What are your favorite vitamins to take? I'm looking to switch up mine and am wondering what you think is "best," why and where you get them. Thanks!

Fresh fruit and vegetables from the nearest farms or your own kitchen garden. The supermarket if nothing else is available. And a reasonable amount of sun light. That´s all the vitamins you´ll ever need.

Yup agree with Snowflake - eat a good balanced diet with lots of fruit and veg, preferably locally grown organic; spend time walking outside in the sunshine for at least an hour a day (no not even a major 'walk' just being outside in thr sun) and there you have it. Eatting a crap diet and trying to make it better by taking vitamin suppliments does not work!

When I do remember to take my vitamins, it's the Shaklee brand. I can definitely tell a difference when I've been taking them regularly for long enough, even though we've got a really well balanced diet in this household. Also, the lady that sells them to me is a registered nurse and has answered any and all of my hard questions without reservation, even if it meant she had to go do some research herself.

~Ang

I maintain a fairly healthy diet, avoiding all fast food for the last four years, haven't had a pop in the same amount of time and limit the sweets. I take a simple multi-vitamin (like a One-a-Day), however I've read that many gym rats and health nuts use a different multi-vitamin, presumably purchased from GNC or some other nutrition store. Just wondering what others people take and if they help or if it's just a way for GNC and other companies to make $$ off us.

I use Universal's Animal Pak training supplement.

Its 12 vitamins in a pak, and its so potent it turns your piss a bright, deep yellow, but if you're training hard, there the best vitamin on the market.

Thanks Cecily. There's good info here. Sounds like the best bet is a compromise. I didn't think spending a lot of $$ was truely worth it. I just know I don't consume enough vegetables and want to make sure I'm putting the right/right amount of nutrients in.

Jay, you notice a difference when you're on Animal Pak than when you're not? I've actually had them in my hands several times but decided not to pull the trigger.

Due to my lack of certain proteins in my body (daily and beef) I take a Calcium pill twice a day to keep my bones strong, and all the rest. I also have to take a Vitamin to get all the rest... both are popular for women and whatnot. Centrum and Calcium Carbonate/Magnesium.

~Kathy~

many multi vitamins in stores (even nutrition stores) are okay, but not that great. All the products are packed with bonding agents, so most of the vitamins will not break down. But they are better than taking nothing. supplementation is necessary these days because most food available to us aren't as filled with nutrition as they used to be. They're picked early and ripened in factories via chemicals. this is nopt meant to scare people off from buying supplements though. just do your research.

001

Like Snowflake and GG, I try to eat as balanced and fresh a diet as I can. I also take a regular multivitamin (sometimes one directed toward women if available) and a calcium supplement every day to make sure my body gets what it needs. B also takes one every morning.

well, actually, calcium supplements aren't what they're cracked up to be. There's a direct correlation between high calcium intake and osteoporosis, and its not agood one: countries that consume the most calcium have the highest rates of osteoporosis, countries that have the lowest calcium intake have the lowest rates.

A lot of this has to do with the fact that in the US and most "developed" countries, we get WAAAAY too much calcium and nowhere near enough of the cofactors that help us utilize it well (these would be vitamin D, magnesium, boron, omega 3 EFAs - specifically EPA and DHA, and dietary sources of organic silica). This is a recipe for brittle bones (calcium is a brittle mineral), as well as increased risk of bone spurs, kidneys stones, and precipitation of minerals in the joints.

If you consume dairy products and/or eat a goodly portion of dark, leafy greens, you probably don't need any supplemental calcium. If not, you may, but not without being sure you get all the necessary cofactors.

Also, the RDA of magnesium is too low for most - if you get restless leg syndrome, tend to hold a lot of tension in the musculature, get charlie horses, have high blood pressure, try getting 800-1000mg of a chelated or ionic magnesium supplement. Vitamin D as well, is too low... 1000-4000 IUs may be appropriate for people living in northern latitudes without lots of sun.

Of course, food sources are much better options, provided you actually eat them and don;t just intend to. But, be aware that you virtually need to get organic food, because the soil that convetional food is grown in is SO depleted from factory farming that there isn't mineral nutrition in the soil for the plants to take up (well, except for the potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus from the chemical fertilziers they use). So, many vegetables have 90% less vitamins and minerals than they did 50 years ago.

suggest you check out Swanson for vitamins. They're on the web and you'll find that they have a broad assortment and some interesting stats that you might like to check. After seeing what they have to offer and what may interest you then go to Wikipedia and see if there is additional information that may convince you to use the vitamin or not use it. Id list those that I take but I'm a vitamin junkie and over do it.