Need a Multivitamin..

Updated on September 12, 2013
J.M. asks from Chesterfield, MO
8 answers

I just turned 40 and need a multivitamin. I've taken stuff in the past but it's been a while and it can be expensive for vitamins, that I try to eat a balanced diet. I rarely get sick,. I do feel tired a lot but I go to bed around 11 or 12, take care of 2 kids and husband and work from home. I'm not very active, but I'm not overweight. What are some needed supplements you all take?

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B.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

This is the ONLY one I take...it is real (no synthentics) it is abosorbable...so many aren't and it actually helps me to feel better. I also eat the breakfast shakes...
http://dywayne.isagenix.com/us/en/agelessessentialsdailyp...

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P.G.

answers from Dallas on

Honestly, according to the latest research, unless you KNOW you are DEFICIENT in something, you don't need a multivitamin. If you aren't deficient in something, you don't need to supplement. If you supplement something you are not deficient in, you're upsetting the balance.

If you're tired, talk to your doctor. You wnt to make sure that anemia or thyroid issues aren't the problem. At our age, vitamin D and B can need supplementation.

3 moms found this helpful
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*.*.

answers from New London on

I saw a nutritionist for a few visits. It was so worth it.
She had me go for a thorough blood test. She told me exactly what I needed to take. To my surprise, I did not need a multi-vitamin.

I eat lots of raw veggies/etc... from the farm (tomatoes, onions, garlic, cucumbers, eggplant, squash, caggage, corn, blueberries, apples), raw nuts, lentil soup and organic foods.

Happy B-Day

2 moms found this helpful
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D.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I agree with Patricia. The first stop should be your doctor. It could be vit D, it could be iron, or it could be something else. But both vit D and iron can also be toxic if you have too much in your system, so you need a blood test to find out if you actually need a supplement before you take one.

An interesting article if you want to learn more:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/07/the-vit...

1 mom found this helpful

O.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I LOVE mine. They are chewable so you digest them quickly. I have been taking them for about 4 years and have not been sick with the flu (no flu shot either) and I used to have restless leg syndrome but haven't since taking them. http://www.GBGisIT.com It's the 10 in one Formula. Message me if you have any questions. My husband also takes them and same for him. Good luck.

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

My Dr recommends Centrum. They're not that pricey at all (less than $15 for about 100 pills) seem to be a good once a day multi. I also take a separate vitamin d, podiatrn (an Rx b-12) and ester C twice daily.

The priciest is the poditrn which is about $30 a month but something my body needs so I take it. I don't skimp on health and safety.

ETA: my multi vitamin and supplements are per my blood tests. My body does not absorb correctly therefore I have to take action to make sure I keep my bloodwork in line.

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G.R.

answers from St. Louis on

I take the multivitaman from walmart. The store brand compared to women's one a day. If you are feeling tired take iron pills as well.

D.B.

answers from Boston on

I'm always surprised when people say "if you just eat right, you don't need to supplement"! Yes, you do. The AMA said in 2002 that our food supply is so deficient that every man, woman and child must supplement.

I'm also surprised when people say to just find out what you're low in, and add that one element. That's totally contrary to food science research. We supplement at the highest rate world-wide, yet we are far from the healthiest. Adding one vitamin or even a typical complex of 10-12 items is a huge waste of money. Even if you are "low" in a particular vitamin, just taking that one doesn't guarantee absorption. It doesn't matter how much you swallow, it matters what your body absorbs and utilizes. No vitamin, mineral, trace element or phytonutrient works in isolation. Each one needs the interaction of all the others to really function.

Vitamin pills are absorbed, on average, 15-30% so that means 70-85% of what you pay for and swallow is wasted.

It's great that you rarely get sick, but you are tired. You don't exercise much, so as you age, you will deal with osteoporosis especially if you are not doing weight-bearing exercise. It's great that you are not overweight, but what's going on inside is a much more important indicator of health problems down the road. You have to guard against things in the future, boosting your immune system and strengthening your immune system. We all need to deal with the effects of stress, lifestyle choices, aging, disease, environmental toxins, pollution and decreased nutrition in our food (even natural and organic).

There is a lot of work being done now on epigenetics which is preventing and repairing the effects on our genes - how the individual genes switch on and off. Those things are all affected by the processing and chemicals in our food, as well as our growing and harvesting techniques. If you look at the huge rise in autoimmune diseases, food allergies, chemical sensitivities, and so on, (not to mention kids having diseases that used to be reserved for adults), you'll be very clear that the standard vitamin you purchase over the counter is insufficient for much except making the vitamin company executives very rich.

There are some pretty simple guidelines for choosing a supplement. Comprehensive, US government patents, clinical trials, no warning labels and epigenetic research are all part of it. And you have to make sure the clinical studies weren't funded by a pharmaceutical company that stands to profit from skewed results. Other things to look at are the credentials of the chief scientific officers, their role on the Council for Responsible Nutrition (if any), FDA Good Manufacturing Practices certification, and whether the supplement can be sold in very stringent countries like Australia (a huge percentage of stuff sold in the US doesn't meet Australia's standards; same with a number of countries in Europe).

There's also a great deal of work being done right in Missouri near you - happy to give you more details if you want them. There are some amazing high standards!

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