Recommendations for Good quality vitamins without breaking the bank

[Swantaff]

Hi,

I am rubbish at remembering to take tablets but I am keen to start the vitamin sups recommended from this site.

I currently take my levo at night, calcium d3 in the morning and vit b complex.

Can anyone recommend firstly a good quality source of vitamins without making me bankrupt ( my vit b is from Boots!), and secondly is it possible to get these vitamins as a multi vit?

Thanks

[Clutter]

Swantaff, it's recommended that you have ferritin, B12 and folate tested before supplementing. If you have low levels/deficiency of the above you need to supplement the specific deficiency and won't find sufficient in a multi-vit.

Amazon is a good source and if you use the affiliate link below TUK will earn a small commission.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/go_sho...

[Swantaff in reply to Clutter]

Thanks clutter. I have been tested for ferritin and folate which I was advised were the lower end of normal. Not vit b 12 tested specifically.

I will find out the actual figures.

[Hidden]

A great multivit is Boots own brand. I started it a while back and notice a significant difference, for the better, compared to other brands. It also has a potent amount of b vitamins; so you may not need the b complex, unless you have a specific requirement.

[Redditch]

Can you eat eggs? If you can you would only need to buy vitamin C. Eggs are packed with all you need. I have 2 per day. My folate ferritin and B12 levels are so high after 2 years that I've had to cut down to one.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Redditch]

Agreeing fully that eggs are excellent sources of many things, but you might be over-egging your claim - there are several vitamins which are in far too tiny an amount to be significant.

Vitamins

Amounts Per Selected Serving   %DV

Vitamin A        244 IU  5%

 Retinol        69.5 mcg

 Retinol Activity Equivalent  70.0 mcg

 Alpha Carotene     0.0 mcg

 Beta Carotene     5.0 mcg

 Beta Cryptoxanthin   4.5 mcg

 Lycopene        0.0 mcg

 Lutein+Zeaxanthin   166 mcg

Vitamin C        0.0 mg  0%

Vitamin D        17.5 IU  4%

Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol)  0.5 mg  2%

 Beta Tocopherol    0.0 mg

 Gamma Tocopherol  0.2 mg

 Delta Tocopherol   0.0 mg

Vitamin K        0.1 mcg  0%

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)    0.0 mg  2%

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)    0.2 mg  14%

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)     0.0 mg  0%

Vitamin B6       0.1 mg  4%

Folate         23.5 mcg  6%

 Food Folate      23.5 mcg

 Folic Acid       0.0 mcg

 Dietary Folate Equivalents  23.5 mcg

Vitamin B12       0.6 mcg  11%

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)  0.7 mg  7%

Choline         126 mg

Betaine         0.3 mg

nutritiondata.self.com/fact...

The above is sourced from the USA so the daily allowances will not be exactly the same as for the UK - and their basic egg analysis could be slightly different. This is for ONE egg of 50 grams. You can go to the page to get fuller information such as: Iron - 0.9 mg - 5%.

[Redditch in reply to helvella]

American eggs are practically sterile. GB eggs are top. I don't take ANY B or folate or ferritin and my last blood tests had me in optimal ranges for all three. My chap said it was the eggs. Mine are organic.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Redditch]

UK details are available here:

gov.uk/government/publicati...

They are too voluminous to convert readily to a format for pasting here - but the numbers I did check were not massively different. The sampling for those reports included organic eggs.

[Jennyfluff]

I order mine from iherb as they do a breakdown of all ingredients and percentages for daily intake. I found them cheaper than high street or anywhere else and they delivered straight to my door. Hope this is helpful.

[Swantaff]

I love eggs but have always limited them , my mum was obsessed about becoming egg bound! she has brain washed me 😉

I have had a look at the recommended sights and have found some great ones which are quite reasonable too.

Looking the the recommended intake it's quite hard to find the magic pill isn't it?

Thanks everyone.

Amazing help and advice as always!

Xx

[guysgrams]

But we are always told by the doctors to take Calcium supplements especially if we are menopausal. I have been told to take minimum of 1200 mg per day (this tablet is also combined with 800 IU of Vitamin D3). I don't drink milk although I do use it on my cereal in the morning and don't eat a lot of cheese either. Not thrilled with the statement that people with supplement with Calcium die earlier. Wouldn't that be if one was taking an over abundance of the Calcium? I am trying to get healthier!

[Swantaff in reply to guysgrams]

Hi guysgrams

I think you are safe if it has been prescribed due to menopause which I understand can put you at high risk of osteoporosis.

Lots of things in life can make us die earlier, we would have to be hermits I reckon !

If your concerned ask your GP if you can have a calcium check as part of your blood tests. Too much calcium is detrimental for sure.

Hoe this relieves some of your concern.

Xx

[guysgrams in reply to Swantaff]

Thanks Swantaff. I checked my labs that were taken this past February and my calcium, serum was 9.5 (8.8-10.2)

[Marz in reply to guysgrams]

helpguide.org/articles/heal...

Lots of info on the net. There are various forms of calcium too. You need to take VitK2 to ensure calcium leaves the bloodstream and heads for the bones !

[Swantaff]

Hi Epictetus

I had my vit d level checked quite a while ago which was found to be very low. As my Tsh use to run at 0.09 for many years, I was put on it as a precaution to prevent loss of bone density loss.

When I have had my calcium levels checked they have always been lower end of normal so I am happy to continue.

Thank you for all the other info.

Xx

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

There is potentially a customs clearance fee plus vat.

This depends on value of order (without P&P) being £15 or over. Otherwise, no fee and no vat. Or luck - some things get through without charge. If you do have to pay vat, it is calculated on order including P&P.

The customs clearance fee depends on carrier - Royal Mail is £8, others can be much more.

[Jennyfluff]

Yes they do but I can see my total cost in pounds as well as dollars.

As for the fixed charge etc I have no idea! That's a great question!

Shall investigate.

[Marz]

..I think I have read that the supplement form of calcium is not absorbed well - apparently the molecules are too big or something

[Joyia]

I have been taking Viridian Phyto vitamins as recommended by my adrenal specialist, admittedly they are not cheap £34.50 for 90 but they are a supplement made from excellent natural resources, have to say I have at last started to feel better after a long winter with adrenal insufficiency, so for me finding the extra money has been worth it. I have also been taking 200mg Solgar magnesium which I think is around £8 per bottle.

[Swantaff]

Thank you everyone for so much varied advice, definitely food for thought.

Xx