One of my New Year's resolutions is to take better care of my health-- I've got osteopenia as a result of a 10 year battle with anorexia (recovered now).
What vitamins and supplements do you health nuts take or recommend, and are there specific manufacturers that are better than others? I know that some people feel strongly that one brand is better than another. Is there a women's multi-v that people like? And a calcium supplement? What else should I think about taking?

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You should be supplementing with protein, vitamin C (for collagen synthesis), calcium and vitamin D (both to prevent further demineralization). Your doctor should tell you what the supplemental amount you should take each day should be. Dynamic and weight-bearing excercises also have been shown to reduce the progression of or into osteoporosis.
I don't believe there should be much difference between the prominent brands of vitamins, but I can't really tell you much about that. I could probably help you with most clinical questions.

Also, I can't stress this enough, take the time now while you are young to look after it. This is a type of condition that you can do A LOT for if you take proper care of it.

Just to add to Imhotep's post, make sure you get enough magnesium too. It assists in calcium absorption as well.

As for brand, look for one with USP certification.
Verified supplements

I take vitamin C and E, but thats all ....if you have a normal diet and eat lean protein, fruits and veggies then that should be fine. sometimes the vitamins people take are already being provided for with the food they eat, so your body doesn't use them and just flushes them out, so just try to eat a little of everything....make sure whatever calcium you take comes with vitamin D.

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For the record, I feel that generic store brand multi-vit are just as good as national brand ones, so that's what I use

My mom's fiance owns a vitamin store and is very knowledgeable. He usually spends close to 30 minutes (sometimes even an hour) with his customers to decide what products are best for him/her. His website is GoAskMatt. Give him a call/send an email if you need any vitamin/supplement advice!

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Hi mgoose.... read your labels on your generic supplements. There is a BIG difference between the generic and national brands or health food store supplements. Look in the "other ingredients", if you see the letters FD&C, that would be an artificial color which may contain aluminum (not a great thing to take) Some companies even put partially hydrogenated oils in their products. If you want to see what a high quality supplement looks like visit Super Vibra Tab - www.GoAskMatt.com. Look at the "Other Ingredients" and compare them to the one you use. You should see a big difference.

Hi Jessani,
Pretty much everyone above has given some good advice. I would also suggest that you add a good fish oil. You can find them in vitamin stores under the name of Omega 3 or DHA-EPA. You need to be careful about the quality of the fish oil. I like Nordic Naturals but there are many other companies who make a good product. If you would like more specific information feel free to contact me. I have been doing this since 1983!
Good luck and congratulations!

This is helpful b/c i am also on the lookout for a good vitamin. When I went to GNC they said their vitamins are a lot better than the other national brands. Are theirs really worth the money? Would I be OK with a brand like Centrum? I just looked at the list of ingredients in my store brand vitamins and I think I will be throwing them away b/c there is a huge list of other ingredients incl. a ton of artificial colors & corn starch. What do you look for when buying fish oil pills? I know some fish is supposed to contain mercury, so its prob. better to look for "organic", right?


edit: i just looked up the ingredients in Centrum and they also contain artificial colors. the 'other ingredients' on GNC vitamins looks good, though.

Yeah, if someone has a really good women's multi that isn't full of crap, I would appreciate it. Not too spendy.
I went to Wild Oats to get one and ended up getting way too overwhelmed by all the stuff. The only thing I took away is that capsules are more easily absorbed than tablets.

So far, I've got a chewable calcium supplement with silica & vitamin D-- that's good, right?

I got kinda scared because I've lost height since high school, and weight training and calcium supplementation right now are crucial, but my doctor was just like, "buy a multivitamin" and then there were 2304930598 kinds to choose from!

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Hi Everybody... Lots of questions on vitamins here. I have owned my own vitamin company since 1983. My knowledge is very good. If you have questions on supplements feel free to contact me at 888-381-6288 or you can e-mail me at matt@goaskmatt.com.
Happy & HEALTHY New Year!
Matt
www.GoAskMatt.com