I searched the forum and didnt come up with anything on this, so thought I would show my nutritional noobishness with a simple question. Is there one type or brand of multivitamin that is better than another, in particular when cutting/dieting, but for general usage as well? I'm currently using some generic multis I got at Sams Club along with some calcium citrate and was wondering if the more expensive vitamins have something extra.

Thanks in advance!

TIN

Lifepak is the best vitamin around imo.

http://www.pharmanexusa.com/cgi-bin/pxweb/...dynamic.lifepak

Geez that's a long url. Anyway, lifepak is expensive, but it is the best antioxidant/multi around.

A cheaper competent multi is vitalert. I do not use it as a stand alone, adding a multi tocepheral an tocotrienal, vanadyl sulfate, selinium, zinc, Calcium, maganesiums, and some additional antioxidents.
Good luck

Either GNC mega men or Animal Pak

Ditto on the Vitalert. I've used many different vitamin multis--ranging from a few bucks (one a day types) to hundreds of dollars (for customized products). I keep coming back to Vitalert because it's at most chain retail stores like WalMart, only costs about 6 or 7 bucks a month, and 4 tabs in the morning gives me an excellent energy boost.

AST Multi Pro32x

I am using a basic NOW brand multivitamin/multimineral along with their NOW Phytofoods and NOW veggie carotenoids. I buy individually and add extra Ca+, K+, Mg+, Zinc, B, C, and E as deemed necessary. Major overkill on my part.

Excellent info - that gives me lots of stuff to go on. Thanks guys!

tp says that the lef vitamin is superior to all others and from looking at it, it does have a nice nutrient breakdown using some of the better ingredients. ie. natural beta-carotene, ascorbyl palmitate, selenomethione, etc. Ingredients you just don't find in an everyday multi. Quite pricey though unless your loaded. Avant should make a high quality multi geared toward performance enhancement in the weight room. It would be simple yet i think a lot of us would be interested in it. I know i would.

mv

One slight twist on this topic and one I am personally interested in, is the Klamath lake ionic minerals and blue green algae supplements. They have been around for 20+ years now and there should be more information available from sources not having a financial interest in them. I take so many supplements, and can tell the effect of most of them on me, but because I do use so many I might not have noticed the aforementioned products efficacy. Has anybody noted any positive, and in the alternative, negative effects that these products manifested? Particularly if you were not using any other products at the time.

As anyone notices all the differnet vitamins we all take that would naturally tell you that they're all good and the difference is minimal. So don't waste your money on supps n focus on nutrution and training.

I am an approximately 380 lb diabetic with lots of health problems so supplements are a huge interest of mine as well as lifting for raw strength. Not into the aesthetics of bodybuilding.

All vitamins are not created equal!!!
There are several things you want to watch out for.

Hard tablet v.s. gel capsule v.s. liquid multi

Hard tablets have many issues.
#1. When the tablet press hits the powder to form the tablet, a tremendous amount of friction is created and the tablet is heated. This can be a problem since heat can destroy and denature some of the potency of the vitamins ( I used to be a tablet press operator and the tablets have to sit in a large rubber can for several hours and cool off).
Later some tablets have coatings (making it easier to swallow) heated on to them as well, further destoying the potency of the vitamins.

#2. Absorbancy issues. Some of the coatings make it difficult for the body to break down the vitamin before it passes through the small intestines. Also the binders or glues that help hold the tablet together can make it difficult to break down.

#3. What grade of product are they using? Nutriceutical, A, B, C grade. A lot of companies can keep the price of their multi low by using low grade product ( possibly containing other impurities).

#4. Synthetic vs naturally derived nutrients. Some natural sourced nutrients can have higher bioavailibilty and higher antioxidant capabilities (eg. gamma alpha vitamin E. compared to d-l alpha tocopherol)

#5. Fillers, binders, flowing agents, preservatives, and artificial colors. Have you guys ever checked the other ingredients in your multis? Who the hell wants additional crap in their multi that could possibly cause stomache upset? I personally like to pay for just vitamins and minerals when I buy a multi.

Liquids
Easier to absorb, but some of the liquid multis use a naturally sourced "proprietary blend" of vitamins. They use the words proprietary because every new batch they make can have a different amount of nutrients, eg. I could eat 2 oranges that are the same size, but each orange will have a different amount of vit. C and other nutrients. I would prefer to know the exact amount of nutrients contained in the multi.

Gel caps with ultra fine powder inside
Easy to break down. Open-up capsule and mix powder in liquid if you are worried about gelatin absorbtion.
The Multi I use is pure vitamin and mineral with no other added ingredients. Maximum Complete Plus

Melkor- I used to work for Pharmanex. It's an excellent product, but it still had some added preservatives and added ingredients, and it costs WAY to much money!!!
P.S. My last biophotonic reading was at 63,000. When I used LifePak it was at 32,000

Back to the post- Look for a high potency multi with high water soluble vitamins and possibly some electrolytes like Pottasium-Magnesium Aspartate-Citrate when depleteing your calories and when including higher amounts of cardiovascular exercise.!

When you buy a cheap hard tablet multi, you're just creating expensive waste in your toilet!

BadOLDBear- Type I or Type II diabetes. I have had several calls from customers that claim they are off insulin from taking 150-300mg of CoQ10 Pure CoQ10 naturally sourced from sugar beets and not tobacco. Also The omega 3's may help support healthy blood sugar levels. ProCap Omega 3's

I get it for free...

I am a HUGE fan of Super Nutrition's Opti-Pack.

One of my good friends who went to an Olympic training camp was advised, at the camp to take these exact vitamins.

I've had acne problems growing up, taking these religiously I don't even need to use a benzoyl peroxide cream OR washer. Also, when on them, I have NEVER gotten sick. I'm not joking. I use the Iron-Free version. You can find them at a couple places, dps has the cheapest prices.

Check out the nutritional profile - it blows the shit outta most multi's on the market.

My two cents. Cheers

insulin resistant type 2....co q 10 is ridiculousely high right now.

Melkor- Damn you! You or someone you know must work for NUSKIN.


BadOldBear- We have a contract with our Japan source and when we decided to use these people as are source, we promised to keep our price for CoQ10 to the customer the same price as long as we would get the CoQ10 for the same price. That's why our price has stayed the same for the past 3 years. Losing some additional bodyfat can also make a difference.

I can't say that I notice a huge difference when using the Maximum Complete Plus multi, besides not getting sick when I'm around people that are sick at the gym and having some extra stamina throughout the day, but I notice a HUGE difference when I stop taking them.

Yay!!

Kylixer- I checked out the supplement fact label on your Super Nutrition's Opti-Pack. I do like the fact that they use an overly coated carbonyl source of iron that is seperate from the other tablets. To Bad they are TABLETS! I don't know why they can't put these nutrients in gel capsules. Probably because of the added cost over time.
Take a glass and use 1 part vinegar (close to the same acidity level of our stomache acid) and 2 parts water. Drop your 2 tablets in the glass and let it sit for 30mins. Take a look at how much of the tablet has broken down and dissolved, because what ever is still left after 30-45mins is what will usually pass through your body.

By definition a rock= highly compressed minerals. Therefore a vitamin/mineral supplement in a tablet=a rock!
How well will a rock absorb if you were to swallow one?
BTW, I thought all olympic athletes were using Pharmanex's LifePak.
It must have been a doctor who recommended a hard tablet multi. A lot of older doctors don't know their asshole from their armpit when it comes to nutrition and supplementation!

I uses the sports pak, which is $ 115 a month. You get a discount If you order 6 or sign up for them to send you paks monthly.

Not cheap, but its pretty much got all the basic stuff.
They even have an athletes pak that is more but I dont think the additional components warrant the price.

Colgan Institute

I just had this reading done the other day and it was 30,000. I take a standard multi but I take extra minerals, alot extra. I was thinking of switching to the LifePak. Is it not worth the money seeing I'm already at 30,000 for this reading?

The biophotonic reading measures the amount of carotenoids in the tissue of your hand. In my opinion this is, in no way, an accurate reading of carotenoids found throughout the body. For example, lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids antioxidants found mostly concentrated in the macular region of the eye.

The reading just tells you you are getting a lot of red, orange, yellow, dark green vegtables and/or fruits and/or your multivitamin contains a lot of carotenoids. I think this is not an accurate reflection of how comprehensive your multi is ( It doesn't measure A (as retinol), B complex, C, E, Minerals,etc.)

Here's something I have a question about - the multi I used to use and the multi I now use are both in tab form. I dropped them in a glass of water and they dissolved pretty quickly. So given that they dissolve in water, is it safe to assume that they'd be asborbed?

$115 a month sounds rediculous. Seems more fiiting with the 'vitamin' package that BALCO used to offer top athletes.

Did it dissolve within 30-45 mins.?
When it disolved was an ultra fine powder left?

Breaking down the tablet/s is just the first barrier. Next you would need to find out if the binders (glues that hold that tablet together) flowing agents, etc. have seperated from the nutrients. If the binders are still attached to the nutrients, they may pass straight through without being absorbed.

Vitamins/ minerals that are naturally sourced tend to have a higher bioavailabilty and you have greater chance of toxic doses with synthetic nutrients (Vit. A as Retiniol v.s. Beta Carotene).

Are the nutrients in your multi naturally sourced? High quality or grade? It is one thing to be able to absorb them, it is quite another thing to absorb junk!

In answer to your qustion, I guess you could check your crap, next time you take a dump. J/k

I take Usana Essentials.. dunno if they are good on not. I assume they are better then centrum/gnc though.

according to my dad who's been looking at vitamins alot , Both of us are taking puritans pride formula 100. He said that is the best multi-vitamin he can find.

Puritan Pride uses what they call a Time release hard tablet.
Be careful of multivitamin scams that claim they have a time released tablet. The tablet is in and out of your system within 45mins to 60mins max, after it passes through it time releases in the toilet. You guys might benefit more from a gelcap multi.

Out of the companies I have worked for and out of all the multi's I've come upon I would say to go with
#1 Any multi from Your Vitamins From Andrew Laessman
#2 LifePak multivitamins.

Just my opinion.

Does anyone know if what he is saying is true? They claim time release but can a hard tab do such a thing?

He works for a vitamin company and has been acting as a "junk mail" pusher in a lot of forums. You can take him on his word...he may be telling the truth but he cartainly looks to have an agenda for this one company.

yeah , 115 is a lot for a multi-vitamin.......but it has a lot of things a normal multi wouldn't! So you don't have to take a lot of 'add ons' .
Check the label its pretty much crushes that lifepack pooh and any other formula I have seen. SOmeone show me an multi with a better formulation and I'll switch....Well maybe 115 is about as "rich" as i get.

I think the multi-vitamin should be your #1 concern before any other supp especially if you are natural.



Sports Pak
Each daily AM & PM Pak combined contains:
Vitamin A (palmitate) 5,000 i.u
Mixed carotenoids (alpha, beta, cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin) 20,000 i.u
Vitamin B1 (thiamin) 100 mg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 50 mg
Vitamin B3 (niacin) 40 mg
Vitamin B3 (niacinamide) 150 mg
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) 500 mg
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 100 mg
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) 250 mcg
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, buffered
ascorbates, ascorbyl palmitate) 2,950 mg
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferous) 600 i.u
Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol and mixed tocopherols) 800 i.u
Betaine 150 mg
Bioflavonoids (rose hips, lemon, rutin, hesperdin) 260 mg
Biotin 300 mcg
Boron 6,500 mcg
Bromelain 50 mg
Calcium (carbonate, citrate, ascorbate) 2,600 mg
Choline (citrate, bitartrate) 150 mg
Chromium (GTF, picolinate) 480 mcg
Co enzyme Q10 30 mg
Copper (chelate) 402 mcg
Docosahexaenoic acid 120 mg
Eicosapentaenoic acid 180 mg
Folic acid 1,600 mcg
Garlic extract (odorless) 100 mg
Glutamic acid (hydrochloride) 25 mg
Green tea extract 50 mg
Inositol 100 mg
Iodine 248 mcg
Iron 10 mg
L-cysteine & n-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) 250 mg
L-glutathione 60 mg
L-methionine 63 mg
Lutein 6 mg
Lycopene 6 mg
Magnesium (aspartate, ascorbate) 1,150 mg
Manganese 14 mg
Molybdenum 120 mcg
Para-amino-benzoic acid (PABA) 50 mg
Proanthocyanidins (red wine & pine bark extract) 50 mg
Potassium (aspartate, cholride) 147 mg
Selenium (selenomethionine) 400 mcg
Vanadium 50 mcg
Zeaxanthin 1 mg
Zinc (amino acid chelate, picolinate) 51 mg
Mixed vegetable, fruit, herb and green food base 800 mg

I work on salary, not commission for Your Vitamins Inc. Of course I have a biased opinion on what would be considered a Superior multi..... I also have peer-reviewed Nutritional Journals to back up my info along with a B.S. in Kinesiology and a minor in Nutrition, and an NASM, Apex Nutrition Cert. and ACSM Personal Training Certification. I am passionate in the field of fitness and when I believe we have the best Mulitvitamin supplements, I want to share the wealth because I talk to people all day long who go on and on and on about how well they work.

BadOldBear- I'm sorry I come off as being a "junk mail" pusher, but I actually explain why the products are superior.
The only thing I see from you is I take Vitalert (waste of money) and I am an approximately 380 lb diabetic with lots of health problems so supplements are a huge interest of mine as well as lifting for raw strength. Not into the aesthetics of bodybuilding.

So why does that statement show that Vitalert is so great.

I'm just one person, so if anyone else has done any research with Peer-Reviewed Nutritional Journals and/or has any Science backed Nutritional Info, I would love to hear your opinion on the best well made mulit vitamin.

My favorite all-purpose multi-vitamin: "Synergy" by Nutraceutical Sciences Institute from Vitacost.com

Excuse me buddy boy(?) but I do keep in tune with my own body and Vitalert has definite positive effects on those same health problems I described.

As to your "spamming" that is quite apparent as you have attacked anyones suggestion that they are satisfied with their vitamin.

As to your advice to me regarding buying your overpriced products I have refrained from pointing out that 1fast400 and smi2le.biz are superior in quality by just comparing the fillers you put in your crap and are far cheaper per gram and the companies themselves demonstrate far more concern for the health of its customers than your 2 bit operation.

Very True, It is important to stay "in tune" with your own body, no argument there.
I'm glad Vitalert helps you with your diabetes or whatever benefit you were looking for. I'm not going to try and educate people who wish to stay ignorant on the material and manufacturing differences of multivitamins.

As far as "attacking" someone who says I come on here to "spam" and "junk mail" products, you sadly missed my point. I was trying to educate people on manufacturing differences of different multi's and the benefits associated with.

What fillers are you claiming we put in our products???? My company prides themselves on being additive, filler, binder, flowing agent, and preservative free!!! I've no doubt 1fast400 or any other companies have great products, or I wouldn't have placed orders with 1fast400.

Please do a little homework before you make such an ignorant statement by claiming we have fillers or anything but the nutrients we have on the label in our products.

It is your decision which multi and other supplements you take. I just gave education and reference to what I was talking about.

"2 bit operation" Your Vitamins Inc. is the #1 seller of multivitamins on T.V.

Until you post studies which back up your [admittedly self-serving] claims, you're not educating, you're shilling.

Its a freakin multi vitamin people. Take your pick, actually EAT HEALTHY, as in fresh fruits and vegetables daily from a wide variety of sources, lean red meats for minerals etc. Then supplement in areas where you might be deficient. Hell, I see a lot of "smart" and I mean that in a non sarcastic way suggest getting a simple centrum and adding some vitamin c,e and maybe calcium and mag and thats about it. So as for paying 115 dollars a month or whatever on a multi vitamin......hell you better be feeling absolutely fuckin wonderful on it as well as seeing those happy magic elves Dante has been talking about.

I'm almost afraid to ask but............is there any company out there that sells a good multivitamin where you don't have to add in additional minerals? Are gel caps really better or does it matter?

Use common sense when it comes to a hard tablet with binders that can bind to vitamins and minerals and pass through unabsorbed as well as well as the carnuba wax and other shalac coatings used on tablets that make it easier to swallow, but tend to have a difficult time breaking down before being absorbed in the small intestines!

Ex Dubio- Since common sense has abviously escaped you, what type of research do you require.
Labels with "Other" Ingredients found in hard tablet mulits, basic Nutrition, biochemistry, or Human biology studies.

Or would you prefer research conducted by UNLV and our research dept, which of course you would discredit because the company I work for is associated with clinical studies. I would be happy to upload the research to this site.

Perhaps you could take come basic Nutrition/Biology, Biochemistry classes and decide for yourself.

Looked on the net and found not one single source that was not on your site that said any of your products are any good. As to TV popularity, do you sell AB ROLLERS also.

Its going to SAVE you a lot of money and grief just to get a basic multi and add things that are appropriate to YOU. As a woman, different minerals/vites have importance for different reasons. Save yourself the money of buying the Super Dooper All in One, It Gets Healthy For You ™ vitamins and just take 1 all around multi, 1 400 mg tab of mag., 1-2 grams calcium and some vitamin c. Not to hard to handle, and you can often get the calc/mag as a combo. ALso allows for taking different things at diff times.

That's what I do now but I also take additional zinc, potassium and at night multi-mineral. I was just looking for a more convenient way.

Like I said a multi is a fucking multi...Good god some of you are acting like it's going to make a huge ass differnece like fat burners without a solid diet and training...Have a solid diet, and supplement with a basic multi, end of story. I'm fucking tired of everyone pushing their shit like it's the god given gift to trainees and how without we can't reach our goals.

Amen Enkai.

BOB, if you stick with Vitalert you'll be just fine.