Multivitamin Ratings and Effectiveness

[Gary Peters]

Here is a PDF I came across that looked rather interesting. Pay attention to some of the brands they sell at places like Walmart and those highly recommended such as GNC. List reasons to agree or disagree with this list. It looks like a reliable source but maybe some of you supplement gurus can prove otherwise.

http://www.multivitaminguide.org/MultivitaminGuideU7.pdf

 

[Gary Peters]

Amazing, no one has information or opinions on this but we have a whole thread going on canned chicken. Pffft.

 

[joshetc]

That is because they use some obscure rating system to judge the vitamins, with no regard for what the diet or goals are of the vitamin taker.

Also, it looks like the site is down now :\

 

[Lapu-Lapu]

They don't have the multi's I use.

 

[MuyThaiFighter]

The top-rated multi is from a multi-level marketing company...I'm guessing USANA had a hand in this study. The Dr. doing the research is Dr. Lyle MacWilliam...

From a quick google search:

Lyle MacWilliam who authored the Comparative Guide to Nutritional
Supplements was on USANA's medical advisory board from 2003 to 2006.
This was during the time he wrote the fourth edition. Lyle MacWilliam
never disclosed that fact to anyone.


One of his claimed "INDEPENDENT authorities" used to make the blended
standard used to determine the best formula was Dr. Ray Strand. What
is never disclosed to any reader of the book is the following.


Dr. Ray Strand is on USANA's medical advisory board. Dy Ray Strand and
his wife Elizabeth are USANA distributors at the EMERALD director
ranking which makes on average $104,000 a year on commissions.


Another "INDEPENDENT" authority was Dr. Michael Colgan. He was also on
USANA's medical advisory board in the 1990s and once was a USANA
distributor with the USANA account name "Institute Colgan".


So how could Lyle MacWilliam claim Dr. Ray Strand is an "INDEPENDENT"
authority??? And since Lyle MacWilliam himself was on USANA's medical
advisory board from 2003 to 2006 without ever disclosing that fact,
this makes the entire book NONCREDIBLE.


The book is nothing more than a sales tool sold to USANA distributors
to be used to recruit people into USANA's pyramid scheme.

 

[cheath]

Yeah, but it still makes me think that taking most vitamins I'd get at even a health food store are going to be pointless. GNC, Twinlab, etc. I just figure I'd probably shit them right out before I got much use out of them. Considering the fact that they're $20 a bottle makes me think why even bother.

I can understand these people ranking their USANA brand higher if they have a conflict of interest. But I don't care because I wouldn't pay $1.50 a day for a vitamin anyways. But I don't see the point in them crapping on other brands unless in fact they just aren't decent vitamins.

However, I did find that one company (SportPharma) who had a high rated vitamin (the Multigaurd at 79%) also makes a vitamin called the Multi-V which is quite reasonably priced. (The Multigaurd seems to be out of production). So I'm wondering if *everything* SportPharma produces would be of quality, or just that one particular Multigaurd???

 

[cheath]

Whoops, accidentally duplicated.

 

[MuyThaiFighter]

I think anytime a company releases a report saying their product is best, you have to take it with a grain of salt. Especially when they're not upfront about it.

Additionally, I have a problem with their formula for RDAs. I realize you have to start somewhere, but to say a 100lb female needs the same amount of a vitamins/minerals as a 250lb male is quite silly.

 

[joshetc]

I think anytime a company releases a report saying their product is best, you have to take it with a grain of salt. Especially when they're not upfront about it.

Additionally, I have a problem with their formula for RDAs. I realize you have to start somewhere, but to say a 100lb female needs the same amount of a vitamins/minerals as a 250lb male is quite silly.

Exactly, everyone should choose a vitamin that suits their needs. Also, their "best supplementation" ideal requires about 5 or 6 different heavy m-etals, out of something like 40 total compounds. Most high quality vitamins intentionally leave heavy m-etals out, as most people don't need to supplement them, and over supplementation can be dangerous. This puts the companies that actually make customized vitamins under a bad light.

 

[Valgarv]

Good post, MuyThaiFighter

 

[Vedic]

I agree with everything said except.............. you wouldn't pay 1.50 a day for a quality vitamin?

 

[cheath]

you wouldn't pay 1.50 a day for a quality vitamin?

I'd like to, but that's $45 a month that I just don't have. I just hope that a good protein supplement and eating as good as I can will help my body. I'd like to buy a quality vitamin, and if I could afford it I would, but I don't have the cash.

 

[wvboy]

I agree with everything said except.............. you wouldn't pay 1.50 a day for a quality vitamin?

http://www.gnc.com/product/index.js...um+greens&kw=maximum+greens&parentPage=search

There is one of the highest rated multis on this board for $10 a month. I wouldn't pay $45 a month for a multi ever.

 

[skeet]

Source Naturals makes some good vitamins, so I'm not surprised they got good ratings, however the fuck those ratings work.

However, for as long as I live I will take the Buried Treasure VM-100 Liquid Multi. Fucking amazing.

 

[joshetc]

http://www.gnc.com/product/index.js...um+greens&kw=maximum+greens&parentPage=search

There is one of the highest rated multis on this board for $10 a month. I wouldn't pay $45 a month for a multi ever.

That is a twice a day vitamin, so it is $20 a month w/ out your gold card or ike $16/month with it.

 

[theNuge]

Source Naturals makes some good vitamins, so I'm not surprised they got good ratings, however the fuck those ratings work.

However, for as long as I live I will take the Buried Treasure VM-100 Liquid Multi. Fucking amazing.

Why is it so amazing?

 

[wvboy]

That is a twice a day vitamin, so it is $20 a month w/ out your gold card or ike $16/month with it.

My arithmetic went ascue. Good catch. Still that's not bad for a quality multi.

 

[skeet]

Why is it so amazing?

I took GNC's Mega Man for three years. I was very healthy, but I still got a two day cold, twice a year when the seasons changed, and a two day flu bug in the winter. Ten months ago I switched to the VM-100.

Not only did I not get either cold, but I was IN THE FACE of the flu all winter. Everyone at work (I work at a health food/supplement store) was out with it for two weeks. Everyone who came into the store had the flu or was taking care of someone who did. I didn't even fucking sneeze all winter.

At this point in the story I remind you that the ONLY thing I have changed in my diet/exercise in the last five years is supplements. My diet and exercise have remained pretty consistent.

Now, I count every calorie. I weigh myself once a week in the morning and keep track. I can tell you my macro breakdown 666 days ago. I weigh my fucking raw spinach. I find it fun. Anyways..

Every year I go up to about 175 in the winter, and by the end of summer I am 135-ish. It's how my ****bolism works. The last four years going into april, I have weighed around 170. Today I weigh 152. The only (dramatic)part of my diet I have changed since last year is the VM-100. Exercise remains consistent with the last few years.

What upped my ****bolism?

I swear by this shit.

 

[skeet]

AND it's fucking tasty.

 

[wvboy]

What upped my ****bolism?

Cocaine is a helluva drug. :icon_chee

j/k