I was looking into buying some vitamins, such as multi, fish oil and vitamin D. I realized there is a huge range of prices for these things. Can I get away with just buying the cheapest ones? I mean the ingredients are pretty much the same on all the packages, but the difference in price can be huge! My body and health is something that is important to me, so I don't mind spending money on it. Should I only buy the best or do the generic brands do the same job?
Personally, I think the generic brands are just fine and have been taking them for some time. I've always heard that if you think you're vitamins aren't doing you any good, quit taking them for awhile and see how you feel. With that in mind, I guess that if you've been taking higher priced vitamins you could just start taking the generics and see if you notice a difference. If you do, you can always go back to what you were taking before.
It depends on the brand, I think. If something is cheap, it does not always mean that the component is not good. You really have to read through the components. Sometimes, a bottle of vitamins is cheaper because the strength of each component is not very high. Also, it's not good to be taking in too many types of vitamins. Taking just a multivitamin should be enough. Too much of these can sometimes cause liver problems.
Research, research, research. It's an unregulated market, so you could be buying anything, no matter what the label says. Many have been tested, so look for those. Recently, some generic brands were tested and they almost all failed testing (look it up).. the cheaper ones were the worst culprits. BUT, this was just a handful of brands pulled from certain stores.. this doesn't speak for them all. Not all generic are the devil and not all big brands are good to go. Just do your research.
I've skimped on vitamins in the past and I've regretted it many times. I bought Kirkland's Omega 3 and even though it wasn't bad, I felt like for just a few bucks more I could've gotten something much better. I also bought Vitamin E a few days ago and discovered that many of the cheap brands use synthetic Vitamin E and not natural Vitamin E. Synthetic Vitamin E usually isn't as strong as Natural and that explains why the gap between prices is so big.
How 'bout the good old : You don't need supplements, you need a good diet! advice? You don't need to buy your nutrition as pills. It's not more healthy than biting in a fruit.
They're the same old thing. What makes generic vitamins different from popular brands is that you don't have to pay for the reputation. You pay solely for the cost involved in creating it. Some pharmaceutical companies try to get back the money they invested by plastering a higher price tag per bottle or pack. Of course, as already mentioned, you also need to exercise and adopt a proper diet to for the vitamins to work. Just a rejoinder, though, there's no generic brand for fish oil supplements.
Look up on the local regulations. Generic brands should legally be required to have a similar level of efficacy as their branded counterparts. If you're comfortable with it by all means go for the generic, cheaper ones.
Good replies all round here. I think I will first, do some research, and then start on some generic brands to see if I feel any difference in my health. Of course I will only use them to supplement my diet, as they are not a replacement for eating healthy, asLog In mentioned. Most important information here is to listen to your body. Thanks everyone!
I much prefer recognised brands, to be honest. I also try to keep the number of supplements I take to a minimum, and try to focus on getting my minerals and nutrients from my diet. This allows me to keep my supplements to 2-3 at most. I go to the best brands and the highest strength to avoid having to take too many a day, I prefer the one- a -day types.
Generic brands from big pharmacies are fine and usually are similar to the big brands. I wouldn't rely on them because the best way is the natural vitamins because they need to be absorbed into the body. I have friends who buy expensive ones, and to be honest they admit it is expensive pee and the body gets rid of what it doesn't need daily.
I could not agree more with this. Think of it this way: Do you think the nutrients you're getting from pills are equal to the ones you get from your food? I'll take my vitamins in food form & naturally. Seems the better gamble.
What you might want to do is read very carefully about the ingredients. Most cheap brands of vitamins use GMO ingredients and artificial additives and preservatives. If you are really health conscious, you will probably buy organic brands that use as many naturally derived ingredients as possible.
I think to a certain extent, you get what you pay for with vitamins. If you research vitamins you will see there is a whole bunch of stuff behind how well things get absorbed, and it usually ends up the more expensive vitamins actually have the components needed to absorb best.
I actually heard on some documentary I saw a while back that some of these cheap ones can be padded out with artificial additives and preservatives, especially the unknown brands. I much prefer recognised brands, and would maybe consider say Sainsburys' own as they're a well known and trusted supermarket chain, if I can't afford my favourite brands.
Of course food is the most important source, but there are things our bodies don't produce that we need to supplement depending on our diet and source of food.. and let's face it.. most people are not on a nutrient rich diet. My first advice would be to go to the doctor and get your levels checked... it's dangerous to make assumptions about your body when it comes to vitamins and minerals.
That's my point of viewLog In. I think this day and age people are not only not eating the required amount of nutrients and vitamins in their diet, but also the food is not as nutrient dense as it used to be. I have been reading about green powders, supposedly it's a vitamin replacement which is derived wholly from fruits and vegetables. Apparently it is easier for our bodies to use the vitamins in these formulas.
I personally don't buy those but my family does, and they usually stick with the known or recommended brands that they hear from friends. I think it's best to research each brand carefully as it's best to keep safe for something you are going to ingest. You would just end up paying more in medical bills if you end up buying bad product.
