Thorne B Basic

[malohant]

Hi

I've heard Thorne B Basic is one of the best B complexes and was thinking of switching, but I can't find it for less than £25/60caps.

Could anyone pm me if they have a more affordable source please?

Thanks

Mx

[thyr01d]

Hello, I am about to throw a spanner in the works but I hope it's helpful. We should not take B vitamins out of balance, if you take more of one or more and less of others that leads to depletion of some. However, some B vits are cheap and some expensive so most brands provide plenty of the cheap ones and little of the expensive ones. The best I found, but can't now find though you might, was ZipVit. Searching myself (and I'm going to look more when I have time) I can only find high strength in ZipVit now so perhaps they no longer do what I think I had before. Currently I am taking SimplySupplements B Complex.When I do look I will compare prices and will have done for SimplySupplements amazon.co.uk/Vitamin-Contai...

at £7.89 for 3 months worth compared with your Thorne at £26 ish for 2 months worth and SimplySupplements contain 100% RDA of each B vitamin.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to thyr01d]

thyr01d

I've just looked at the ingredient list of ZipVit B Complex 100% RDA and they don't seem to use all the best forms of ingredients and don't use the bioavailable forms.

They use folic acid instead of methylfolate and cyanocobalamin instead of methylcobalamin - so they're using the cheaper versions which the body has to convert to the bioavailable forms, not everyone is capable of doing that.

B6 is Pyridoxine Hydrochloride whereas Pyridoxal-5-phosphate (or P-5-P) is the active form.

The Simply Supplements one likewise.

[thyr01d in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi SeasideSusie, yes, I agree, I can't find the original ZipVit B Complex that I used to take, but can you find one that does and also has all B vitamins in balance? I can't.

[thyr01d]

Hello, I am about to throw a spanner in the works but I hope it's helpful. We should not take B vitamins out of balance, if you take more of one or more and less of others that leads to depletion of some. However, some B vits are cheap and some expensive so most brands provide plenty of the cheap ones and little of the expensive ones. The best I found, but can't now find though you might, was ZipVit. Searching myself (and I'm going to look more when I have time) I can only find high strength in ZipVit now so perhaps they no longer do what I think I had before. Currently I am taking SimplySupplements B Complex.When I do look I will compare prices and will have done for SimplySupplements amazon.co.uk/Vitamin-Contai...

at £7.89 for 3 months worth compared with your Thorne at £26 ish for 2 months worth and SimplySupplements contain 100% RDA of each B vitamin.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to thyr01d]

That contains folic acid not folate

[thyr01d in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi SlowDragon, I've just looked up the difference between folate and folic acid to see why you made that comment. Do you know of a B complex with all Bs in balance that contains folate?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to thyr01d]

We post and reply about this a lot

Most frequently recommended

Thorne basic B

Jarrow B right

Both are large capsules. You can tip powder out if can’t swallow capsule

Igennus Super B is good quality and cheap vitamin B complex. Contains folate. Full dose is two tablets per day. Many/most people may only need one tablet per day. Certainly only start on one per day (or even half tablet per day for first couple of weeks)

IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results

endo.confex.com/endo/2016en...

endocrinenews.endocrine.org...

[thyr01d in reply to SlowDragon]

I'm even more confused now, looked at Igennus and the balance is way out and it contains vitamin C which someone on here told me should be taken hours away from B vitamins: Vitamin C (ascorbic acid & ascorbyl palmitate) 160mg

Vitamin B3 (nicotinamide; B3) 48mg

Pantothenic acid (as calcium D-pantothenate; B5) 36mg

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) 20mg

Thiamine (as thiamine hydrochloride; B1) 20mg

Riboflavin (as riboflavin-5-phosphate; B2) 14mg

Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) 900mcg

Folate (Quatrfolic, [6S]-5-MTHF, glucosamine salt) 400mcg

Biotin (as D-biotin; B7) 300mcg

Same with Jarrow and wasn't it you who told me the one I recommended was not good because it contained Folate rather than Folic Acid, which these do.

I'll post a question but in the meantime can you explain please or even better recommend a B complex that has all B vits in balance and has them in absorbable form as recommended by Seaside Susie?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Look at iherb for Thorne B complex

[Guineapiggy]

I found them on Amazon

amazon.co.uk/Thorne-Researc...

uk.iherb have them cheaper but you may have to pay VAT and the Post Office charge for collecting it on top which may take you above the Amazon price.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Guineapiggy]

You're right Guineapiggy, which is why I never use these "cheaper" overseas sites as usually there is no price advantage. I've just gone through the trial order process to get a costing:

Iherb price for Thorne Basic B - £17.56

Shipping cost with Hermes - £4.53

VAT (now paid at their end with order so nothing to pay when it reaches UK) - £4.42

Total - £26.51

and if you choose to use DHL for shipping it's £33.95

So it's cheaper to buy in the UK and get it within a couple of days

malohant The price does vary on Amazon and I last bought some in May when it was £23 so bought 2 at that price. It's just a case of keeping an eye on their prices, it often goes up when stock gets low and reduces again when they've restocked.

Iherb

[malohant in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks SeasideSusie - I've just bought some through iherb - they do free shipping (Hermes) if you spend over £30 so I bought 2 for £42.

120 caps will last a while at least I'm just switching from Igennus (because of Vit C/B12 clash) and the change in price took me aback a bit!

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to malohant]

Good call! That's a good price

[thyr01d in reply to SeasideSusie]

I'm getting increasingly confused now. That Thorne B complex provides 16,000 % RDV of some B vits and only 167% of others. Are you recommending that?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to thyr01d]

thyroid

That Thorne B complex provides 16,000 % RDV of some B vits and only 167% of others. Are you recommending that?

I only suggest members take a B Complex when their nutrient test results show they have low levels of B12 and/or folate. I have never suggested anyone just takes B Complex without them showing results for these tests. If their results show good levels then I don't suggest they take a B Complex.

Where you have quoted 16,000% for the Thorne Basic B that is the B12 which is 400mcg methylcobalamin which for someone who wants to improve a lowish B12 level would be a decent amount to take. Anyone with a B12 level very low in it's range but without signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency requiring further testing then 1000mcg might be a more appropriate dose. The 2.4mcg in the Simply Supplements and ZipVit B Complex wouldn't improve a low level, it wouldn't do anything at all really. The 167% you quote is for the folate which gives 400mcg L-Methylfolate (5-MTHF) which again is a pretty standard amount to help raise a low folate level.

As Thorne is a US brand they use DV (Daily Value).

Simply Supplements and ZipVit are UK companies and in the UK we use NRV which is Nutritional Reference Values and is the same as the former RDA which is Recommended Daily Allowance. The change from RDA to NRV for vitamins and minerals was an EU thing.

NRV’s is basically the amount of vitamins and minerals needed regularly to prevent disease. DV is the amount of vitamins and minerals we should get from a 2,000 calorie meal to keep us in good health. Often they are similar.

So it all depends on what you want from your supplement. If you are low in B12 and Folate (which many of us are and that's why we take a B Complex) then you would want more than the 2.4mcg B12 Simply Supplements and ZipVits provide in their B Complex, you would want more like the 400mcg of both provided in the Thorne Basic B.

[thyr01d in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ah, thanks for the explanation, so what you are recommending is for people who want to supplement because they are low in B12 and Folate in which case you think it's best for them to take an out of balance mixture that provides good amounts of B12 and Folate. Now I understand why we see this differently.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to thyr01d]

Out of interest, why are you taking a B Complex?

[thyr01d in reply to SeasideSusie]

Because I'm vegan and I avoid all forms of gluten so my diet lacks B vitamins. You probably know that it is said that there is no natural source of B12 for vegans yet when tested my B12 was way over range, likewise my daughter who's been vegan for about 15 years when tested recently had good levels of absolutely everything. This shows there are commonly believed myths and it's why I wish people like me could buy a balanced formula and people whose diet contains plenty of most B vitamins could supplement only the ones that they are short of which would be much better for all of us. It's the fact that too much of some B vitamins depletes others that troubles me not just for myself but for the many people on here who take a B complex without knowing.