Anyone know a bit about vitamins?

[GlassOnion]

I was looking into starting on a daily multi vitamin to see if it made any difference in how I feel but looking at the label there's about 100% of everything.

Wouldn't that be bad for you? I mean you'd OD on vitamins by taking the pill and eating that day.

So I figure there's something I'm missing and the answer I came up with was that the %DV and the amount your body can handle are different.

Now I'm not worried about ODing on the B groups. But the other vitamins, they build up in your body over time so eventually wouldn't you OD yourself in the long run?

 

[Debi]

I don't think they would build up at the one-a-day dosage. alot would just be passed thru. the body absorbs better via food, not supplement. not to say the vitamins wouldn't be good, they would. of course if you take more than the normal dosage, then that would be harmful over time. I just started taking vitamins a week ago. there's no way I could ever eat all the foods they say you need for a balanced, healthy diet. especially what you're supposed to have in one day...yikes.

 

[Dreeza]

from what i have been taught, a good multi vitamin will not have 100% of everything, ESPECIALLY those easily found in food. The reason why is the maker expects you to be eating healthy on TOP of the multivitamin, NOT replacing food with vitamins.

Your body also has a harder time absoborbing those hard cheapo pill-like ones.

The better ones will either be powder or capsules

once again, this is what i was taught by a person in my local health shop, whom i somewhat trust because she actually took things away that i was gonna buy, telling me i dont need them (so i took that to mean she knew what she was talking about and she wasnt out to make me spend tons of money)

technically you shouldnt even need one unless you know you are deficient in something. Which reminds me...i was gonna look into a B-complex thing seeing as i rarely eat meat...

hope that helps!

 

[Saje]

I've never seen a multi-vitamin with 100% of everything. It's the fat soluable vitamins you need to worry about. Water soluable ones like the b vitamins and c don't stay in your body that long. I think it's acutally better to get vitamins that are timed release so you don't take your dose and then pee it all our right away. I've never heard that tablet vitamins are harder to absorb than other ones. I think it depends on what form the vitamin is in and what the source is.

GNC has some good options and they tend to be pretty helpful

 

[whatszmatter]

A,D,E, and K are the fat soluble ones, they can build up. Chances of doing that with a multivitamin is very low. You have to take a lot, for a while to get to toxicity. Those multi, cheap vitamins that have 100% of everything, makes for some expensive urine and that's about it. take one, go to the bathroom an hour later, you can smell the vitamin, and it will be very yellow, cause you're pissing good money down the drain.

Your body can only absorb so much at a time, and usually its not a lot at once. So small variable meals throughout the day are your best bet. Its absorbed better and used better by your body. Daily multi's IMO are a waste of money.

ETA: you can see pill form vitamins in X-rays all the time if that gives you any indication on how well they "digest".

 

[Denaluvscorgis]

I take vitamis everyday and have for quite a while now. I take a multivitamin, vitamin c and calcium w/ vitamin d. I truly believe it's made a big difference with my health and energy level.

 

[StealthDog]

Those multi, cheap vitamins that have 100% of everything, makes for some expensive urine and that's about it. take one, go to the bathroom an hour later, you can smell the vitamin, and it will be very yellow, cause you're pissing good money down the drain.

From what I understand, when the vitamin states that it provides "100% of the daily recommended value" of something, it has to provide enough of the substance that you can absorb 100% of the DRV. Because the gut will never absorb 100% of everything that passes through it, the actual pills contain far more than 100% of the DRV, which explains why it makes for stinky pee.

I've also heard that it's very difficult to OD on vitamins unless you are taking far more than the manufacturer's recommendations.

 

[whatszmatter]

only about 10-15% of a vitamin pill is used on average.

I think you're mistaken on the vitamin contents. an easy way to know is look at the contents, Vit c is at about 60 mg's to get 100%, looking at Centrum vitamins, they have 60 mg's per tablet, thus 100% of the RDA, or % of DV.

the stinky pee comes from just peeing out most of the vitamin.

 

[GlassOnion]

Well the main reason I ask is that I don't eat a lot of vegetables. I eat a ton of fruit but corn? Green beans? Peas? Not if I can avoid them.


Most of my meals involve only meat. I did eat a good minestrone soup yesterday though. But this isn't daily consumption.

 

[bubbatd]

I'm with you Dena ....

 

[whatszmatter]

Well the main reason I ask is that I don't eat a lot of vegetables. I eat a ton of fruit but corn? Green beans? Peas? Not if I can avoid them.


Most of my meals involve only meat. I did eat a good minestrone soup yesterday though. But this isn't daily consumption.

Than supplementing is probably a good idea, but know that just because it says it contains 100% of something, you're going to only get very little. I wouldn't use it as a reason NOT to eat healthy. I think that its a common misconception with people that if they take vitamins, they're covered, and its not even close to the truth. Not you necessarily, just people in general.

 

[GlassOnion]

Naw I'm not planning to use it as a replacement for greens. And I do eat vegetables fairly regularily, just not as often as I should (probably eat them about once a day if that).