitamin deficiency can have long-term effects that take place decades later. Better safe than sorry.

That's cutting it pretty damn close, especially since there are no meaningful studies showing that healthy people really benefit from a multi in the first place.

?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I have stopped. I just have to admit I don't like the fact that they have STILL not been shown to be of any real benefit in healthy people as a net; maybe some help here, but some detriment there (and even from pretty normal levels of intake). I have a nice bottle of twinlab dual tabs sitting in my cuboard. Frankly, until I can see a convincing reason to take anything, I think it's better to not put it in my body. The only sup I take is protein. I would take fish oil but ran out (and its benefits are dubious, too).

You can't get everything from your diet unless you eat 6 hours a day with a perfect diet. Admitantly, you do have to do your research and figure out what's and overdose and what isn't (I put about 7 hours into multivitamins alone), but once you find one that meets most of the criteria, it certainly can't hurt.

Also, there's a reason multivitamins haven't shown any "conclusive" benefit. Quality multivitamins haven't been around that long. Vitamin deficiency can have long-term effects that take place decades later. Better safe than sorry.

That's cutting it pretty damn close, especially since there are no meaningful studies showing that healthy people really benefit from a multi in the first place.

?

IOops, I meant to quote the first post of yours.

it certainly can't hurt.

That's the point, though; it can hurt.

Better safe than sorry.

Argument could be qually used for not taking something that has not been conclusively shown to benefit us!

Nobody's diet supplies the perfect level of vitamins, just as taking vitamins doesn't do it, either, and it can overdo it. I think the science is just too weak to really argue that the average joe should be taking a multi-vitamin.

 

[skace]

I just take a vitamin d or whatever it is that you supposedly get from sunlight and a fishoil. The idea behind the vitamin is that I'm a cave dweller and figure I've probably got a deficiency in that vitamin.

 

[techgamer]

I chose to take the GNC Mega Men also, the regular no the sport. But should you really take two pill daily or only a couple times a week? What are the differences, whats better?

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: irishScott

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I have stopped. I just have to admit I don't like the fact that they have STILL not been shown to be of any real benefit in healthy people as a net; maybe some help here, but some detriment there (and even from pretty normal levels of intake). I have a nice bottle of twinlab dual tabs sitting in my cuboard. Frankly, until I can see a convincing reason to take anything, I think it's better to not put it in my body. The only sup I take is protein. I would take fish oil but ran out (and its benefits are dubious, too).

You can't get everything from your diet unless you eat 6 hours a day with a perfect diet. Admitantly, you do have to do your research and figure out what's and overdose and what isn't (I put about 7 hours into multivitamins alone), but once you find one that meets most of the criteria, it certainly can't hurt.

Also, there's a reason multivitamins haven't shown any "conclusive" benefit. Quality multivitamins haven't been around that long. Vitamin deficiency can have long-term effects that take place decades later. Better safe than sorry.

That's cutting it pretty damn close, especially since there are no meaningful studies showing that healthy people really benefit from a multi in the first place.

Actually for women when they are pregnant it has been shown to reduce birth defects. While being pregnant you can also be healthy.


Of course i remember a show that had a bunch of doctors saying most people get no shown good effect from vitimans, yet they all took one.

 

[TallBill]

I take Orange Triad which has glucosamine + chondroitin mixed in.

 

[Zedtom]

I stopped taking multivitamins about a year ago. I still maintain a daily exercise routine and watch my intake of guilty pleasures like alcohol and sweets. I eat three meals a day and try to limit red meat. I really don't think I need vitamins and now I wonder why I've been buying them all these years.

Oh, I also take no, I repeat, no prescription drugs.

 

[Megatomic]

I vote yes and personally take One Source Pure Performance multivitamins daily. I've never felt better in my life.

I also take a sublingual B complex and fish oil daily.

 

[Wnh5001]

i figure it can't hurt it take it, and to whoever asked how many times it should be taken, i believe i read somewhere that your body can only take a certain amount of vitamins daily therefore you should follow the directions and its usually once daily i believe.

 

[daveshel]

Bronson Fortified Vitamin & Mineral Insurance Formula and Bronson C.