vitamins

poohwinnie5

Where is the best value and quality for vitamins?

Ted_Hutchinson

Depends what you are buying and in what quantity.

The first major problem with buying Vitamins/minerals/supplements is first to check the scientific evidence that the ones you are thinking about buying does actually do what you expect.

I use Pubmed and only ever buy stuff that is known to produce scientifically proven results.

You then have to work out if the form of that vitamin/mineral/supplement is absorbed and used effectively by the body. It is generally the case that synthetic forms are less well used that forms that are biologically identical to the substances the body makes itself or acquires naturally from food sources.

Food sources are generally the best source of most vitamin/minerals.

I then check with Consumerlab that what I am buying is likely to be available in the form I'm thinking of buying.

I then generally buy from Iherb because they use the postal service and this works out cheaper than other USA providers who use carriers to the UK. Either way if you are buying from the USA you need to understand that VAT is charged on orders over £18 so check the conversion rate. I've been caught recently as the $ <> £ has changed and is much lower than I thought. What is really bad about this is the £8 standard charge the PO add to collect the £3.60 or so VAT talk about extortion. There are $5 introductory discount codes available from new IHERB customers in the Referrals board.

However I find it's generally cheaper and as quick to get stuff from IHERB. but there are lots of USA discount vitamin providers online. Vitacost, vitamin shoppe, vitaminlife but do check the total price so you are comparing like with like.

For those who don't want to import from the USA
The vitamin Service are the best UK providers of Effective strength Vitamin d at the moment. But there are much cheaper providers in the USA.

I've been happy with the service/price/quality from Zipvit, SimplySupplements for the basics.
If you can't stand the flavour of Zipvits Omega Juice I gather Healthspan do a liquid high strength omega 3 that may be worth a try.

If you want to ask the cheapest source, most effective form of a particular vitamin/supplement then do ask. Although this forum can NOT provide medical advice it clearly isn't money saving to be spending money on ineffective forms of vitamins/minerals or those that have no scientific validation for their use.

So although we cannot provide medical advice we can supply links to sources of information that enable you to understand which form of a vitamin/mineral is most likely to be used by your body and explain the evidence supporting the use of particular supplements.

poohwinnie5

I would like vitamins to help me with my present cold and sore throat e.g. Echinacea and Manuka honey.

Ted_Hutchinson

poohwinnie5 wrote: »

I would like vitamins to help me with my present cold and sore throat e.g. Echinacea and Manuka honey.

If you go to Pubmed and enter the words echinacea cold you find about 45 papers this recent example says " This meta-analysis suggests that standardized extracts of Echinacea were effective in the prevention of symptoms of the common cold after clinical inoculation, compared with placebo. Further prospective, appropriately powered clinical studies are required to confirm this finding."

So it's likely you won't be wasting your money but there is a past history of research on Echinacea that is not so promising.
#
The Consumerlab report on Echinacea makes the point that Echinacea is usually taken at the first sign of a cold and continued for 7 to 14 days. They don't recommend longer-term use of echinacea.

The best evidence supports the use of products made from the above-ground portions of E. purpurea (specifically, flowers, leaves and stems); E. pallida root has also shown promise, but E. purpurea root appears to be ineffective

They suggest 300 mg 3 times a day is the usual dose.
This would be the kind of product that more or less fits their specifications

I'll have a look at Manuka when I get back later tonight.

But I don't get colds see page 7 as I believe prevention is better than cure.

poohwinnie5

How do you prevent yourself catching a cold?

poohwinnie5

Thanks for all your help. Is the 'page 7' link working properly. (It just sends me to the iHerb website)

Ted_Hutchinson

poohwinnie5 wrote: »

Thanks for all your help. Is the 'page 7' link working properly. (It just sends me to the iHerb website)

Have corrected the link sorry my mistake.
here is a Google Scholar search for Manuka Honey and just reading the headings gives you an idea of what research has been done and this is mainly in the area of wound healing and not colds.

Similarly Consumerlab has nothing on using manuka honey for the treatment of colds.

Bandolier also [url-http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/alternat/honey2.html]summarises the evidence for honey/wound healing but nothing else.[/url]

Dr Cannell has some interesting comments to make on what you should do if you are getting a cold or the flu. I keep some of these in store just in case. I've only once thought maybe I may be getting a cold so I put his plan into action and within hours what I thought may be developing into a cold had vanished, so either it works brilliantly or I didn't have a cold starting.

poohwinnie5

The journal paper concerning vitamin D was fascinating. However, the product that you linked is $30 which presently equates to over £19. Thus, I would have to pay VAT and handling fees as with the p&p the final cost would be closer to $35. There is a 5000IU vitamin D product and I will buy this. Thank you for your comprehensive help, I think I will save my money and not buy 'Manuka Honey'.

poohwinnie5

I would also like to ask you

do you take any vitamin supplements, and what are they?

Ted_Hutchinson

poohwinnie5 wrote: »

I would also like to ask you

do you take any vitamin supplements, and what are they?

For information purposes only and not as medical advice I'm happy to answer your question.

I supplements I take daily are
7000iu/daily of Vitamin D3. (I used to take 5000iu but my latest 25(OH)D test showed my status was only 120nmol/l and I would prefer it to be around 150nmol/l or 60ng)

1.8g of omega 3 daily. (that's six normal fish oil capsules, 3 super strength capsules or one teaspoon of liquid omega 3 fish oil) I've been using omega 3 now for many years the latest research confirms it is extremely important for brain/heart health but I do this in the context of a lower omega 6 intake than is generally the case. I also use coconut oil/ olive oil and our hens have a diet supplemented with flax so all our eggs are higher omega 3.

Magnesium 600mg/daily. Krispin's magnesium page

Vitamin K2mk4,

There is also evidence based support for the use, in certain circumstances, of Melatonin, Co-Enzyme Q10, DHEA, L-Arginine, B-Complex Vitamins, vitamin C, Alpha lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carntine for those with specific problems or insufficiency states. (this isn't an exclusive list, it's just an off the top of my head those supplements I've researched/considered there may be others) You may note I do not take a multivitamin/mineral, too much reliance on synthetic vits for my liking.

Bear in mind also that I am now eating a low carbohydrate diet based on the worlds healthiest foods. and although this is only anecdotal evidence, the greatest improvements in my health have come not from the use of supplements but from the change from a healthy diet including wholegrain/brown rice, potatoes, wholegrain pasta to a healthier low carbohydrate diet. It was cutting out the carbs that stopped my cravings, reduced my appetite and allowed the fat to burn off.

poohwinnie5

I'm presently searching around the stores for vitamin D 7000iu, magnesium and vitamin K2mk4. Did you buy these supplements from iHerb? I'm especially having trouble finding K2mk4 (dosage?)