Are all vitamin suppliers the same

lolly5648

I need to stock up on vitamins and usually buy from Healthspan but have been looking at ads for other suppliers. They all seem to boast that they use the best quality ingredients, implying that the others don't so I wondered if there really was any difference.

Sadly I can't afford Solger or other gold standard ones.

Ted_Hutchinson

Because I buy a lot of my supplements from IHERB in the USA I belong to Consumerlabs an independent organisation that monitors the quality of supplements sold in the USA.

I don't belong to WHICH consumers association any more but they may offer a similar independent testing of supplements.

Anyway Consumerlabs do find that the supplements from some companies are of worse quality (ie don't provide the amount stated on the label) but in the reports I've read it doesn't seem to be related to price. In other words (puritans pride ~ sold as holland and barret in the uk) are as likely to be approved as more expensive firms and sometimes it's the most expensive supplements that are found to be faulty.

You really cannot go by price. Mostly they are all OK

The most important thing is to only buy stuff that does what you want and there is good scientific evidence that supports the claims made for that supplement. A lot of the claims for many supplements are overstated. That is why I always check with pubmed or Scholar to see if the supplement I am thinking about buying is associated with useful outcomes for the symptoms I'm having.

Most people are generally happy with Healthspan stuff. Most of Simply Supplements and Zipvit stuff is as good though.

Jelliebeen

I use Healthspan and never really thought about changing. Especially like the free delivery! I think the quality of their vitamins is pretty good and wouldn't want to pay much more.

icefall

Iherb is great, very fast delivery considering they are in the USA, and good quality vitamins with lots of reviews, which I find handy.

I also been using Zipvit.co.uki for at least 4 years, great quality and value and always reliable.

Mrembo

You don't need vitamin supplements if you eat a healthy diet
watch this http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00jz1kq/Professor_Regans..._Diet_Clinic/ and fast forward to 45.02 when the professor discusses vitamin supplements.

lolly5648

Mrembo wrote: »

You don't need vitamin supplements if you eat a healthy diet
.

Sadly I don't eat a very healthy diet so I need supplements. I watched the programme and wasn't very impressed. The Prof is obviously a very disciplined person, very slim and fit, eating very small portions of food.

I am the right weight for my height, although I would prefer to lose around 10lbs. and exercise 3 times a week but I do like my food and decent portions of curries, stirfries, grilled meat, vegetables and fruit. I also eat a lot of convenience food as that fits in with my lifestyle so I do take the vitamins that I feel might be lacking.

From time to time I have stopped taking supplements and have noticed the difference, especially with CoQ10.

Mrembo

lolly5648 wrote: »

Sadly I don't eat a very healthy diet so I need supplements. I watched the programme and wasn't very impressed. The Prof is obviously a very disciplined person, very slim and fit, eating very small portions of food.

I am the right weight for my height, although I would prefer to lose around 10lbs. and exercise 3 times a week but I do like my food and decent portions of curries, stirfries, grilled meat, vegetables and fruit. I also eat a lot of convenience food as that fits in with my lifestyle so I do take the vitamins that I feel might be lacking.

From time to time I have stopped taking supplements and have noticed the difference, especially with CoQ10.

Why were you not impressed?The professor was overweight before.

minty222

Hi

you need to take a look at omega4.co.uk - great online prices and loads of ongoing offers

Ted_Hutchinson

Mrembo wrote: »

You don't need vitamin supplements if you eat a healthy diet
watch this http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00jz1kq/Professor_Regans..._Diet_Clinic/ and fast forward to 45.02 when the professor discusses vitamin supplements.

This simply isn't true.
They are confusing RDA with the optimum intake.

I really don't understand why people cannot see the con that is being perpetuated.

The amount of vitamin D that is the RDA is the amount that protects from Ricketts. If we look at other conditions linked to Vitamin d insufficiency we find that in order to reduce breast cancer incidence or MS incidence, these are conditions linked to have vitamin D insufficiency over a longer span than applies to rickets we find that rather than the 400iu that gives protection against rickets we need more like 5000~6000iu to protect from other diseases.

The same applies to other conditions and other supplements.

It is absolutely totally dishonest to say or imply that vitamin D3 can be obtained from food sources alone.
Anyone who thinks that is so really needs to be locked up as they are safe out alone.