Nutritional Supplements

Inquisitor77

Hi all. I've been seriously looking at getting a regular daily nutritional supplement, but being both a cynic and a skeptic I'm having trouble paying for one without feeling like I'm going to be perpetually ripped off. I've basically narrowed down my choices to Centrum and Xtend-Life. Since the entire industry is basically not regulated (in the United States), does anyone here have any other suggestions or information which might be helpful?

Tube

You probably really don't need one.

RUNN1NGMAN

If you feel like taking something, just get the generic brand multivitamin at Target or the supermarket or wherever. It'll be $5 cheaper than the Centrum/One-a-Day/GNC stuff, and have the same ingredients.

In the US, supplements are regulated as to content unless they are herbal or natural remedies, in which case the potency can vary widely between brands. In any case, you'll probably get some benefit out of a multivitamin, and piss the rest out, so don't waste too much money on name brands. Worst-case is that it does nothing for you, best case it remedies a deficiency from you not eating the right stuff. I take Target brand multivitamins--about $8 for a 6 month supply so it's not a big deal if I'm not getting any benefit.

EggyToast

When I'm on vacation and have less access to balanced meals, I pack along a couple generic multi-vitamins just in case. I usually only take them if I feel "off" in some way, though -- usually lethargic or occasionally with a slight headache. Again, a supplement is supposed to go along with your regular diet, and fill in aspects that are missing. If you never eat anything with vit-c, for example, a supplement/vitamin would probably be a good idea.

But don't just take one to take one.

PirateJon

Take your generic multi and watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThdFqGLq4QU

GungHo

If you feel you gotta take one... well, first, see if you can cover whatever dietary "gap" you have with food, because I don't know of many things that are better in pill form than food form. However, if you can't, I honestly suggest you stay with Centrum or some other name brand rather than Homie's Suppliment, because you probably won't turn into a fucking smurf with Centrum, unlike that clown who decided he wanted to eat silver to make up for some "silver deficiency" or something.

corcorigan

A quick look on Google Scholar brings up a whole pile of cases showing that Vitamin D apparently both reduces and increases the risk of cancer, depending on who you ask. This is just a random example.

My layman's suggestion is that unless you have a ridiculously limited diet (like you are living on an 18th century ship diet) it'll make bugger-all difference.

Thanatos

corcorigan wrote: »

A quick look on Google Scholar brings up a whole pile of cases showing that Vitamin D apparently both reduces and increases the risk of cancer, depending on who you ask. This is just a random example.

My layman's suggestion is that unless you have a ridiculously limited diet (like you are living on an 18th century ship diet) it'll make bugger-all difference.

Here's the thing about cancer: too much of just about anything causes it. Odds are, the scholarly articles that say it causes cancer are from people taking megadoses. The name of the game in preventing cancer is "moderation." Everything in moderation.

Most generic multivitamins will give you a fairly moderate dose of a bunch of different vitamins. It's probably not going to hurt you. I'd stay away from other nutritional supplements, though, for the reasons outlined in the above video.

Pulvaan

I might be a little paranoid about this, but think of this another way: a lot of the raw ingredients for these products come from overseas, mostly from China.

After researching this for a while (specifically about protein supplements, like GNC's protein shakes), i found out there is really very little regulation on the production, storage, and shipment of these ingredients from places like china. The ingredients (soy protein) are stored in generic containers that may have been used for other purposes before they put the ingredient in there.

If producers in china are choosing to use melamine in their milk to fool regulators into believing they have greater protein content, what do you think they're doing with your protein supplements?

Just something to think about.

Mace1370

If you must take something, then take a mutlivitamen with low doses of Vitament A (most multis have way too much of it right now). Shoot for something around 3000ug.

Problem with multivitamens is that they are tailored around the average diet. The average American doesn't really get enough vitamen D right now, but to get enough you only need to be out in the sun around 30 minutes a day. Sad, I know =/

Inquisitor77

I was leaning towards not spending the money, but I just wanted to make sure my research and intuition were heading in the right direction. Thanks for the backup, guys.