Vitamins/supplements/antioxidants

[skcin]

Do you take any dietary or herbal supplements? I know it's difficult to sort through all the conflicting information on some stuff - this is good for you, wait maybe not; this will fight cancer, uh-oh maybe it causes it. This might interact with this; this will poison you if you take too much; don't take this with any other medication or supplement, etc. But I try to be kind of sort of health concious. :shrug: Doing small things are better than doing nothing.

In addition to increasing my intake of dark colored fruits & veggies (blueberries & broccoli especially, and pomegranate juice) I've been taking a daily multivitamin, and drinking at least 1 cup of tea every day. I recently found a great tasting green tea, so I think I'll change over to that & I'd like to increase it to at least 2 cups per day.

Just read an article that all benefits of tea are cancelled out if you add milk (even skim) so I'm pissed about that. :rolleyes: But I guess I'll live.

[strandinthewind]

I drink two protein shakes a day (which contain all the vitamens I need), take Vitrex (a natural testoserone lifter), and drink lots of green tea.

Also, the more colorful the veggie, the better, except for carrots, which contain too much sugar.

[amber]

*snickers at milk*

I take food based multi, food based calcium (you should take calcium, especially if you are trying to lose weight), alpha lipoic acid (very important), and Fish oil or flaxseed suppliments (I can't eat salmon every week, and it is important to get quite a bit of Omega 3 fatty acid).
Those are just what I have right now (vitamins are 'spensive!) but I would take more. For instance, I usually have a vitamin C suppliment as well, just don't happen to have one now. Also vitamin E, but one type of E is effective, and one not so much, I can't remember which is which, I always have to look it up. dl tocopherol, or d tocopherol, one is good, one not so much. There are some others as well which I can't remember off the top of my head. One is from Dr. Perricone's skin prescription, it's an antioxident...not the lipoic acid, something else.
They recommend that you take a B complex vitamin in general, but especially extra before your period, as it reduces symptoms quite a bit. I tried that, and it worked, though I don't have severe symptoms. I don't regularly have a separate B vitamin bottle except a few times a year when i'm rich, but I do recommend it. Also glucosamine chondriton (sp), I like to get that one.
Tumeric is a good suppliment. Wait, turmeric? They also have turmeric tea. I would go with the suppliment, tea tastes nasty.

anyway, yeah. I drink a lot of tea, too.

Also, you have to eat about a pound of carrots to affect your glycemic index. Yes, for a veggie they are sugary, but again, you have to eat a buttload of them. I just learned that a couple months ago. They also have important nutrients and fiber. In fact, the fiber is part of why you have to eat so many to affect your blood sugar negatively.

[strandinthewind]

True - but there are other veggies that have less sugar and do the same thing - so why take in the sugar?

[amber]

True - but there are other veggies that have less sugar and do the same thing - so why take in the sugar?

I don't really consider it "taking in sugar" if I eat one or two carrots at once, considering what I just said about the amount. :shrug: They are low in calories, and I like them better than other veggies with "the same" nutrients (I'm not sure what those are, or if they truly have the exact same nutrients, anyways. I imagine they are orange, like pumpkin and orange peppers...maybe yams...).

But, knock yourself out, I don't care which veggie you eat. I'm just stoked because I really like carrots but was avoiding them for awhile. :laugh: :wavey:

[skcin]

I drink two protein shakes a day (which contain all the vitamens I need), take Vitrex (a natural testoserone lifter), and drink lots of green tea.

Also, the more colorful the veggie, the better, except for carrots, which contain too much sugar.


*snicker*:laugh:

I forgot to say that I suppose I've increased soy in my diet soley because I now eat edamame a few times a week. Not because I want the soy, I just love them, they're tasty. :thumbsup:

[skcin]

BTW - the milk in tea thing has to do with a specific protein in milk called caseins. They intereract with tea & decrease the concentrations of catechin (the flavanoids that are in tea that are thought to help protect against heart disease.) So I guess the caseins are fighting the catechins. Can't they just all get along. :distress:

[amber]

BTW - the milk in tea thing has to do with a specific protein in milk called caseins. They intereract with tea & decrease the concentrations of catechin (the flavanoids that are in tea that are thought to help protect against heart disease.) So I guess the caseins are fighting the catechins. Can't they just all get along. :distress:

Of course not. Milk is a troublemaker anyways, I tried to tell you. :shrug: :laugh:

So, I was home at Christmas, right? My mom has always only drank whole milk, and lots of it. That's what we drank when I was growing up, and what I get on the rare occasion I buy milk. So she told me that last time she had her bone density checked, it was that of a 30 year old. I'm not sure quite how long ago that was, but within a few years. Which is good, cause she smokes cigs.
I don't know if it is from the milk, but it seems like it could be, at least in part. :shrug:
Not enough to sway me, but still noteworthy. I'll just stick to my suppliments and stuff.

[strandinthewind]

I HATE milk. I eat cereal with cold water. I am even losing my taste for milkshakes, which is a good thing :nod:

Also, I lost the 15-20 I gained in December. I just went back to my diet and the gym and it came off in about a week or so. I think much of it was water weight because I drank like a fish and ate lots of fried foods.

2007 is the year of the abs though. I want my eight pack pack.

[skcin]

Of course not. Milk is a troublemaker anyways, I tried to tell you. :shrug: :laugh:

So, I was home at Christmas, right? My mom has always only drank whole milk, and lots of it. That's what we drank when I was growing up, and what I get on the rare occasion I buy milk. So she told me that last time she had her bone density checked, it was that of a 30 year old. I'm not sure quite how long ago that was, but within a few years. Which is good, cause she smokes cigs.
I don't know if it is from the milk, but it seems like it could be, at least in part. :shrug:
Not enough to sway me, but still noteworthy. I'll just stick to my suppliments and stuff.

Wow, that is really good, esp. for a smoker. :nod:

I think much of it was water weight because I drank like a fish and ate lots of fried foods.



Uh, ya think? :laugh:

[carrie721]

Just read an article that all benefits of tea are cancelled out if you add milk (even skim) so I'm pissed about that. :rolleyes: But I guess I'll live.

i read the same thing yesterday about dark choc. basically anything that has antioxidants shouldn't be eaten with milk.

the only supplement i take right now is calcium.

[strandinthewind]

Here is the protein shake I use:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bsn/dessert.html

Here is some info on Vitrex:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nutrex/vitrix.html

[BlackWidow]

Here is the protein shake I use:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bsn/dessert.html

Here is some info on Vitrex:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nutrex/vitrix.html

Oh FUKC IT! JUST SMOKE & DRINK...ENJOY!!
None of us are getting out of here alive...:distress: :laugh:

[skcin]

Oh FUKC IT! JUST SMOKE & DRINK...ENJOY!!
None of us are getting out of here alive...:distress: :laugh:

He does plenty of that - which is why he needs a protein shake & sex booster. :D

[JazmenFlowers]

*snickers at milk*
snickers in 3-part harmony

I take a multivitamin, a flax seed pill and Zinc pill. now and then, I'll take a fiber pill. oh, and a Flintstones once in a while. :)

[carrie721]

snickers in 3-part harmony

I take a multivitamin, a flax seed pill and Zinc pill. now and then, I'll take a fiber pill. oh, and a Flintstones once in a while. :)

oh, flax. i don't take a pill, but i sprinkle flax meal on stuff, so i guess that counts as a supplement.

[rbs3676]

snickers in 3-part harmony

I take a multivitamin, a flax seed pill and Zinc pill. now and then, I'll take a fiber pill. oh, and a Flintstones once in a while. :)

You sound good!
My Dr told me that all I really needed was a multivitamin.
But to be safe, I take 2 spoonfulls of flaxseed oil that I keep in my 'fridge every morning with orange juice. I also take 2 fish oil pills even though I eat fish 3 times a week if not more.

I think so much comes down to genetics and what your exercise regime is.

On edit: Oh yeah, I've been popping 2 zinc pills daily just because its the cold and flue season. I work in a hospital, so you can't be too careful. Zinc is a good thing, martha. :)


rbs

[BlackWidow]

He does plenty of that - which is why he needs a protein shake & sex booster. :D

true..true...:nod:

[JazmenFlowers]

You sound good!
truer words were never spoken.

here it is folks. witness it. :nod:



:laugh:

[CelticGypsy]

I try to take some flaxseed oil and I drink green tea. I drink alot of water. Try to eat alot of fruit and veggies. I add fresh diced onions and bell peppers to almost every main dish I make. From spaghetti to chicken tacos. One way I use to get my kids to eat veggies:D

[strandinthewind]

He does plenty of that - which is why he needs a protein shake & sex booster. :D

Actually, the Vitrex does make ya a litle horny -- but more importantly, it makes the gonads hang way low :eek: :laugh: :wavey:

[BlackWidow]

Actually, the Vitrex does make ya a litle horny -- but more importantly, it makes the gonads hang way low :eek: :laugh: :wavey:

:sorry: :sorry: :sorry: :sorry:

[strandinthewind]

:sorry: :sorry: :sorry: :sorry:

it almost always makes you a "shower," as opposed to a "grower," as well :D

[BlackWidow]

it almost always makes you a "shower," as opposed to a "grower," as well :D

"I have always been a.....shooooooowwweeeerrr":laugh:

[strandinthewind]

"I have always been a.....shooooooowwweeeerrr":laugh:

Then, don't take Vitrex :laugh:

Seriously, my test. levels were slightly low and my doc. suggested I go on Testim, which is scary because, though it is straight testosterone, it is hard to get off of it once you start it because your body gets used to not producing it, etc. Conversely, Vitrix causes your body to produce more of it. When you have more test., you are hornier. Many bodybuilders takes it instead of the Primabull (sic.) human steroids for that reason, though the PB is the best steroid you can take and it has essentially none of the bad side effects that the cow, horse, or other steroids cause, e.g. shrunken sac., etc.

[BlackWidow]

Then, don't take Vitrex :laugh:

Seriously, my test. levels were slightly low and my doc. suggested I go on Testim, which is scary because, though it is straight testosterone, it is hard to get off of it once you start it because your body gets used to not producing it, etc. Conversely, Vitrix causes your body to produce more of it. When you have more test., you are hornier. Many bodybuilders takes it instead of the Primabull (sic.) human steroids for that reason, though the PB is the best steroid you can take and it has essentially none of the bad side effects that the cow, horse, or other steroids cause, e.g. shrunken sac., etc.

..sounds FUN!:]

[Karlie]

I only take a multivitamin and vitamin C supplement. I'm supposed to take calcium supplements too but I always forget.

I don't understand the big deal about fish oil and flax and stuff like that. But I'm just a kid and I'm not really health conscious at all.

The idea of taking a pill with fish oil in it just really grosses me out.

[carrie721]

I only take a multivitamin and vitamin C supplement. I'm supposed to take calcium supplements too but I always forget.

I don't understand the big deal about fish oil and flax and stuff like that. But I'm just a kid and I'm not really health conscious at all.

The idea of taking a pill with fish oil in it just really grosses me out.

lol. flax & fish oil have omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your heart. :thumbsup:

and remember your calcium, young lady ( :p ) - you'll be glad you did as you get older! :nod:

[HejiraNYC]

Actually, the Vitrex does make ya a litle horny -- but more importantly, it makes the gonads hang way low :eek: :laugh: :wavey:

Thanks for sharing. :eek: Remind me to bring my calipers next time. :lol:

[strandinthewind]

Thanks for sharing. :eek: Remind me to bring my calipers next time. :lol:

I usually travel with a stroller for twins and just rest them in there while shopping - I mean a little shave, some baby powder, a cute outfit, and a bankee - who can tell the difference :shrug:

:D

[michelle2677]

A little birdie told me we were discussing strand's privates over here. So i thought i'd join the party :thumbsup:

[carrie721]

I usually travel with a stroller for twins and just rest them in there while shopping - I mean a little shave, some baby powder, a cute outfit, and a bankee - who can tell the difference :shrug:

:D

i don't know any infant that has steel wool hair so sharp it could poke an eye out. :shrug:

[JazmenFlowers]

i don't know any infant that has steel wool hair so sharp it could poke an eye out. :shrug:
:laugh:

bwahahaha. Bea really brings out the best in you.

[carrie721]

:laugh:

bwahahaha. Bea really brings out the best in you.

just call her ~inspiration~ :laugh:

[JazmenFlowers]

just call her ~inspiration~ :laugh:

I remember her voice at the station...

[carrie721]

I remember her voice at the station...

snarf. i wish i still had an mp3 of that.

what was up with stevie and train stations? i'm sure mama never traveled by train. greyhound yes. train no.

[JazmenFlowers]

snarf. i wish i still had an mp3 of that.

what was up with stevie and train stations? i'm sure mama never traveled by train. greyhound yes. train no.
um, do you not have it?

wtf?

I'll get it to you.

[carrie721]

um, do you not have it?

wtf?

I'll get it to you.

i had it on my imac, which is dead. :(

thanks. :xoxo:

[diamondsnake]

Here is some info on Vitrex:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/nutrex/vitrix.html


This looks good, but do you really have to take six pills a day? I am lucky if I remember to take my multivitamin...

[JazmenFlowers]

i had it on my imac, which is dead. :(

thanks. :xoxo:
when you're good to mama...mama's good to YOUUUUUU!

http://download.yousendit.com/67C3C2FD693902E2

[carrie721]

when you're good to mama...mama's good to YOUUUUUU!

http://download.yousendit.com/67C3C2FD693902E2

thanks! :xoxo:

lemme know if i can evah "spice it up" for ya. :p ;)

[strandinthewind]

I said they were shaved :wavey:

[BlackWidow]

I said they were shaved :wavey:

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[carrie721]

I said they were shaved :wavey:

isn't it a little dangerous to be wielding a razor down there? :eek:

[strandinthewind]

isn't it a little dangerous to be wielding a razor down there? :eek:

I have it professionally done :cool: :wavey:

[SuzeQuze]

I take One a Day for women. They actually scored really well on absorption from an independent study of vitamins which was a pleasant surprise. I did do the Dr. Weil thing for a while but buying and taking all of those separate vitamins was a pain in the butt.

[SuzeQuze]

Of course not. Milk is a troublemaker anyways, I tried to tell you. :shrug: :laugh:

So, I was home at Christmas, right? My mom has always only drank whole milk, and lots of it. That's what we drank when I was growing up, and what I get on the rare occasion I buy milk. So she told me that last time she had her bone density checked, it was that of a 30 year old. I'm not sure quite how long ago that was, but within a few years. Which is good, cause she smokes cigs.
I don't know if it is from the milk, but it seems like it could be, at least in part. :shrug:
Not enough to sway me, but still noteworthy. I'll just stick to my suppliments and stuff.

Does she do a lot of weight-bearing exercise?

[Livia]

I take a multi-vitamin, an extra vitamin C (good for allergy sufferers), extra folic acid and 2 Omega 3 fish oil supplements (one w/ lunch, one w/ dinner). I always take vitamins w/ food. I also drink the Tropicana OJ with added calcium.

I was diagnosed w/ hereditary high cholesterol when I was in my late 20's. My doctor insisted that diet and exercise would never matter to someone like me. I started taking Zocor, then Lipitor, and remained on them a very long time, until I started hearing horror stories about the dangers of long-term use of anti-statin drugs. I begged him to let me just TRY the Omega 3 supplements for 6 months. And guess what? My cholesterol went down! Still slightly above normal, but the doc said not enough to put me back on Lipitor and that I should just keep doing whatever I'm doing!

[skcin]

I have it professionally done :cool: :wavey:

Jaz, you just lost the gayest boy tiara over this. :cool:

[strandinthewind]

Jaz, you just lost the gayest boy tiara over this. :cool:


My days of beauty are the stuff legends are made of!

[hayley]

I take a one-a-day multivitamin and then oil supplements three times a day, with meals. My boyfriend harps on me to make sure I take them- he packs a little to go vitamin kit in my purse. So cute. The oil supplement we take is the one with flaxseed, fish, & borage oil for the omega 3, 6, & 9s.

[skcin]

I didn't realize so many people were into the oil supplements. Are they costly?

[hayley]

I didn't realize so many people were into the oil supplements. Are they costly?
They add up just because you're supposed to take them so often- ours are three times a day (although I'll admit I cheat and normally forget and only get them twice) so you go through them so quickly.

We just shop for the deals- stock up when they're buy one get one free, etc.

[strandinthewind]

I do not use oil supplements because they taste and smell awful, esp. the fish oils. I get that they are in a gel cap, but you still taste them throughout the day :eek:

[Livia]

I don't taste them at all, but they do make odorless ones.

Walgreens is having a sale right now, I just bought some- buy one get one free. $9.99 for a bottle of 200.

[hayley]

I do not use oil supplements because they taste and smell awful, esp. the fish oils. I get that they are in a gel cap, but you still taste them throughout the day :eek:

That used to be why I wouldn't take them, but now I just swallow them fast and follow them with a ton of water and I don't get the fish oil taste unless I burp right after taking them... then I'm screwed ;)

[strandinthewind]

That used to be why I wouldn't take them, but now I just swallow them fast and follow them with a ton of water and I don't get the fish oil taste unless I burp right after taking them... then I'm screwed ;)

I used to have to give them to my beloved Scottie MiMi seen here:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v602/strandinthewind/MiMitheSheep.jpg

She, thusly, smelled like fish. It was terrible!

[skcin]

I don't taste them at all, but they do make odorless ones.

Walgreens is having a sale right now, I just bought some- buy one get one free. $9.99 for a bottle of 200.

I've been such a whore for Walgreens sales & rebates. :p This is tempting.

[amber]

I've been such a whore for Walgreens sales & rebates. :p This is tempting.

You should get some. I'm almost out, so I hope they are on sale at my Walgreens. That suppliment is pretty much universally recommended.

[Livia]

It was in last Sunday's paper, which I'm pretty sure is a nationwide advertisement. The sale is for their brand, the 1000 mg ones. I usually buy Nature Made, theirs are 1200 mg.

Target seems to keep the odorless ones in stock better, but they never have the bad-ass 2-for-1 sales that Walgreens does.

[JazmenFlowers]

Jaz, you just lost the gayest boy tiara over this. :cool:
damn. just damn. I is heartbroken.
I do not use oil supplements because they taste and smell awful, esp. the fish oils. I get that they are in a gel cap, but you still taste them throughout the day :eek:
that's exactly what I heard.

[amber]

damn. just damn. I is heartbroken.

that's exactly what I heard.

Flaxseed oil suppliments don't taste like fish, and supply the same type of oil as the fish ones.

[JazmenFlowers]

Flaxseed oil suppliments don't taste like fish, and supply the same type of oil as the fish ones.
oh good. that's what I take. guess I'll stick with them. :xoxo:

[skcin]

Oh great. :rolleyes:

A vitamin a day may do more harm than good
ConsumerLab.com report finds unexpected nutrient levels, contamination

Jacqueline Stenson
Contributing editor

If you're banking on a daily vitamin to make up for any deficiencies in your diet, you may be getting a whole lot more — or less — than you bargained for.

Of 21 brands of multivitamins on the market in the United States and Canada selected by ConsumerLab.com and tested by independent laboratories, just 10 met the stated claims on their labels or satisfied other quality standards.

Most worrisome, according to ConsumerLab.com president Dr. Tod Cooperman, is that one product, The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for Women, was contaminated with lead.

"I was definitely shocked by the amount of lead in [this] woman's product," he said. "We've never seen that much lead in a multivitamin before."

Other products contained more or less of a particular vitamin than listed on the label. And some did not dissolve in the correct amount of time, meaning they could potentially pass through the body without being fully absorbed.

"Half the products were fine, half were not," said Cooperman.

ConsumerLab.com is a Westchester, N.Y.-based company that independently evaluates hundreds of health and nutrition products and periodically publishes reviews. In the new report, released to MSNBC.com, the company purchased a selection of the popular multivitamins on the market as well as some smaller brands and sent them, without labels, to two independent laboratories to be tested.

On a positive note, several of the most popular multivitamins on the market did pass muster, said David Schardt, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group in Washington, D.C.

These included Centrum Silver, Member's Mark Complete Multi (distributed by Sam's Club), One A Day Women's and Flintstones Complete.

"I think this confirms the advice often given: You're safer choosing a well-known brand sold by some company or store that you have confidence in," Schardt said. "There are no guarantees but that's your best bet."

Tips for picking a multivitamin

Vitamins and other dietary supplements aren't required to undergo the same testing as medicines, so it's buyer beware. But there are some steps you can take to help you pick a better product, says David Schardt, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group in Washington, D.C. He recommends:

— Choosing well-known mainstream brands by companies that have a lot at stake.
— Buying from large, trusted retailers, not unknown sellers on the Internet.
— Looking on the bottle for a stamp from USP, NSF or ConsumerLab.com. While the stamp doesn't guarantee the product is safe and effective, it does indicate that the manufacturer has submitted the product for testing to show that it contains what is stated on the label.
— Not spending a fortune on vitamins. Pricey products toting all sorts of "extras" aren't necessary and may be trouble.

Random vitamin testing isn't foolproof. For instance, because ConsumerLab.com tested several bottles from a particular lot number of each vitamin, it's not a given that products produced at a different time would have the exact same contents. But detectable problems are a red flag that there could be problems with a company's production process.

In the report, tests showed that The Vitamin Shoppe women's product contained 15.3 micrograms of lead per daily serving of two tablets.

This amount of lead is more than 10 times the amount permitted without a warning in California, the only state that regulates lead in supplements, Cooperman said. On average, most American adults are exposed to about 3 micrograms of lead through food, wine and other sources, he said, and while 15.3 micrograms of lead per day may not be immediately toxic, the mineral is stored in the body and could build up to dangerous levels with time.

"I would be concerned about a woman taking a multivitamin that contains 15.3 micrograms of lead per daily serving," said Judy Simon, a dietitian at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Among other effects, she said, lead can contribute to high blood pressure.

The same product also contained just 54 percent of the 200 milligrams of calcium stated on the label.

The analysis also showed that Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bears, a multivitamin for children, had 216 percent of the labeled amount of vitamin A in the retinol form, delivering 5,400 International Units (IU) in a daily serving. That's substantially more than the upper tolerable level set by the Institute of Medicine of 2,000 IU for kids ages 1 to 3 and 3,000 IU for those 4 to 8.

Because too much vitamin A can cause bone weakening and liver abnormalities, the Yummi Bears "could be potentially doing more harm than good," Cooperman said. "Vitamin A is one of those vitamins where you really don't want to get too much."


Schardt said the lead and vitamin A findings are worrisome because vitamins are generally taken every day, potentially building up to toxic levels and leading to problems down the line. In particular, he noted, women with high levels of lead in their bodies who become pregnant could pass on problems to a fetus.

David Morrison, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at The Vitamin Shoppe, said his company's products are all tested more than once, including screening for lead, and he questioned the new results. "It would be very surprising to me if this were actually true," he said.

Hero Nutritionals did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group in Washington, D.C., that represents supplement manufacturers, said that if the findings on lead and vitamin A are, in fact, accurate, "that is not acceptable for the industry."


But he also said that top manufacturers consistently produce quality products and that with 150 million Americans taking vitamins or other dietary supplements annually, few problems surface.

"If we had a serious issue of safety, we'd be hearing concerns from consumers in large numbers and we're not," he said.

The ConsumerLab.com report also found that some vitamins didn't break apart within the 30-minute standard set by the United States Pharmacopeia. Nature's Plus Especially Yours for women required more than an hour to disintegrate, while AARP Maturity Formula took 50 minutes.

These products "could potentially go through your body without releasing all the nutrients," Cooperman said.

Mark Kitchens, an AARP spokesperson, said the Maturity Formula undergoes routine testing, and that during testing in November "among the attributes tested was dissolution and it met FDA requirements." Still, "as precautionary measures to protect our members" AARP is pulling the product from the market and offering refunds to anyone who has purchased it, he said. How some multivitamins measured up
ConsumerLab.com selected more than 20 brands of multivitamins to be tested by independent laboratories. Here's a partial list of how some of them fared:

Multivitamins that met standards:

— Centrum Silver
— Member's Mark Complete Multi
— One A Day Women's
— Flinstones Complete
Those that failed:

— The Vitamin Shoppe Multivitamins Especially for women: Contaminated with lead
— Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bears: Had twice the labeled amount of vitamin A
— Nature's Plus Especially Yours for Women: Took twice as long as allowed to disintegrate
— AARP Maturity Formula: Took nearly twice as long as allowed to disintegrate
— Eniva VIBE: Had only 54 percent of claimed vitamin A
— Pet-Tabs Complete Daily Vitamin-Mineral Supplement for Dogs: Contained lead


In other findings, Eniva VIBE, a multivitamin liquid sold in packets, had only 54 percent of the claimed vitamin A.

ConsumerLab.com also tested a vitamin marketed for dogs called Pet-Tabs Complete Daily Vitamin-Mineral Supplement for Dogs and found the product was contaminated with 1.4 micrograms of lead per tablet.

Whether most people — or dogs, for that matter — really need to take a multivitamin is a subject of debate.

Experts agree that prenatal vitamins are important for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, and that people with very poor diets can benefit from nutrients in a pill.

Schardt says multivitamins offer everyone "an inexpensive insurance policy." But Cooperman and many dietitians note that it's better to get your nutrition from a well-balanced diet.

"In many cases, you don't need a multivitamin," Cooperman said.

[bikerchic]

Yes! my Flintstones Complete are safe :blob2: