multi-vitamin help

[=112=]

currently i'm taking centurm performance as a daily multi-vitamin. i know i wouldn't really see any immediate effects, but as i was taking it this morning, i was wondering how good centrum actually is. i haven't really done any research on multi-vitamins and was just wondering if any of you guys/girls have done some research and know which multi-vitamin is the best. i know that men/women multi-vitamins are different so the best of both would be nice so that i can have my mom take some too. thanks.

[Markel]

We use Shaklee products in our home (my wife makes a small business out of it). Yeah, it's a multilayer marketing company, but the amount of research and quality of their products is unmatched. They use processing methods that minimizes loss of the nutrients, monitor for purity throughout the manufacturing process, and do clinical tests for actual absorption of what the supplements are supposed to be providing.

[=112=]

i've read about the multi-vitamins that MLM companies sell, which seem to be a growing number. i'm sure they're good, but i was just looking for something u can buy at the market. thanks though.

[molecularfire]

You are asking a question that really can't be answered. The point of a multi-vitamin is to fill in some of the nutrient gaps that your diet doesn't supply so it really depends on what your diet is. There is no such thing as the perfect multi-vitamin for everybody... depends on what you're lacking... for example, if you're a lactose intolerant, dark skinned african american person living in Detroit you would probably benefit more from a multi-vitamin that is higher in Vitamin D. If you're a woman of reproductive age, make sure to get one that has enough folate (although my guess is that they all have enough unless you've actually had a kid with a neural tube defect in the past in which case you need more folate so I'd take straight up folate pills too), If you're a vegan make sure to get one with a lot of B12, etc... The question you've got to ask yourself is what is your diet missing.

That said, most likely you're diet is pretty good and while taking a multi-vitamin is good to fill in the deficiencies in your diet it doesn't matter which multi-vitamin you take because the extra stuff goes into the toilet anyways.

If you're curious about what are the different ingredients in multi-vitamins there are tons of websites listing their ingredients. The most accurate info. is probalby at the individual product's website. Here is a link to a website with a bunch of common ones. Haven't compared their data for accuracy yet though...
http://www.consumerlab.com/results/multivit_ing.asp#compother

[MikeD]

The best, IMO, is Adam Superior Men. I think the Costco/GNC stuff is adequate, but this is the real deal:

http://www.bulknutrition.com/?products_id=1192

Great folks at Bulk Nutrition, too. Small company, run out of North Carolina. Good people...

Multi-vitamin comparison chart can be found here:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=6945936&postcount=662

Good luck with whatever you decide...