What is meant by good vitamins?

[Eliz]

My budget is tight but according to my doctor, I need to take some supplements especially Vit D.  I'm trying to eat a more balanced diet as well.  I keep reading about buying good vitamins but I have not idea how to evaluate brands except on price.  Help would be most appreciated!

[Guest]

Absorbable and easily assimilated forms of the vitamins, usually food derived instead of the inorganics, and in the form most easily utilized by your body. Ie: folate instead of folic acid.

[whitestavern]

Vitamin D is inexpensive as supplements go. I take Solgar 1000 IU. Multis and Bs etc. I buy food based. I like mykind organics.

[AmandaVT]

I consider "good" anything in gummy form, bonus points for the sour kind.  :leaving:  :lol:

[MaeFlowers]

Consumerlabs.com tests vitamins. Of course, you have to pay for a subscription. However, I will tell you that expensive does not always mean better. I haven't been on in quite a while, but Sam's club and Swanson's vitamins used to come up regularly on their "best" list.

[jenn-]

My budget is tight but according to my doctor, I need to take some supplements especially Vit D. I'm trying to eat a more balanced diet as well. I keep reading about buying good vitamins but I have not idea how to evaluate brands except on price. Help would be most appreciated!

A well timed post as I was about to ask a similar question. I know I absolutely have to change my multivitamin, add a vitamin D3, and possibly extra B vitamins. It is dr orders for all but the multivitamin change which is due to finding out I am homozygous for the bad MTHFR mutation so folic acid has to go.

 

I can't decide where to spend the bigger bucks, high quality multi and lower vitamin specific ones or reverse that and find a cheaper multi that uses actual folate and better vitamin specific ones. Are there any brands that are good but won't break the bank?

[gardenmom5]

I've become a vitamin snob - yeah, it makes a difference.  please, dont' ask me how I know . . . .

 

don't base your evaluation on price.

 

molecular form - bioavailablity.  you want your body to be able to get it into your cells, WITHOUT making your liver convert it to another form.  e.g. b12 - methylcobalimin.  b5 - P5P.  those are the most bioavailable forms.  if your body has to convert it to a useable form, it stresses your liver, and you will excrete lots of unused vitamin that you PAID for.  and, you don't get nearly as much of the vitamin as the label says  . . . .

 

, certified to contain what it *says* it contains .  . . .

 

for vitamin d - you want d3. (and straight d3 is fairly inexpensive.) BUT, you also need to pay attention to the oil in which it is suspended.  some oils do better at getting it into your system than others.  I am currently taking NOW 5000IUs - which is a good brand for the price.  there are better brands out there, but you will pay more.  (I don't absorb d3 well,. d3 drops with vitamin k are most absorbable.)

 

I buy vitamins off amazon - usually a good price, and I can get exactly what I want without going all over town.  I will not take any supplement sold by costco.  I consider them middle of the road at best, and it's just not worth the monetary savings to me, if I'm not getting what I'm paying for because my body can't use it.

 

currently for my multi - I'm using the emerald laboratories 4-day multi (but I only take 2 a day.  you could even take one.  has about the same doseage as the 1-a-day, but works out more economical.  I ADORE!!!!! their b-complex.  (I take 1 am, 1pm.)

[gardenmom5]

Absorbable and easily assimilated forms of the vitamins, usually food derived instead of the inorganics, and in the form most easily utilized by your body. Ie: folate instead of folic acid.

 

can't emphasize that one enough.  those with a mthf mutation especially should NOT be taking folic acid.  folic acid is 100% artificial.  you won't find it in any food anywhere - unless it was chemically added.  for those with the mthf mutation, it actually does harm by making it more difficult to absorb and use folate.

if you need to do a direct supplement - folinic acid is the natural form.

and why I love emerald labs b-healthy so much.  it contains mthf.  (aka: methytetrahydrofolate.) I feel so much better when I take it . . .

[Liz CA]

My budget is tight but according to my doctor, I need to take some supplements especially Vit D.  I'm trying to eat a more balanced diet as well.  I keep reading about buying good vitamins but I have not idea how to evaluate brands except on price.  Help would be most appreciated!

 

Vitamin D3 by Bluebonnet (liquid) is inexpensive and lasts a good while even if you take several drops a day.

Bluebonnet - as far as I know - is a decent brand for other things as well. I still buy Nature's Sunshine and a few things recommended by my naturopath are manufactured by Pure Formula for instance.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

:lurk5:

[gardenmom5]

A well timed post as I was about to ask a similar question. I know I absolutely have to change my multivitamin, add a vitamin D3, and possibly extra B vitamins. It is dr orders for all but the multivitamin change which is due to finding out I am homozygous for the bad MTHFR mutation so folic acid has to go.

 

I can't decide where to spend the bigger bucks, high quality multi and lower vitamin specific ones or reverse that and find a cheaper multi that uses actual folate and better vitamin specific ones. Are there any brands that are good but won't break the bank?

 

all are available on amazon.  some NOW vitamins are available on amazon subscribe and save.

NOW is reasonably price as better vitamin prices go .. .

 

I caught on to them when I was patronizing a compounding pharmacy for dudeling. it was one brand they carried and carried only a small handful of brands.

 

thorne (excellent, expensive, brand most naturopaths recommend. dudelings ND uses some other brands for certain things.) there are certain things I will fork out for thorne.

douglas laboratories

Pure encapsulations

 

hmm.  four brands.  those are about the only ones carried by the compounding pharmacy the ND uses.  

 

I think those are the only brand this compounding pharmacy carried.  since the lower there are brands my ND will use, I figured NOW was ok.  she hasn't had an issue with it.

I have also been very impressed with emerald laboratories.  (very bioavailable. developed by a ND.)

[jenn-]

For those that feel much better with the higher quality vitamins, how long did it take to notice a difference? Would a 30 day supply be long enough to figure out which brand is working for me? If I found a multi with higher and more bioavailability in the B and D vitamins, will the little change help?

[Lanny]

I take a Centrum MultiVitamin for Men over 50. They also have many other kinds of vitamins, for men, for women, and unisex.  A childhood friend in UT  takes a WalMart vitamin that has the same formula as the Centrum vitamins I take.   There are probably better (and more expensive) vitamins you might take, but how you would determine, whether or not they are superior or inferior, to some less expensive vitaminm might be difficult or impossible. 

[wonderfilled]

My husband and I take Plexus XFactor.  I researched all the ingredients and am very impressed with them.

 

Their nutrients are very bioavailable. They have methylcobalamin for B12 and folate instead of folic acid.  They also have Aloe Vera which increases the absorption of most nutrients by up to 400%.  They also have New Zealand Black currant extract which is very high in antioxidants, iron and other nutrients.  They have a sixty day money-back guarantee.

[G5052]

I take the Alive Max3 with no iron (nearly menopausal).

 

I don't like that they're big and hard to swallow, but I feel better on them than off.

 

I buy Kirkland D3 from Costco, but Amazon carries it as well.

[magnificent_baby]

I consider "good" anything in gummy form, bonus points for the sour kind.  :leaving:  :lol:

 

Same here! I can't take anything other than gummy vitamins, the rest upset my stomach. I take the same one as my kids, then a gummy calcium/vitamin D combo, all from Costco. I don't have any special needs as far as medical concerns, so no need for anything fancy for me. 

[gardenmom5]

For those that feel much better with the higher quality vitamins, how long did it take to notice a difference? Would a 30 day supply be long enough to figure out which brand is working for me? If I found a multi with higher and more bioavailability in the B and D vitamins, will the little change help?

 

I took a double dose of nature made b-complex for YEARS.  I *only* noticed it was helping if I stopped taking it for a week or more.  pretty sad to only notice something is helping by its absence. . . . . now that I know what to look for on the label - I won't use anything made by them.  they're simply average quality ingredients at best.

 

I switched to emerald laboratories b-healthy because it has higher quality forms (re: more bioavailable = more easily used by the body) of the various b-vitamins. . . . . 7-10 days later, I felt like someone had flipped on a light switch.  I was sold. (going from nm - to el with absolutely no break in between.)

 

Same here! I can't take anything other than gummy vitamins, the rest upset my stomach. I take the same one as my kids, then a gummy calcium/vitamin D combo, all from Costco. I don't have any special needs as far as medical concerns, so no need for anything fancy for me. 

 

rainbowlight gummy bear essentials are a very good quality gummy.

 

eta: correct spelling.

Edited February 13, 2016 by gardenmom5

[jenn-]

It depends on dose and how deficient you are. If I take enough D3 to keep me at 35, I cant tell any difference. If I take enough to be at 70 I feel good, have energy, and some minor symptoms disappear. B12...cyanocobalamin was a little helpful, methylcobalamin was an overnight difference. If I stop for a week, I notice.

 

Thank you for your response.  My D3 level was right at 30, so I have some climbing to do.  I'm considering the drops since another mutation makes absorption issues with it.

 

[AmandaVT]

I took a double dose of nature made b-complex for YEARS.  I *only* noticed it was helping if I stopped taking it for a week or more.  pretty sad to only notice something is helping by its absence. . . . . now that I know what to look for on the label - I won't use anything made by them.  they're simply average quality ingredients at best.

 

I switched to emerald laboratories b-healthy because it has higher quality forms (re: more bioavailable = more easily used by the body) of the various b-vitamins. . . . . 7-10 days later, I felt like someone had flipped on a light switch.  I was sold. (going from nm - to el with absolutely no break in between.)

 

 

rainbowlight gummy bear essentials are a very good quality gummy.

 

eta: correct spelling.

 

 

I love the rainbowlight gummies! The D is really good and my D levels were great when I had them tested recently (and I'm in VT). My Dr was pleasantly surprised at my levels and asked which vitamin I take. 

[Kim in Appalachia]

I took a double dose of nature made b-complex for YEARS.  I *only* noticed it was helping if I stopped taking it for a week or more.  pretty sad to only notice something is helping by its absence. . . . . now that I know what to look for on the label - I won't use anything made by them.  they're simply average quality ingredients at best.

 

I switched to emerald laboratories b-healthy because it has higher quality forms (re: more bioavailable = more easily used by the body) of the various b-vitamins. . . . . 7-10 days later, I felt like someone had flipped on a light switch.  I was sold. (going from nm - to el with absolutely no break in between.)

 

 

rainbowlight gummy bear essentials are a very good quality gummy.

 

eta: correct spelling.

 

 

So I looked at the emerald labs B-healthy, but it doesn't contain B12, which is what I'm low in.  They have a multi vitamin for women over 45 which has some B12, but not as much as I'm taking.

 

Do you know of another brand, similar to Emerald labs, that makes a good multi B vitamin or just a B12?  I'm curious.  I've been taking the B12 from Costco, the Kirkland brand.  But I'm wondering if switching to something else would be better.  

[barnwife]

I don't know if I should make a new post for this or not. LMK if I should.

What about a good quality prenatal vitamin. I am currently taking a gummy prenatal (which I'd prefer), but have no idea how to tell which brand is good/best. (FWIW, I am not currently pregnant. But, DH and I are hoping to change that fact sometime in the nearish future. Hence my desire for a good prenatal.)

[gardenmom5]

Thank you for your response.  My D3 level was right at 30, so I have some climbing to do.  I'm considering the drops since another mutation makes absorption issues with it.

 

 

 

d3 of 30 is considered an absolute minmum.  50 is the current minimum for health.

 

it came up in at least one of dd's classes (pharmacist) that d3 is being reclassified as a hormone because of; how it is made in the body, and the number body systems that require it for optimum function.

 

one reason I will NOT take Costco d3  . . . . I did between 4,000IUs and 6,000IUs daily, for several years, and I STILL hadn't reached 50!   I've switched to NOW 5,000IUs   I'm curious to how I'd feel if hit 70 .. . . .

[gardenmom5]

I don't know if I should make a new post for this or not. LMK if I should.

 

What about a good quality prenatal vitamin. I am currently taking a gummy prenatal (which I'd prefer), but have no idea how to tell which brand is good/best. (FWIW, I am not currently pregnant. But, DH and I are hoping to change that fact sometime in the nearish future. Hence my desire for a good prenatal.)

 

 

I would recommend either emerald labs, thorne, douglas laboratories for brands.

[gardenmom5]

So I looked at the emerald labs B-healthy, but it doesn't contain B12, which is what I'm low in.  They have a multi vitamin for women over 45 which has some B12, but not as much as I'm taking.

 

Do you know of another brand, similar to Emerald labs, that makes a good multi B vitamin or just a B12?  I'm curious.  I've been taking the B12 from Costco, the Kirkland brand.  But I'm wondering if switching to something else would be better.  

 

 

:blink:  emerald laboratories b-healthy contains 500 mcg (8300% usrda)  of methylcobalamin. that's the most bioavailable form of b12.  http://www.ultralaboratories.com/EmeraldLabs/B-Healthy/index.php

 

 

my son needs more, so he also gets NOW 1mg methylcobalamin sublingual (dissolves under the tongue.)  the most absorbable form of methylcobalamin is a 1mg INJECTION into the fatty tissue of your posterior.   if you pee red - you didn't get it into the fat.   (it's a microfine needle.)

 

 

​

Edited February 13, 2016 by gardenmom5

[Kim in Appalachia]

:blink:  emerald laboratories b-healthy contains 500 mcg (8300% usrda)  of methylcobalamin. that's the most bioavailable form of b12.  http://www.ultralaboratories.com/EmeraldLabs/B-Healthy/index.php

 

 

my son needs more, so he also gets NOW 1mg methylcobalamin sublingual (dissolves under the tongue.)  the most absorbable form of methylcobalamin is a 1mg INJECTION into the fatty tissue of your posterior.   if you pee red - you didn't get it into the fat.   (it's a microfine needle.)

 

 

​

 

 

Thanks! I was looking on Amazon, and they didn't list it.  I didn't look at the label.  I may switch when I finish my Costco brand.  I will definitely be switching my D3, probably to NOW.  I had thought of switching to NOW for the B12, but I think I will try Emerald labs first.

[Kim in Appalachia]

:blink:  emerald laboratories b-healthy contains 500 mcg (8300% usrda)  of methylcobalamin. that's the most bioavailable form of b12.  http://www.ultralaboratories.com/EmeraldLabs/B-Healthy/index.php

 

 

my son needs more, so he also gets NOW 1mg methylcobalamin sublingual (dissolves under the tongue.)  the most absorbable form of methylcobalamin is a 1mg INJECTION into the fatty tissue of your posterior.   if you pee red - you didn't get it into the fat.   (it's a microfine needle.)

 

 

​

 

 

hmm, that could be an issue with the Emerald labs.  My dh said that B12, in vitamin form, should be the kind that dissolves under the tongue.  He said it's hard to get B12 to absorb.  I imagine that B Healthy is not a dissolve under the tongue tablet, which would mean that I would have to supplement it.  But I do like that it has the rest of the B vitamins.    

[Jen in NY]

There was recently a great (and frightening!) Frontline about supplements, including vitamins. MANY of the supplements and vitamins tested contain nothing like what they are purported to contain. I think one brand recommended and independently verified as containing the proper ingredients was NatureMade....

[J-rap]

I'll often check out reviews for supplements on LabDoor (though not all supplements are listed):

 

https://labdoor.com

 

 

[gardenmom5]

hmm, that could be an issue with the Emerald labs.  My dh said that B12, in vitamin form, should be the kind that dissolves under the tongue.  He said it's hard to get B12 to absorb.  I imagine that B Healthy is not a dissolve under the tongue tablet, which would mean that I would have to supplement it.  But I do like that it has the rest of the B vitamins.    

 

which is why the best way to get b12 is via injection into fat.   (2nd is sublingual.)

[Eliz]

Wow!  Thank you all.  There's so much here I didn't know!  I can't imagine how I could be deficient in Vit. D living in Texas, but I may be.  I really hope supplements help me feel more energetic.  Lately, I've been dragging through the day feeling a hundred years old.  

[jenn-]

Anyone familiar with Deva vitamins? I found a vegan b12 sublingual through them. I think I've narrowed my choices to Thorne liquid sublingual drops for D3, Emerald Laboratories for the multivitamin, and the Deva b12 unless someone has heard of less favorable reviews.

[MSNative]

Wow! Thank you all. There's so much here I didn't know! I can't imagine how I could be deficient in Vit. D living in Texas, but I may be. I really hope supplements help me feel more energetic. Lately, I've been dragging through the day feeling a hundred years old.

Definitely get checked. I live in the south too and am outside as much as possible- most of the time without sunscreen cause I forget. I also eat foods high in vit d. I figured I was super high in vit d. Turns out I was ridiculously low and now have to supplement.

[gardenmom5]

If you have an mthfr variation....can you to tolerate some enriched wheat products? Is there a supplement that would allow you to do so?

 

I feel better if I don't eat enriched grains because I'm able to get more mthf into my system.  I do cheat on occasion.  a small cheat I can usually get away with *on occasion*, if I eat what a normal diet would be, I can feel it and it can take days of being good to feel better again.

 

no supplement allowing me to eat enriched grains.  I take THORNE/rx mthf (form matters for this more than most things, and thorne is the only otc brand I trust).   I'm currently at 9.5 mgs and working my way up.  I've had to be very slow at increasing doseage.

[ktgrok]

Just read this thread, as I was looking at vitamins again. I am about to click "buy" on the Emerald prenatal, and am happy to hear that people like them. I'll probably continue a sublingual B12 as well because as a bariatric patient I should stick with sublingual, but the methylfolate makes me happy, and the high level of thiamine, which my nutritionist swears by for nausea.