# Vitamins



## ashmamma84 (Feb 12, 2008)

Any women here take them? If so, what? Do you find them to be beneficial? I'm thinking of adding a multi vitamin to my diet (no, not that kind)...but I'm not sure if it's worth it or not. Just want an added boost as far as my health/wellness is concerned.


Thanks in advance!


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## comperic2003 (Feb 12, 2008)

I know, I know, I am not a woman, but I still feel this in an important issue. I, personally don't think vitamin supplements should be part of a well balanced and healthy diet, but some people eat like crap and should take one. But, be very careful with the brand you choose. Here is an excerpt from a menshealth (gasp!) article.

ConsumerLab.com tested 21 multivitamins for adults and children and found that more than half had problems -- either too much lead or not enough of the ingredients as promised. Only 10 of 21 lived up to their claims and met quality standards, the firm said.

If you're concerned, it's worth subscribing to their service for the full report. Here's a teaser: "Healthy Moments Mint Cream Flavor Vitamin Strips" had no Vitamin A and "Eniva VIBE" only had half of the Vitamin A it promised. The lead-laden worst offender isn't one we guys have to worry about -- though maybe your wife or girlfriend should. It's called "The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for Women."

None of the flaws are very dangerous on their own, but they do show how inconsistent manufacturing can be. Bottom line: Buy from big, established names, and see your doctor about any nutritional deficiencies you may have. And check out our Supplement Finder for the latest information. MensHealth.com talked with the president of ConsumerLab.com, Tod Cooperman, M.D., about the report.

What can you tell men who are a little freaked out by these findings?
Dr. Cooperman: If you're not eating a well-balanced diet, a multivitamin can be helpful -- but you need to be aware that a lot of products have defects. Some may not be delivering all of what they promise and some may be giving you things you don't want, particularly -- you know, lead. This is not the first time we've found lead in a multi-vitamin. It happened three years ago. We often find lead in herbal supplements.

How significant was the lead in the multivitamins that you tested?
Dr. Cooperman: In the worse case, with this woman's product, the 15 micrograms of lead is a lot. It's five times the amount of lead that you're exposed to from all your food and drink in a typical day. For a kid's vitamin it would be a much more serious situation because kids can tolerate up to about 6 micrograms a day. An adult fortunately can tolerate probably 60 or 70 micrograms per day. So it's unlikely it would cause, in itself, any acute toxicity. However, if you're exposed to other sources of lead it is a significant contribution to your lead exposure.

And probably the biggest concern is that lead builds up in your body. It builds up in your bones -- you store it. If you have adult osteoporosis later on in life, that lead comes back out again. There's increasing evidence that lead is just not good for the body. It can contribute to hypertension and many other things. This is a highly avoidable source of contamination.

You absolutely don't want to share any of these with your kids. People do share vitamins -- a mother or father might actually take a kids' vitamin instead of their own vitamin. They figure it's fine, but with the kids' vitamin what we've found is excessive amounts of Vitamin A -- you don't want a mother with kids who's pregnant taking that. They're not supposed to exceed 5000 IUs of Vitamin A a day, for the kids here taking three vitamins a day, they're already exceeding that.

Okay, that's women and children. What should men worry about?
Dr. Cooperman: We did find in a men's and a senior's product the fact that the product wouldn't break apart fast enough. Tablets and caplets, according to the USP guidelines, are supposed to break apart within 30 minutes in a stomach-like condition. You can actually do that test at home by putting your vitamin -- as long as it's a tablet or caplet, not a time-release -- in warm vinegar, about body temperature, and stirring it for 30 minutes. You should see it break apart. If you don't there's a possibility that the same thing is happening in your body and it's not releasing all of its ingredients.

Doesn't the government watch for these shortcomings and hazards?
Dr. Cooperman: The FDA is responsible for regulating supplements, which includes vitamins and herbs. The regulations are not that strict and they're not well enforced. Some companies actually prod the FDA to do more on enforcement because it allows a lot of bad players to ruin it. These bad companies kind of ruin it for everybody. The FDA has promised for 10 years to issue good manufacturing practices but has yet to do so. There's no other health care product that's sold in this country for which there aren't established manufacturing practices.

Even in terms of setting limits on contaminants in these products, we have to look toward the state of California for a limit on lead. The FDA has not set a limit for supplements. In terms of enforcement, the FDA basically said that their products contain 100 percent of what it claims, but it is not testing products unless there has been a report of a serious toxicity. Our head of research actually had been doing that kind of work at the FDA for 9 years before we started ConsumerLab and I assure you that they don't do any routine testing at the FDA and they don't inspect manufacturing facilities. They do not require that a company even register a product with the government. Really, anyone could put a product on the market. It's a buyer-beware situation.

What's a consumer to do?
Dr. Cooperman: If you eat a very well balanced diet you're probably okay. If you're not, you should know what you need nutritionally -- it may not be all that much, you don't have to mega-dose yourself. I think there's a real tendency, probably even more among men, to think that "more is better" in terms of multi-vitamins. But you can get too much vitamin A, magnesium, vitamin C, and niacin. There are lots of vitamins where the Institute of Medicine, which is part of the National Academies, has established tolerable intake levels and they vary depending on your gender and your age.

Should men skip the multivitamin and just take certain supplements?
Dr. Cooperman: It's worthwhile to really look at the different nutrients in your diet and see where you think you might be deficient. There aren't that many cases of real serious vitamin or metal deficiency in adult men in America. You know iron is not something that adult men need much of. Calcium is, but you'll actually need a separate supplement or to get it from dairy or other sources, because you need over a gram a day, and you can't fit that into a multi-vitamin.


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## moore2me (Feb 13, 2008)

ashmamma84 said:


> Any women here take them? If so, what? Do you find them to be beneficial? I'm thinking of adding a multi vitamin to my diet (no, not that kind)...but I'm not sure if it's worth it or not. Just want an added boost as far as my health/wellness is concerned.
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance!



Asmamma, I take a Viactiv Mulit Vitamin Chew daily. They come in several delicious chocolate flavors. I also have periodic blood tests for quite a few different things run by my doctors (due to chronic diseases) and so far the multivitamins are doing their job - except the doctors told me to increase my Vitamin D levels and take a monthly Vitamin E shot. 

One thing I would do tho, if you go with these vitamins is keep them out of the reach of young kids. The vitamins are tasty & would tempt a child to eat too many of them. Vitamin overdose is a common contributor to children being admitted to emergency rooms for accidental poisonings.


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## ashmamma84 (Feb 14, 2008)

moore2me said:


> Asmamma, I take a Viactiv Mulit Vitamin Chew daily. They come in several delicious chocolate flavors. I also have periodic blood tests for quite a few different things run by my doctors (due to chronic diseases) and so far the multivitamins are doing their job - except the doctors told me to increase my Vitamin D levels and take a monthly Vitamin E shot.
> 
> One thing I would do tho, if you go with these vitamins is keep them out of the reach of young kids. The vitamins are tasty & would tempt a child to eat too many of them. Vitamin overdose is a common contributor to children being admitted to emergency rooms for accidental poisonings.



Thanks for this, m2me -- my home isn't child proof, though as I don't have any pattering of little feet around, but I appreciate you commenting.


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## ashmamma84 (Feb 14, 2008)

missaf said:


> Always go for pharmaceutical grade supplements and vitamins. They are more expensive, but you get what you pay for when it comes to them, I fear.



Thanks, missaf. I'd gladly fork over the cash so long as I know I'm getting my moneys worth.


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## Neen (Feb 14, 2008)

I take Womens 1 a day multi vitamin.. so far so good. Been taking it for years.
Pharmsutical grade? Can you give me an example? I'm interested in maybe getting some? thanks!


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## moore2me (Feb 14, 2008)

Pharmacy grade vitamins are probably the ones that doctors write prescriptions for. For example, my doc wrote me a script for Vitamin E. These pills have to pass higher quality standard tests than over the counter products of the same name. Prescription medicines generally have to meet FDA approvals and each pill is supposed to contain a certain portion of the essential ingredient. Over the counter vitamins are not manufactured nor tested so strictly. 

It sort of like the difference in a real Gucci bag and a knock-off. You also pay more for one than the other too.

I take some of each. My doctors have said a multi vitamin over the counter is okay. However, for certain of my deficiencies, they have written vitamin prescriptions (Vitamin D and Vitamin E).


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## DeniseW (Feb 14, 2008)

I take a really good multi vitamin and I also take extra Vitamin C in the winter and I've recently started taking a lot of Vitamin D. I heard about it first on Oprah and I've read it in a couple of magazines that a lot of people have a D deficiency. Oh and I also take extra calcium and magnesium.


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## auntiemoo (Feb 14, 2008)

I take a Centrum Silver multivitamin every day. I am embarrassed to admit I don't eat a well balanced diet regularly so I hope the vitamin helps a least a little.


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## mpls_girl26 (Feb 14, 2008)

Not sure how much you are willing to spend on a vitamin but my sister and a lot of people in my family take the vitamins from Arbonne. There are packets for morning and night and they all swear by it. 

I recently started going to a Health & Wellness center to see a chiropractor after I was in a car accident and I bought some vitamins there - Vitaline. The Dr. was sure to point out to me that my pee will be gatorade yellow and sure enough - it is! It's from some citrus thing in there and it shows that it's absorbed into my body. 

When I told my sister about it she says she pees bright yellow all the time because her vitamins are morning and night. I do notice a difference with energy, my skin not being so terribly dry like it usually is or my hair either.


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