STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

luckyclover · Dooney & Bourke

vitamin question

Kelly · Hermes

Personally, I took a GNC women's multi-vitamin and it gave me horrible headaches almost every day. I didn't even realize it was the multi-vitamin until I ran out and didn't get more for a week, and was headache-free the whole week! I went on and off them a couple times to confirm that's what it was. I don't have another rec, though, because now I just take separate supplements for a couple vitamins instead of one multi

KaffeeKlatsch · Marc Jacobs

I take the generic store version...I've had CVS, Target and Walgreens...with no adverse reactions...as far as I know they were all the same.

cahabo · Kate Spade

There are different multi-vitamins depending on what your needs are. From ones that I have had some have more calcium or more iron than others. Women's One a Day is a good one. Stores usually have the generic version of it too.

Suasoria · Chanel

They aren't all the same. Unfortunately there is no regulation or oversight, so many are made with inferior ingredients. I wouldn't bother taking something that isn't good quality and isn't from a known and reputable company. (No generics/store brands, for example.)

A health food store or natural market will have the best selection and ideally some knowledgeable people to talk to.

Elsewhere here I've suggested iHerb.com, LuckyVitamin.com as well as LuckyVitamin.com for having really good prices. Maybe you can get brand suggestions at a Whole Foods or something like that, and then comparison shop online.

Here are a few articles about vitamins including some multi suggestions.

http://blog.luckyvitamin.com/category/vitamins-and-minerals/

What we spend on vitamins is effing ridiculous, by the way. We pay $30-40 a bottle for a multi.

blubirde · Chanel

I take the Flintstones Chewable with extra Iron. I used to take a One-A-Day but they made me so sick I couldn't handle them anymore. I don't even have to take the chewables with food, they're that gentle, but I take all my other vitamins (B12, B complex, C, fish oil, DHEA, etc.) with food just to be on the safe side. And a HUGE bottle of water just to make sure my tummy still likes me.

NCshopper · Hermes

I take the Women's One-A-Day and I like them. I've heard conflicting things about whether or not vitamins are worth it, but I think they help fill the gaps in nutrition when I don't get all the nutrients I need in a day.

FYI, I used to get a really upset stomach when I took vitamins, no matter the brand. Now I take my multi-vitamin at night before I go to bed and I haven't had a problem with them bothering my stomach. If they're bothering my stomach at all, I'm asleep and don't notice.

wicked · Coach

I alternate between the kiddie chewables (last bottle was Sponge Bob wink

) and the Trader Joes "adult" chewables.

BellinaJessica · Kenneth Cole

Suasoria wrote:

They aren't all the same. Unfortunately there is no regulation or oversight, so many are made with inferior ingredients. I wouldn't bother taking something that isn't good quality and isn't from a known and reputable company. (No generics/store brands, for example.)

A health food store or natural market will have the best selection and ideally some knowledgeable people to talk to.

Elsewhere here I've suggested iHerb.com, LuckyVitamin.com as well as LuckyVitamin.com for having really good prices. Maybe you can get brand suggestions at a Whole Foods or something like that, and then comparison shop online.

Here are a few articles about vitamins including some multi suggestions.

http://blog.luckyvitamin.com/category/vitamins-and-minerals/

What we spend on vitamins is effing ridiculous, by the way. We pay $30-40 a bottle for a multi.

Agreed. Look for ones that are Whole Food Supplements. They will be the most beneficial to your body.

ViViDogWear · Kate Spade

I've been taking the Trader Joe's Women's Daily vitamin for over a year now (and a lot of my co-workers do as well). No trouble with it. I was told by the GNC people that Centrum is no good because of some coating which is hard to break down - it makes it hard for your body to get any of the nutrients.

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

I know I'm a tad late on this thread but I'm taking Viactiv Multi-Vitamin flavor glides. I have a hard time swallowing adult vitamins so I tried these and they make things much easier. They are coated in a berry flavor so if they get stuck you just taste berry until you can drink it down with water.

My fiance uses Centrum. He tried the Centrum active/sport version because we thought it would be good with his exercise routine but he ended up having back pain all of the time while taking them. When he switched to normal Centrum again he was fine. Something in the active pill was too high or reacting in his body.

kmd · Kate Spade

I'm a fan of the New Chapter vitamins- their every woman's one daily is something I've taken for a couple of years http://tinyurl.com/d5rqjq

greendiamond · Marc Jacobs

I take Waiora's EDN (Essential Daily Nutrients) it's a liquid.

fairywings · Dooney & Bourke

I just bought Juice Plus Gummy Vitamins (okay, they're meant for kids and I have to eat 6 a day but they are sooo yummy!) I eat six fruit ones and six vegatable ones a day. They are like gummy life savers and you get great nutrients from them. They are just kind of expensive.

AllieGurl · Marc Jacobs

I take liquid vitamins from trader joes. They are a more conentrated version and my hubby makes us fresh fruit smoothies every morning then adds in the liquid vitamins to them.

gossipgirl · Dooney & Bourke

I think taking vitamins can be a little overrated. I prefer to try to eat healthy and eat a variety of food. I don't want vitamins to be a crutch for me.

wetbandit42 · Marc Jacobs

gossipgirl wrote:

I think taking vitamins can be a little overrated. I prefer to try to eat healthy and eat a variety of food. I don't want vitamins to be a crutch for me.

Maybe, but the vast majority of people don't get all the recommended vitamins and nutrients from their diets, me included.

Right now I am taking Women's One-a-Day.

Kelly · Hermes

gossipgirl wrote:

I think taking vitamins can be a little overrated. I prefer to try to eat healthy and eat a variety of food. I don't want vitamins to be a crutch for me.

I don't think of my vitamins as a crutch. I think of them more as "insurance." I try to eat healthy and get everything in my food, but taking a vitamin will help fill in any cracks. I don't take vitamins so I can eat cheetos all day and fool myself into thinking I'm OK.

BellinaJessica · Kenneth Cole

gossipgirl wrote:

I think taking vitamins can be a little overrated. I prefer to try to eat healthy and eat a variety of food. I don't want vitamins to be a crutch for me.

Unless you are eating local, organic and unprocessed foods it's highly unlikely that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals.

Elle · Hermes

BellinaJessica wrote:

Unless you are eating local, organic and unprocessed foods it's highly unlikely that you are getting enough vitamins and minerals.

That's really quite far from the truth. In fact many many people get entirely too much of some common ones, even with unhealthy diets. And there are a few common ones that many people get less of in general, but we also have to keep in mind that the recomended amounts are both a 'generic' number and a 'recommendation', not a 'get this amount or you are soooo unhealthy' number. It doesn't take into account family histories, personal medical histories, or where everyone lives, all of which can contribute to what we are/aren't getting on a daily basis.

Some, iron in particular, are much better to run a little low on than to be high on, which isn't something we hear alot. Low-iron levels were the catchall diagnosis for fatigue for quite awhile, which we now know is only true in extreme cases and the opposite - heavy metal poisoning from high iron - is actually much more common.

If anyone is conerned or curious about their vitamin/mineral intake, Sparkpeople has a whole list of them that you can add to your daily food tracking log and keep track of them right on the same page - it breaks it down for each food and gives you the 'recommended' amount right next to your daily totals. It's useful to see if you do tend to get a little less of certain things or too much of other things. You can also have your doctor test your blood levels for some especially important vitamins/minerals, and help you interpret the results to determine if you're low or high on anything and what needs to be done about it, if anything.

I'm an occasional Kirkland multi taker, at best ....