Does it matter whether you take whole food vitamins or regular drugstore varieties?

Question

I take a multi-vitamin, omega 3-6-9, and a B complex vitamin daily. Each are drugstore varities i.e. Centrum, Stuarts or Puritan's Pride. But I keep hearing the debate that whole food vitamins are better for you. Yet when I asked my Doctor at my last check-up she said it doesn't matter. Does anyone know what the truth is on this matter. I just want to be sure the vitamins I'm taking are working and whole foods vitamins are so much more expensive.
What's your opinion?
Thanks!

Answer 1

Your body can't tell the difference. In fact, generics are just as good as brand names, so save yourself some money. (Generics are made by the same pharaceutical companies but packaged under the store label.)

Two cautions:
1. Iron in pill form is not readly absorbed by the body. Better to get your iron needs met by iron-rich foods.
2. If you take fish oil supplements, check the label for sources. The sources should be small creatures (plankton, herring) low on the food chain and hence low in mercury. If the label doesn't specify, check other brands.

Answer 2

Most "drugstore" varieties of vitamins do not break down in the stomach within 20 minutes which means that most of the contents just pass through the digestive system. I have personally seen centrum vitamins on X-rays in the intestine.What this means is if your vitamin claims to have 100% of the RDA amount for C, you may only be absorbing 20% by the time it is excreted from the body. I do recommend whole-food based vitamins like Juice Plus or the like because although food companies select and market what is the current food fad to add to regular vitamins (like lycopene instead of just eating tomatoes). Nature puts everything in at the proper ratios and actually contains substances, yet to be identified by the laboratory. A great source for vitamins that are have passed clinical scrutiny would be consumer labs.com. Our bodies are a part of the natural order, so if you were to eat a well-balanced diet with foods in there natural state and season you would not need to supplement. The problem is that our current farming, production and cooking preparations rob food of it's original power.

Answer 3

Vitamin and mineral supplements containing synthetic sources are not as easily assimilated by your body.It is also suggested that getting your nutrients from whole foods is more advantageous because of synergists contained in the whole foods.Many nutrients interfere with the absorption of others in your system when taken at the same time or in excessive amounts.It is always better to get your nutrition from food but supplementation may be necessary for some people.Natural vitamin supplements are far superior though costly.I buy everything that I use from DPS Nutrition.net and have done so for ten years now.The prices are less then half of health food stores.

Answer 4

I think your doc would know, don't you? Besides, what are whole food vitamins?
I take a regular, generic vitamin (the Walmart version of One A Day Weight Smart) and recently had bloodwork done. All my levels of everything were just fine, so apparently the vitamins work, even though they're not whole food vitamins.

Answer 5

Even though whole foods may be more expensive you get better quality and whole is the key word here. Drug store is mass produced. Think about it this way you get what you pay for.

Answer 6

I don't know about the vitamins but the best Omega3's are Res-Q 1250