Vitamins

[Kim322]

Could anyone tell me if it's okay to take a regular multivitamin while starting Atkins?I see that it also mentioned minerals. What kind of mineral? I'm so new at this.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Vitamins

It all depends on what is in your multivitamin...

Mine contains:

Amount Per Serving - % Daily Value

Vitamin A - 2500 IU - 50%
Vitamin C - 120 mg - 200%
Vitamin D - 400 IU - 100%
Vitamin E - 33 IU - 110%
Vitamin K - 20 mcg - 25%
Thiamin (B1) - 4.5 mg - 300%
Riboflavin (B2) - 3.4 mg - 200%
Niacin - 20 mg - 100%
Vitamin B6 - 6 mg - 300%
Folic Acid - 400 mcg - 100%
Vitamin B12 - 25 mcg - 417%
Biotin - 30 mcg - 10%
Pantothenic Acid - 15 mg - 150%
Calcium - 120 mg - 12%
Iron - 0 mg - 0%
Iodine - 150 mcg - 100%
Magnesium - 100 mg - 25%
Zinc - 22.5 mg - 150%
Selenium - 105 mcg - 150%
Copper - 2 mg - 100%
Manganese - 4 mg - 200%
Chromium - 180 mcg - 150%
Molybdenum - 90 mcg - 120%
Potassium - 40 mg - 1%
Lycopene - 600 mcg

As you can see most of the percentages are around or above 100% of the RDA.

Looking at the percentages I see that potassium, calcium and magnesium are really low. So I supplement with an additional pill to make sure I get the RDA of those minerals, especially needed with exercising...

Make sure your multivitamin does not contain iron...

[shelly808]

Re: Vitamins

It might also be important to note that not all supplements are created equal.

They always tested soluability in the stomach, up until recently. Many companies would brag about how their vitamin would disolve in water...well just because they turn powdery in water does not mean that they get absorbed into the cells! Many people have been had for decades. Me at the top of the list, I have been a supplement freak since I was about 17 or 18 (trying to figure out how to cure a hangover!)

Minerals in the form of sulfates, oxides, gluconates and even chelates have recently been proven to crystallize in the small intestine and do not get delivered into the blood stream, we digest them out into the toilet! BTW the chelates are the best of the worst....You do get some absorbstion from chelates but not that much.

Scientists found that the ph in the small intestines is about 1-4, but the small intestines (where nutrient absorbtion takes place its about 7-8, much different!)

This crystallization process kicks off a ton of free radicals so the lovely antioxidants that you just injested with your multivitamins gets used up right there in your small intestines....Sooooo, instead of the precious lycopene, vita E, beta carotine, lutine, etc. going to cells throughout the bod...they are used right there in the small intestines to neutralize the free radicals.

I wasted good money for years!

The best absorbable form is from whole food supplements.
But the problem with them is not only are they extremely expensive, they can't standardize them nor can they put the RDA of all the different nutrients in them because they come from plants...so you get more of some things that you need and not nearly enough of others and virtually none of some important nutrients. ...not really the best option either.

I have been taking my vitamins from a company that figured out how to encapsulate each mineral moleucle with a fiberous coating that mimics plants.

The coating falls off the molecules upon entering the bloodstream from the small intestines. Kind of cool-21st century stuff. They also use the entire full spectrum of antioxidants from plants - so it's a kind-of science meets nature supplement.

I am sure there is good stuff out there but you kind of have to know what to look for so not to waste your money. BTW those cheap one-a-days and centrums and even dissapointly kirkland are the worst!

One more thing to watch out for, if you are going to go for the chelate form, you usually have to get them from a good health food store or some directs selling companies - make absolute sure that the vita E is not the dl form. dl tocopheryl is a synthetic form that the liver has to process out...D alpha is best...just think
dl = da loser vitamin.

Good Luck,
Shelly

[Georgiana]

Re: Vitamins

Could anyone tell me if it's okay to take a regular multivitamin while starting Atkins?I see that it also mentioned minerals. What kind of mineral? I'm so new at this.

Welcome to the Board, Kim.

You should be taking a multivitamin, as Dr. Atkins wrote in DANDR. All multivitamins have some minerals in them. Example of minerals are calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, chromium, copper, zinc... These are okay to be taken. What you should avoid is iron, because on Atkins we should be able to get enough iron from the foods we eat. Also, check that your multivitamin doesn't have sugar added (e.g. in a sort of coating).

To see if you need any other vitamin/mineral supplements on top of the multivitamin, it is better to ask your doctor for some tests, imo.

[jmacguff]

Re: Vitamins

can i revive this thread? uhm, can anyone please suggest a PARTICULAR BRAND of multivits that doesnt have IRON? i went to Target earlier and had a headache going through the isle reading each and every nutritional info on the bottles. i ended up going home empty-handed. :-(

thanks!

[Georgiana]

Re: Vitamins

can i revive this thread? uhm, can anyone please suggest a PARTICULAR BRAND of multivits that doesnt have IRON? i went to Target earlier and had a headache going through the isle reading each and every nutritional info on the bottles. i ended up going home empty-handed. :-(

thanks!

Look for vitamins for adults over 50. Those are normally without iron. I know Centrum has something called Centrum Silver 50+. Nature Made has a similar product.

Maybe someone in the US knows more brands.

[pagliaccia]

Re: Vitamins

I bought the Wal-mart (Equate) brand Multi-vitamins for Men. So far, most Men's formulas that I've seen don't have iron.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Vitamins

I take One-a-Day mens 50+ advantage - I compared dozens of multi vitamins and it had the highest amounts of the vitamins that I cared about and no iron...

Men's 50+ Advantage Multivitamin ONE A DAY

[jmacguff]

Re: Vitamins

thanks everyone!!! at least i now have several ideas.

[JohnSantos]

Re: Vitamins

YouTube - Atkins Diet: Role of Supplements

[vonyvon]

Re: Vitamins

Ok, so what is wrong with having the iron in your multi vitamins, I am anemic and need to take it on a regular basis?

[liv]

Re: Vitamins

If you are anemic then take it. I am very anemic and take as much iron as I get manage every day.
Atkins advised vitamins without iron because we get a lot of iron from eating typical Atkins food and since (in men at least) iron is not flushed out we could get too much of it.

Here is a thread to read about it

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/vita-nutrient-solution-supplements/43213-nutrient-week-iron-whats-all-fuss-about.html

[vonyvon]

Re: Vitamins

Thanks for that...