Vitamin brands...any that you trust/don't trust more than others?

[Tap]

I am going to try and treat my inflammation with herbs/vitamins/minerals for a few months to see if that will work for me. I have a chronic back issue that is fairly well controlled right now, so I thought that it would be a good time to try and see if a natural regimen will be able to get me off the last of my anti-inflammatory meds.

 

It has been suggested to try

Zyflamend

Evening Primrose and/or Black Cohosh--either 500mg twice daily

Fish or flax oil--2000mg per day .

 

The Zyflamend is brand specific but I need to order the others separately. Any suggestions on brands?

 

 

I already take Rainbow Light Prenatal (I'm not pg) and add a b-complex periodically when I am at work and we have extra stress.

[gaillardia]

A friend told me that she watched a person give a demonstration on what brands of multi-vitamins were good or bad. The person was burning the vitamin and showing the crowd the tar that was left afterwards.

I recently read that vitamins are not made of more naturally occurring ingredients, but synthetic. I used to use vitamins and I think Thompson is a reputable brand.

Instead of using bottled vitamins, I have used various herbal combinations. The body can assimilate them easier. JMHO.;)

[LauraGB]

Look into Enzymatic Therapy (available at healthfood stores) and Phytopharmica (available at chiropractors and other holistic healers).

Edited July 7, 2011 by LauraGB

[Parrothead]

Swanson's.

[Spryte]

My doctor - an MD, but getting more and more into alternative environmental health issues - loves most products by Thorne. They are gluten free, too. :)

 

She treats me for chronic inflammation - I have a lot of health history that causes inflammation, ouch - and I take Thorne's Basic Detox Nutrients as my multi, and she is very excited about me trying a product by Biogenesis for inflammation (I think it is called BioInflammation, or something close to that).

 

I take a ton of other supplements, too. They seem to be helping - I am making huge strides health-wise!

 

Thorne and Biogenesis both have their own websites, but most products can be ordered on Amazon.

[LaxMom]

I like Rainbow Light.

 

For herbs, I go to Mountain Rose Herbs. You can order bulk herbs and capsule them yourself (assuming you want to take capsules and not use them more traditionally in teas, etc) or they have herbal capsules.

 

For inflammation, I usually recommend tumeric and ginger. (Tumeric you definitely want to take in capsule; it would turn your teeth orange) Tumeric is a COX2 inhibitor (like Vioxx, but without the recall). Ginger is also helpful but I generally add that when there is asthma (leukotriene inhibitor) or other systemic inflammation.

[Spryte]

Forgot to mention that Nordic Naturals makes a good fish oil. Whatever you choose, try to get mercury free.

 

And may I second turmeric and ginger? Both are very helpful!

[kandty]

I love Shaklee and they have MANY years of research behind their's. :001_smile:

[Tap]

The zyflamend has both tumeric and ginger:

 

Amount per 2 Softgels % Daily Value

Rosemary (leaf) 100 mg supercritical extract and 50 mg hydroethanolic extract (min. 34.5 mg total phenolic antioxidants [TPA]) 150 mg •

Turmeric (rhizome) 10 mg supercritical extract (min. 4.5 mg turmerones) and 100 mg hydroethanolic extract (min. 7 mg curcuminoids) 110 mg •

Ginger (rhizome) 54 mg supercritical extract (min. 16.2 mg pungent compounds; min. 4.3 mg zingiberene) and 46 mg hydroethanolic extract (min. 1.4 mg pungent compounds) 100 mg •

Holy Basil (leaf) hydroethanolic extract (min. 2 mg ursolic acid) 100 mg •

Green Tea (leaf) extract (min. 45 mg polyphenols) 100 mg •

Hu Zhang (Polygonum cuspidatum) (root and rhizome) hydroethanolic extract (min. 6.4 mg resveratrol) 80 mg •

Chinese Goldthread (root) hydroethanolic extract (min. 2.4 mg berberine) 40 mg •

Barberry (root) hydroethanolic extract (min. 2.4 mg berberine) 40 mg •

Oregano (leaf) supercritical extract (min. 1.6 mg TPA) 40 mg •

Baikal Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) (root) hydroethanolic extract (min. 3.4 mg baicalein complex including baicalein and baicalin; and min. 0.08 mg wogonin)

[LaxMom]

The zyflamend has both tumeric and ginger:

 

Amount per 2 Softgels % Daily Value

Rosemary (leaf) 100 mg supercritical extract and 50 mg hydroethanolic extract (min. 34.5 mg total phenolic antioxidants [TPA]) 150 mg •

Turmeric (rhizome) 10 mg supercritical extract (min. 4.5 mg turmerones) and 100 mg hydroethanolic extract (min. 7 mg curcuminoids) 110 mg •

Ginger (rhizome) 54 mg supercritical extract (min. 16.2 mg pungent compounds; min. 4.3 mg zingiberene) and 46 mg hydroethanolic extract (min. 1.4 mg pungent compounds) 100 mg •

Holy Basil (leaf) hydroethanolic extract (min. 2 mg ursolic acid) 100 mg •

Green Tea (leaf) extract (min. 45 mg polyphenols) 100 mg •

Hu Zhang (Polygonum cuspidatum) (root and rhizome) hydroethanolic extract (min. 6.4 mg resveratrol) 80 mg •

Chinese Goldthread (root) hydroethanolic extract (min. 2.4 mg berberine) 40 mg •

Barberry (root) hydroethanolic extract (min. 2.4 mg berberine) 40 mg •

Oregano (leaf) supercritical extract (min. 1.6 mg TPA) 40 mg •

Baikal Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) (root) hydroethanolic extract (min. 3.4 mg baicalein complex including baicalein and baicalin; and min. 0.08 mg wogonin)

Please excuse my saying so, but those are just way too overprocessed for my taste. I have no idea what a "supercritical extract" is. Is that how Bayer derived aspirin from willow? "Hydroethanolic extract" would mean it was tinctured (alcohol, water) and then... evaporated?

 

I'm not a fan of pieces of herbs or isolates of their "active" compounds. Whole herbs have all the synergistic pieces together, and we don't know what all of those are or what they all do as part of the herb's action.

 

(I also find the goldthread questionable because, as far as I know, it's endangered.)

 

Tumeric, ginger, holy basil - all good for inflammation of various causes. Skullcap is a muscle relaxer, also good for headaches. The rest, at least in my book, are just diluting the standard good stuff. ;)

[Endorphins]

Rainbow Light is my favorite brand and I've done a boatload of research and warm water experiments with vitamins (I know, not the most accurate, but gives one an idea of ability to dissolve).

 

You need to look into cutting all grain, legumes, and sugar from your diet if you haven't already. Eating Paleo style will reduce drastically/remove the need for inflammatory response in your body. It has ELIMINATED my husband's needs for anti-inflammatories for his back (he's had surgery, physical therapy, massage, the whole works and this is the only thing that's helped...and boy did it ever!). It has also eliminated our allergies and a whole host of other issues. Check out Dr. Kurt Harris' blog on getting started. It's not fun to change your diet, but if you're desperate for relief, it's a pretty dang easy choice.

 

Hope this helps.

 

ETA: And I have to eat an anti-inflammatory diet due to my auto-immune disorder (Hashimoto's thyroiditis). If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Edited July 7, 2011 by Endorphins

[Tap]

I like Rainbow Light.

 

For herbs, I go to Mountain Rose Herbs. You can order bulk herbs and capsule them yourself (assuming you want to take capsules and not use them more traditionally in teas, etc) or they have herbal capsules.

 

For inflammation, I usually recommend tumeric and ginger. (Tumeric you definitely want to take in capsule; it would turn your teeth orange) Tumeric is a COX2 inhibitor (like Vioxx, but without the recall). Ginger is also helpful but I generally add that when there is asthma (leukotriene inhibitor) or other systemic inflammation.

 

Just as a side note....I drive by Mountain Rose Herbs every time we go to the mountains. It is just outside Eugene, Or. LOL Now, I will think of you :)

[Tap]

I think the reason the Zyflamend was recommended is that I have to talk myself into taking pills. I have a strong gag reflex and pills often come back up after going down. I have to stand by the sink for about 5 seconds after taking any meds, to make sure I won't be needing it.

 

I can take 5 pills at a time if they are the size of small pills and are coated. IF they get anywhere near a multivitamin size....I Barely get them down. I physically cannot take more than one large pill every few hours. It will go down, but it won't stay down for more than a few seconds. It isn't mind over matter, because it goes down....I truly do NOT want it to come back up! But, often, it does anyways.:ack2:

 

I work in pharmacy and they tease me because I will put my vitamin on my computer terminal. When I think I can get it to stay down, I will take it. Many days....it never makes it into my mouth. I start my morning with my smallest pills first, the antihistamine and anti-inflammatories. Next, I have to decide if I can get the bigger multi-vite down or if I am going to just go for the b-complex. If I can't get the multi-vite down, I take it to work with me. lol

 

If I try to separate all the herbs out to get the best absorption....I will get no absorption because they won't stay down.

[LaxMom]

That's fair enough. I'd mix and fill capsules myself in that situation. Or use tinctures or teas (but not the tumeric. Orange teeth. Brrrrrr). I'm not sure how much of the "valuable" herbs you'll be getting in a mix that's that busy though.

 

If I recall correctly, the prefilled caps are about the size of the RL organic women's multi. I'm not sure how that compares to their prenatals, though.

 

But if you can take small capsules easily, they sell multiple sizes of blanks.

 

I am very jealous of your proximity to Mountain Rose.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

My doctor - an MD, but getting more and more into alternative environmental health issues - loves most products by Thorne. They are gluten free, too. :)

 

She treats me for chronic inflammation - I have a lot of health history that causes inflammation, ouch - and I take Thorne's Basic Detox Nutrients as my multi, and she is very excited about me trying a product by Biogenesis for inflammation (I think it is called BioInflammation, or something close to that).

 

I take a ton of other supplements, too. They seem to be helping - I am making huge strides health-wise!

 

Thorne and Biogenesis both have their own websites, but most products can be ordered on Amazon.

Is she close to DC metro area? If she is could you PM with her name:D

[justamouse]

Believe it or not, Walmart has one of the strictest manufacturing processes. It takes a LOT to get on their shelves.

 

Other than that we use Vitamin Shoppe.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I like Rainbow Light.

 

For herbs, I go to Mountain Rose Herbs. You can order bulk herbs and capsule them yourself (assuming you want to take capsules and not use them more traditionally in teas, etc) or they have herbal capsules.

 

For inflammation, I usually recommend tumeric and ginger. (Tumeric you definitely want to take in capsule; it would turn your teeth orange) Tumeric is a COX2 inhibitor (like Vioxx, but without the recall). Ginger is also helpful but I generally add that when there is asthma (leukotriene inhibitor) or other systemic inflammation.

 

What kind of ginger or am I confusing this with ginseng?:tongue_smilie:Is it hard to pack your own capsules? How much ginger and tumeric for someone with severe bouts of asthma on occasion?

[Unicorn.]

I love Shaklee and they have MANY years of research behind their's. :001_smile:

 

I second Shaklee. They go the extra mile to ensure theirs are pure and don't contain any contaminates.

[Paz]

My brother owns an internet vitamin company and I work for him. I do love Zyflamend because I hear testimonials from customers about it all the time. Both my brother and father have used it for back pain and have found the results amazing. I have had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the company and I feel very confident about the quality of the product and the way it is manufactured.

[mdmurray]

For inflammation frankincense essential oil is very good...topical not ingested.

[Dolphin]

 

Kirkman Labs They are not Costco. They are amazing! Great for people with special needs, allergies etc... They don't have all that filler junk. A lot of people use vitamins to treat ADD and Autism, this is one of the leading places they get those quality of vitamins from. They are have a great environmental friendly cleaning range.