I have always taken a woman's multi vitamin, which includes the B vitamins, and have never really felt the benefits. After a recent hair analysis it was suggested I needed multi B vitamins. I bought a respected brand, stopped after 2 days because I felt worse. Interestingly ( I love synchronicity) a friend I hadn't seen for ages said she had experienced the same thing - with same Australian Brand. And then another friend said she felt sick after a fizzy tablet version of B Vitamins. Then, round the same time, I received an email from Naturalnews with an interesting article and an interview with Mike Adams and a Dr Gregory Kunin.

Here I discovered that most brands use chemical substitutes for B1 & B12 that actually have a draining effect on the cell rather than a boost. I visited all our health stores here in Tauranga, N.Z. checked all top brands, including Australian, for their B1 and B12 and it confirmed this to be so: they are using the cheaper chemical version.

Here's an extract from the article.
"Here's one way you can tell the difference. Take any multivitamin product and look for the B vitamins section on the Nutrition Facts label.
Cheap vitamins (non-methylated) will use standardized "USP" vitamins such as "Thiamin USP (thiamin HCL) vitamin B1." That's the chemical form of vitamin B1, and it actually requires a donation of cellular energy from your body before you can use it. The form of B12 in cheap vitamins is cyanocobalamin.
Quality vitamins, on the other hand, will use the "coenzyme" forms of the B vitamins. These will often be listed with the word "coenzyme," and the form of vitamin B12 will appear as either methylcobalamin or hydroxycobalamin. That's a sure sign of a high-end, quality multivitamin.
Here it is again:
USP = cheap
B12 as cyanocobalamin = cheap
Coenzyme or methylated = quality
B12 as hydroxycobalamin or methylcobalamin = quality

I ordered three month's supply of Gregory Kunin's natural formula through www.Drinkyourvitamins.com
Watch this space!!

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Suzanne, the are a number of good quality herbal Vits. around, it sometimes takes a bit of looking, but most good herbalists know them. They are made from herbs, so are no synthetic and highly absorbable. There is a health centre in Te Puke that has some.

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Interesting info Suzanne... thanks for sharing!
Trinity
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Thanks Jon. Yes, I am aware of the herbal supplements available here in Tauranga but my point is that even some of the naturopaths, who run our health shops here, were not aware of the chemical substitute in these top brands. And I think it is so sad that people who are trying to do somethig about their health are being misled.
Like I said most of the vitamin B12 that’s on the market today is known as cyanocobalamin. It’s a toxic form of vitamin B12 and most of the vitamin companies use it because it’s cheaper. Vitamin B12 is apparently an expensive product - as much as $6,000 or more per kilo to get the better form.

Here is a link to my source. http://www.naturalnews.com/020019.html

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Hey all....
I am new to this site so Iam a bit behind all the postings...hope you still look at them!!!
Getting back to this vitamin thing....I started taking One a day Womens vitamins....on the fourth day of taking them I was so ill....I had to sit down and rest for half an hour until the feeling of sickness and sweating subsided. I did'nt take anymore but about 2 days after that episode I felt as if my stomach was in my chest and I noticed that my tongue started getting an awful yellow coating on it. My doctor gave me a disgusting mouthwash and called it a yeast infection. Well is was'nt....it got worse and worse and in the end I was'nt able to eat because of the awful taste and smell it created, not to mention that my tongue was swollen!!. I am not a large person but in the end lost so much weight that I had to go back to the UK (I live in Florida) and be treated by a doctor over there. He told me that the vitamins may have triggered an allergic reaction and treated me for acid reflux (it was'nt but the treatment did the trick)...all my blood tests and MRI's said I was really healthy...my doc said I was the healthiest ill person he had ever seen!!. It took me 5 months to get better, Iam now back at my proper weight but still have a mysterious coating on my tongue though not as bad. It gets worse with certain foods so now I have cut out bread and fatty foods. When I called the company who make these supplements - they apologized and sent me coupons to get more...yeh right....I now eat very healthy - getting all my nutrients the natural way!!!
I will NEVER touch any sort of vitamin pill again......
Debra

Last edited: 30-06-2008 09:01:16 AM

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That's a horrific story, Debra! Did the docs confirm that it was the vit pills that had caused it? Seems too much of a coincidence for them not to have done. So you must have had a reaction to one of the ingredients?

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Hey Helen
The first thing my doc in UK did was to send me for intense blood tests. Everything was fine in that department...even though I was 61/2 stone and still losing weight because my stomach had shrunk and everytime I went to eat I felt really sick.
He put me on Omeprazole because he thought that it may have been an ulcer but when I told him about the vits he then said that it could have been an allergy. He kept me on those for a while, they helped a bit - my stomach pains gradually subsided but I still had the coating on my tongue. He gave me lozenges which cleared it up within a few days - but when I finished the prescription it came back. My doc then said that when I got back to healthy eating, the coating would go away which is has to some extent. I nearly had a breakdown over it.
I did however start meditating again and deep breathing exercises....breathing from the stomach and up into my lungs - holding, and breathing out. This seemed to help me immensly and from that day I started to get better.
My tongue still has a slight coating....if I eat too much cheese or bread I feel a bit bloated and get what may be indigestion....but all in all I am back to nearly 8stone!!!
Oh yes...after the vitamin incident I also got a kidney stone!!! That was so painful and did'nt help the situation but on the other hand, when I was taken into hospital I did get MRI's and stuff done and everything was absolutely fine apart from the stone which I passed the next day. I did go to a Chinese Herbalist and when she looked at my tongue said that my kidneys were overheated and needed to take two lots of tablets. They were just too expensive but I was surprised that she said about the kidneys...I had'nt told her about the stone.'
I am normally such a healthy person...I have low cholestrol and low blood pressure...which is normal for me....I wish I could turn the clock back - I would not take any sort of vitamins. On the other hand, going through all that made me realize how delicate the human body is and Iam now eating heathily, exercising and meditating regularly. I may even be a better person for it!!!!
Debra

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Interesting Debra, however, if you take vitamins in the form of herbs you will get what you need. Herbs were our (mankind) first medicine, this, by itself, should tell you what your body needs. Tablets and pills made in a factory are not usually what makes us well.

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Hello Jon
You are so right. I try not to eat anything with chemicals in them and it is real difficult!! Bread alone has stuff in it that I would'nt give to my dog....what is monosodium glutamate??? High fructose corn syrup? Extra this and extra that....
I have been watching a programme on BBC America called You are what you eat. It is mainly for obese people but all the same, I have learned an awful lot from this programme. Being only 109lbs I am always being told I don't have to watch my weight...Iam lucky there, but I still want to be healthy!!!
While I was in UK I called NHS Direct and the nurse there said it may have been too much iron....not sure but thank goodness Iam ok now.....it was a horrible experience...put me off of vits for life!!
Debra

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Thanks for your reply, Debra. What a horror story.

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I personally avoid vitamin tablets. They can breed complacency when it comes to eating well. I know many people who think they don't need to eat fruit and veg because they take vitamin tablets. I instead try to get everything I need from eating a very well balanced diet.

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suzanne, thanks for the info on B Vits. I looked on mine and i saw they had the cheap variety! do you have a source to look up all the vitamins to know which ones are of quality and what they ought tobe using as opposed to cheap ingredients? I would get dr robert marshalls products as all his are resonate frequencies and of quality but I dont like buying frm the usa as they put so much duty on them when they arrive. you can email directly as I dont know how often i would log on to this forum [email protected] Thanks

Last edited: 22-11-2010 07:41:07 AM

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Hi jon, if I took herbs instead of vitamins what ones would you suggest in the uk? For example how would you get the amino acids and also enzyme COQ10 for example?
Can you send an answer direct if you see this post. [email protected]

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Hi Ann, I am not an herbalist, sorry. What I would do and do, is talk to the herbalist about what you want to take.

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Hi All

It is so true what all have you have said. When you take vitamin and mineral supplements it needs to be all natural and totally consumable. Most vitamins we buy in health shops have synthetic substances that the body simply does not absorb.

In an ideal situation we should rely on healthy eating but in reality it is not possible because of farming methods, pollution in the air,ect. thus depletion of nutrients in our fruit and veg. Even doctors and nurses are taking supplements and promote the use of it to patients. You should use vitamin and mineral supplements that is made of actual food as nature intended. Luckily I have found the company that does it, my children, my husband and I have never been this healthy. It pays to spend a bit more money but knows you are buying the absolute best. We can not put a price on our health!!!!!

I was the typical person who would disregard natural products, but now I will never ever turn back to my old ways.

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Can you tell us the company, Elnette? I would be most interested.

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Floradix make great liquid vitamin and iron supplements from vegetables, herbs and fruit. You can buy their products in most health food shops and places like Neals Yard.
Marion

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