Post: #1

Since joining this forum I now take:

Zinc
Vitamin D
Omega 3
Melatonin
B12
St. John's Wort
Horny Goat Weed

What's the difference betweem the stuff I get at Walmart and the stuff that is twice as expensive at The Vitamin Shoppe?

Post: #2

quality of ingredients first then it comes down to personal taste and marketing

Post: #3

How do I know what brands have quality ingredients?

Post: #4

First question: why are you buying all that stuff?

Post: #5

(02-24-2015 02:18 PM)enderilluminatus Wrote:  How do I know what brands have quality ingredients?

Look at Zinc for example, there are numerous different types:

-Zinc Citrate; Picolinate; Acetate; Oxide; Gluconate

Then look up what are the best versions in terms of their absorption rates, any negative effects, and overall efficacy. Then search for brands that consistently use the better ingredient.

I personally use NOW brand. They're much better than the stuff you find at your local pharmacy, but very affordable from sites like Amazon or Bodybuilding.com

Post: #6

(02-24-2015 01:33 PM)enderilluminatus Wrote:  Since joining this forum I now take:

Zinc
Vitamin D
Omega 3
Melatonin
B12
St. John's Wort
Horny Goat Weed

What's the difference betweem the stuff I get at Walmart and the stuff that is twice as expensive at The Vitamin Shoppe?

Since I delved into that topic almost semi-professionally I can tell you the following:

Generally it's better to even take the cheapest Walmart stuff than nothing. Likely the only useful thing then will be the vitamin B group, but that is still something as it will lower heart-problems long-term.

As I researched the big companies I found most to be in the ownership of pharmaceutical companies which is quite telling since they already wanted to ban most high-dosage supplements in the early 1990s.

I prefer big or medium sized family-owned companies which offer orthomolecular and non-toxic products. Usually they are more expensive, but not by much.

Companies I recommend: - with increasing price/ justified quality - although even Swanson has their top-notch products.

SWANSON
NOW FOODS
YOUNGEVITY
MERCOLA
AWESOMESUPPLEMENTS


You will get most products at http://www.swansonvitamins.com - also Now foods products at discount prices.

You also missed the most important supplement in my opinion - a high-dosage Multivitamin-mineral. I'll have a Datasheet coming up on that very same topic.

And for those who think that ALL supplements don't work or are toxic - there are decades and literally tens of thousands of studies out there which prove otherwise - just as my experiences do so.

Anyone can try decent supplements which provide the body with sufficient doses and see for himself how it works. The average MD dies before he reaches 60 in the US - good look following his advice.

Post: #7

(02-24-2015 02:22 PM)Fortis Wrote:  First question: why are you buying all that stuff?

Well some of it is recommended by my doctor and some of it ive seen recommended here.

Post: #8

(02-24-2015 02:41 PM)Zelcorpion Wrote:  You also missed the most important supplement in my opinion - a high-dosage Multivitamin-mineral. I'll have a Datasheet coming up on that very same topic.

Link to a suggesed multi? Also very interested in your datasheet.

Post: #9

(02-24-2015 02:45 PM)enderilluminatus Wrote:  

(02-24-2015 02:41 PM)Zelcorpion Wrote:  You also missed the most important supplement in my opinion - a high-dosage Multivitamin-mineral. I'll have a Datasheet coming up on that very same topic.

Link to a suggesed multi? Also very interested in your datasheet.

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-p...Size=SW490

best of the cheapest

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/now-foods-adam-180-sgels

More expensive - more ingredients

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/lee-swans...0-veg-caps

Extensive Multi with added supplements

On the high end you have other options up until 50$/month - usually it does not make sense to spend more than that on a multi.

More on that will be in the Datasheet incl. brand recommendations and why I picked those.

Post: #10

(02-24-2015 02:18 PM)enderilluminatus Wrote:  How do I know what brands have quality ingredients?

Best forms of Vitamins:
-Vitamin A: Full spectrum mixed carotene sources, retinyl palmitate
-Vitamin C: Ascorbic acid, Rose Hips, Magnesium Ascorbate
-Vitamin D: Cholecalciferol
-Vitamin E: mixed sources of Tocerpherols & Tocotrienols
-Vitamin K: K-2 MK-4, Menatetrenone
-B1: Benfotiamine
-B2: Riboflavin 5' Phosphate
-Vitamin B3 (Niacin): Inositol Hexanicotinate
-B5: Pantethine 
-Vitamin B6: Pyrodoxil-5-phosphate
-Vitamin B12: Methylcobalamin
-Folic Acid: 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate
There are a few things wrong with this list [bolded].

1. Retinyl Acetate is a natural form of Vitamin A whereas Palmitate is synthetic. Look for < 2,000 IU Acetate in a good multi. Anywhere from 5,000-12,500 IU total Vitamin A is good. The rest can be comprised of mixed carotenoids. The bulk of this should come from Natural Beta Carotene, not synthetic. 

2. Vitamin K-2 MK-7 Menaquinone is slightly superior to K-2 MK-4. MK-7 is more potent, proven, and you need less of it.

3. It is important that Gamma Tocopherol is the bulk of Vitamin E (it is the type found in real food). The rest can be mixed tocopherols and d-alpha tocopherol. Too much d-alpha tocopherol is harmful over the long term and reduces gamma levels. I believe less is more with this supplement. 100 IU's or less should be just fine.

Quote:First question: why are you buying all that stuff?

Some of the supplements OP has listed have been scientifically proven to work and maybe he is lacking it in his diet.

For example, I follow a strict diet where I eat the same thing 6 days a week with 1 cheat day so having a good multivitamin balances out what I dont get through my diet.

Now is a great brand. The stuff you buy at grocery stores are generally speaking made of low quality ingredients, not to mention how overpriced they are.

Multivitamin:
I use Animal Pak. This is probably all you need and is highly recommended by thousands of users on bodybuilding.com. Its been around for a long time and when you actually see the amount of pills in one serving you'll understand. It covers everything. Also it was recommended by my coach.

Post: #11

I use Life Extension for almost all of my vitamin and mineral supplementation. If for some reason LE doesn't have it, I'll overspend and buy Thorne Research. There surprisingly is a difference in the quality of supplements with LE and TR over what you would find at a grocery store.

Post: #12

(02-25-2015 02:36 AM)Katatonic Wrote:  I use Life Extension for almost all of my vitamin and mineral supplementation. If for some reason LE doesn't have it, I'll overspend and buy Thorne Research. There surprisingly is a difference in the quality of supplements with LE and TR over what you would find at a grocery store.

Just checked them out - both are excellent choices. I might research the ownership structure as I usually do, but the products seem to be first class. Also the price is adequate to the quality and doses you get for it.

Post: #13

I would consolidate and only focus on vitamins and minerals that are depleted naturally in the soil.

Most notably,

Zinc and Magnesium (get ZMA for this). Take this and the melatonin at night.
Keep taking the fish oil.
Also consider getting a copper supplement as well. Take this in the morning with the vitamin D.

I used to take St Johns Wart. It sort of helped my mood for a little bit and then its effects stopped. My success with stabilizing my mood was taking vitamin D and copper along with everything else. Have you had continue success with it?

Post: #14

I took MikeCF's advice and get everything from Life Extension or Jarrow formulas.

You are better off to buy supplements that pass the European health standards. The standards in the U.S. aren't as high and I don't trust anything you can buy at the supermarket.

Post: #15

(02-25-2015 10:24 AM)General Mayhem Wrote:  I took MikeCF's advice and get everything from Life Extension or Jarrow formulas.

You are better off to buy supplements that pass the European health standards. The standards in the U.S. aren't as high and I don't trust anything you can buy at the supermarket.

True, that's why good producers like NOW and others created GMP quality standards for supplement producers that they adhere to voluntarily:

http://www.nowfoods.com/Quality/Are-Supp...tices2.htm

It is really telling to see the government care about the health of it's people so much, that they let producers use ineffective or slightly toxic ingredients. Though not to be concerned about it - your average processed supermarket product is x-times as toxic and absolutely not beneficial to your body.

Post: #16

Check the reviews on Amazon. There are a lot of fake reviews but a lot of real ones too. The brand with the most favorable real reviews that is the one that you need to buy. I am brand agnostic because many companies simply do certain types of supplements better than others. What matters more than the brand sometimes is whether a herb is standardized and the active % of active chemical compounds (flavanoids, alkaloids, saponins, etc.) and when it comes to Vitamins the FORM is the most critical as another poster said above. I don't tolerate other Zinc or Magnesium forms nearly as well as the Aspartate form. Some people cannot tolerate Aspartate at all.

It requires experimentation on your end for your unique biochemical makeup and metabolism. Start low dose and gradually increase, as with everything. With herbs in your stack occasionally rotate with others of comparable effect.