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  1. #1
    Member yaga's Avatar
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    is centrum a good multi-vitamin?

    i am a regular guy just trying to gain some mass and get cut up. i do not take any other types of supplements (ie, creatine, protein drinks, etc.), but intend to work out hard until i get to where i want to be. the main reason that i am not taking any other supplements is that i am not sure which ones have bad side effects, or any negative effects in general (long or short term), and which one dont.

    anyway, can anyone tell me if centrum is a good multivitamin for someone like me? i know that there are other multivitamins that weightlifters take (they sell a bunch at my gym), but are they any better than what centrum offers? looking at the back of the centrum container, it seems that centrum offers 100% of most vitamins that i can think of.

    if centrum is not good, what is better and why is it better? i would prefer a good, cheap multivitamin. thanks in advance...

    yaga
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    Yeah, it's fine. There are better but for the price, it's pretty good.
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    Registered User e_dawg's Avatar
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    Centrum Protegra is EXCELLENT. It is perhaps THE most sensible multivitamin out there, all things considered. Many of the athlete or body builder formulas give you megadoses of certain vitamins and not enough of others.

    Centrum Protegra is still my #1 multivitamin choice after weeks researching all the other multis out there (and I do have a B.Sc degree majoring in Physiology, with courses in nutrition, exercise physiology, biochem, org/inorg chem, and pharmacology, so I can't be fooled by supplement company marketing BS).

    The only minerals it is arguably deficient in are calcium and magnesium -- but 99% of multis are deficient in Ca and Mg because the pills would be twice the size if you put the full RDA amount in there.

    I strongly recommend that in addition to a multivitamin that people also take a good Cal-Mag supplement* (that does NOT contain vitamin D, and has the preferred 2:1 ratio of Ca:Mg). 333 mg Ca : 167 mg Mg is a typical formulation. If you don't drink milk or eat much dairy or dark green leafy veggies, take 2 of these Cal-Mag pills daily. If you actually drink milk (maybe you make your protein shakes with milk instead of water), you only need 1 Cal-Mag per day.

    *If you take ZMA, however, take calcium only supplements (no magnesium or vitamin D).
    Last edited by e_dawg; 01-23-2003 at 02:48 AM.
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    I think that there are certainly better vitamins out there, but the cost of very good vitamins is sometime pretty high.

    Vitamins and minerals themselves can be a topic for for much research and education. I think that some people go overboard on them, and expect them to be a "cure all". I just started taking a really good multi that costs around $30 for a month's supply. I purchase it in powdered form, but it also comes in pill form.

    Really good multi's will contain just about everything you need. They should be on a staggered time release so that competing compounds are not fighting for absorption, although there is some debate as to whether or not this is possible. They should also contain Zinc and Magnesium in various forms including aspartate.

    Finally, if you are expecting to see some change in health from taking a multi, don't hold your breath. It won't happen overnight. Multi's usually take several weeks to a few months to really begin to make noticable changes in your body.

    (BTW, I am only repeating things I have read about vitamins from reliable sources. I might not be correct about everything detail.)

    I like this website for information: http://www.drwhitaker.com but there are other good ones out there too. Keep in mind that these guys also sell vitamins, but that doesn't mean that they aren't trustworthy.
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    Re: is centrum a good multi-vitamin?

    Originally posted by yaga
    i am a regular guy just trying to gain some mass and get cut up. i do not take any other types of supplements (ie, creatine, protein drinks, etc.), but intend to work out hard until i get to where i want to be. the main reason that i am not taking any other supplements is that i am not sure which ones have bad side effects, or any negative effects in general (long or short term), and which one dont.

    anyway, can anyone tell me if centrum is a good multivitamin for someone like me? i know that there are other multivitamins that weightlifters take (they sell a bunch at my gym), but are they any better than what centrum offers? looking at the back of the centrum container, it seems that centrum offers 100% of most vitamins that i can think of.

    if centrum is not good, what is better and why is it better? i would prefer a good, cheap multivitamin. thanks in advance...

    yaga
    I 've been using centrum for a long time now and I like it a lot. I highly recommend it.
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    Registered User Sonny's Avatar
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    I prefer the generic store brand mutli's. They're usually just as cheap, but a lot more potent. I did use Centrum for a couple of years and thought they were ok!

    If money were no object, I'd get AST's multi-vitamin for sure.

    For more info on multi's check this thread:
    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...threadid=61820
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    Originally posted by Sonny
    I prefer the generic store brand mutli's. They're usually just as cheap, but a lot more potent. I did use Centrum for a couple of years and thought they were ok!

    If money were no object, I'd get AST's multi-vitamin for sure.

    For more info on multi's check this thread:
    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...threadid=61820
    thats what i do, i just buy the knock off of centrum, u cant beat it only a couple bucks a month.
    ~shhhhh just watch~
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    Member yaga's Avatar
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    thank you for all the responses guys! it sounds like centrum is ok afterall (i already have a bunch), and from the sound of things, even generic multis may do the job.

    now, does anyone know if it makes more sense (or no sense) to take say, 2 centrums a day and double up on the vitamins, or does your body just reject, or not use up the excess vitamins? i wonder bc i notice some people take 2 or more multis a day, and that even centrum performance or protegra has like 2x or more as much vitamins as the regular centrum, and yet on the back of the regular centrum container, it says 100% of most of the main vitamins. so i am confused. is 100% of RDA all that is needed (and recommeneded -- ie, you will have side effects or will be wasting pills), or is 200% or more even better?
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    Originally posted by Sonny
    I prefer the generic store brand mutli's. They're usually just as cheap, but a lot more potent. I did use Centrum for a couple of years and thought they were ok!
    ...Snip...
    How can you tell that one multivitamin is more "potent" than another?
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    the RDA is enough so you do ot get a deficiency. So its enough Vit C so you do not get scurvy thats it. i thas no bearing on a person who trains weight or running or what.

    IMO Centrum is garbage, you might as well give it to your pets or kids, there is not enough B comples in it to help you. It also not timed released I do not think, which means you are basically pissing away B vitamins. For people who train I reccommned at minimum of 35 Mg/mcg of B complex and 500 mg of vitamin C as antioxident protection with 200 IU of Vit E. The B complex and C also need ot be timed released so you can get optimum use out of them.

    Like I said this is all my opinion, it boild down to if you aare happy with it or not.
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  12. #12
    Registered User e_dawg's Avatar
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    Originally posted by yaga
    now, does anyone know if it makes more sense (or no sense) to take say, 2 centrums a day and double up on the vitamins, or does your body just reject, or not use up the excess vitamins? i wonder bc i notice some people take 2 or more multis a day, and that even centrum performance or protegra has like 2x or more as much vitamins as the regular centrum, and yet on the back of the regular centrum container, it says 100% of most of the main vitamins. so i am confused. is 100% of RDA all that is needed (and recommeneded -- ie, you will have side effects or will be wasting pills), or is 200% or more even better?
    No, no, no. What is with this "more is better" attitude with 99% of the bodybuilders out there and supplements?

    Do not double up on the multivitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins like A and D can accumulate in your body over time with large amounts, causing problems like teratogenic effects, liver
    toxicity with A and hypercalcemia and calcification of tissues with D. Large doses (to a point) of B and C vitamins are okay because they are water soluble, but you must watch those fat soluble doses.

    2 tablets of Protegra a day is fine because that is the recommended dose. It only doubles up on Beta Carotene (which is a precursor to Vitamin A and does not carry the same toxicity), Vitamin C, and E.

    And, as the previous poster suggested, it is often good to split up your vitamin intake during the day to encourage better retention. Taking 1 Protegra early in the day and 1 Protegra later in the day will do this for you. And, like the previous poster suggested, Centrum Protegra has 250 mg Vitamin C, 200 IU Vitamin E, and 2-4x the RDA for B vitamins if you take the recommended 2 tablets per day.
    Last edited by e_dawg; 01-23-2003 at 01:57 PM.
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    Re: is centrum a good multi-vitamin?

    Originally posted by yaga
    i do not take any other types of supplements (ie, creatine, protein drinks, etc.),
    yaga
    Protein supplements are just food.
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    Registered User Tantalus's Avatar
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    Originally posted by yaga
    now, does anyone know if it makes more sense (or no sense) to take say, 2 centrums a day and double up on the vitamins, or does your body just reject, or not use up the excess vitamins? i wonder bc i notice some people take 2 or more multis a day, and that even centrum performance or protegra has like 2x or more as much vitamins as the regular centrum, and yet on the back of the regular centrum container, it says 100% of most of the main vitamins. so i am confused. is 100% of RDA all that is needed (and recommeneded -- ie, you will have side effects or will be wasting pills), or is 200% or more even better?
    If you were going to do this, you should make at least one of them an iron free version. I think centrum silver is almost exactly the same as regular centrum but without iron.

    Contrary to what was posted, just 200% RDA of A and D is very unlikely to cause a problem. On the other hand, it probably won't help.
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    Originally posted by yaga
    thank you for all the responses guys! it sounds like centrum is ok afterall (i already have a bunch), and from the sound of things, even generic multis may do the job.

    now, does anyone know if it makes more sense (or no sense) to take say, 2 centrums a day and double up on the vitamins, or does your body just reject, or not use up the excess vitamins? i wonder bc i notice some people take 2 or more multis a day, and that even centrum performance or protegra has like 2x or more as much vitamins as the regular centrum, and yet on the back of the regular centrum container, it says 100% of most of the main vitamins. so i am confused. is 100% of RDA all that is needed (and recommeneded -- ie, you will have side effects or will be wasting pills), or is 200% or more even better?
    Yaga,

    You know I don't take centrum, but I would recommend you follow the instructions on the label. That goes for other multi's too. If you want a multi that contains more nutrients, I would suggest you find that multi and take it as perscribed.

    The problem with doubling up on multi's is that they contain fat soluable vitamins and minerals that can poison your system if taken in high dosages. I think one of the leading causes of childhood poisoning is by taking too many vitamins(don't quote me on that, but I am almost certain). More potent vitamins will have mega doses of water soluables and normal doses of fat soluables.

    IMO, I don't hold centrum in high regard, but if you see good results with it, there is no reason you should change. However, you won't be able to make that assessment until you have taken it every day for a few months. I would be suspect of some generics, although they can be cost effective, they sometimes bundle mega doses of vitamins and minerals in to pills, in forms and combinations which cannot be absorbed.

    Like I mentioned in my first post in this thread, there is a lot to this, and unless you have done your research on vitamins it's hard to understand the difference between the good, bad and terrible vitamins.
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    Originally posted by Tantalus
    If you were going to do this, you should make at least one of them an iron free version. I think centrum silver is almost exactly the same as regular centrum but without iron.

    Contrary to what was posted, just 200% RDA of A and D is very unlikely to cause a problem. On the other hand, it probably won't help.
    Good point, Tantalus. I forgot to mention iron, which should not be supplemented unless you are a woman. You will be getting over 20 mg of iron if you double up (even with today's reduced iron formulas -- you should have seen them before when each tablet had 15 mg of iron). Add that to whatever red meat you were eating, and you'd get over 30 mg of iron a day easy!

    True, 200% the RDA of A and D is not that harmful, but remember that you will be getting a bunch of A and D from other sources as well, as many things are fortified with A and D, especially milk. For example, if you drink a lot of milk and double up on your multis, you will be getting 4x the RDA of A and D, which IS bad for you.
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    If it's in tablet form, it's ****. If it's in capsule form, it may be worth trying. Capsules dissolve easily allowing all the nutrients to flow freely into your system. Tablets don't break down very well and the chances of you passing them will be high.
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    Originally posted by hardknuckle
    If it's in tablet form, it's ****. If it's in capsule form, it may be worth trying. Capsules dissolve easily allowing all the nutrients to flow freely into your system. Tablets don't break down very well and the chances of you passing them will be high.
    It is tough for some people to fully digest tablets. I purchase mine in powdered form. I mix them in with water.
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    Originally posted by e_dawg
    True, 200% the RDA of A and D is not that harmful, but remember that you will be getting a bunch of A and D from other sources as well, as many things are fortified with A and D, especially milk. For example, if you drink a lot of milk and double up on your multis, you will be getting 4x the RDA of A and D, which IS bad for you.
    To be honest, I never thought about the amount of D in milk. I usually drink 3-4 gallons of skim milk a week (alot less when cutting though). I remember going through almost a gallon a day for a while when I was a teenager.

    Anyway, your comment made me worry I was getting too much from milk. Michael Colgan says D can be toxic at 5x RDA. Does that sound about right?

    I estimate I've been getting around 250% daily just from milk (that's the upper end of the 3-4 gal b/c I've been bulking). Add a daily multi-vit & that's 350%, awfully close to that toxic 5x.

    Though as a teen, I must have been getting close to 400% from milk, plus a multi, and I got alot of sun back then (I get almost none now ). Nothing bad ever happened.

    It seems I need to do more research. Any advice would be appreciated though. Perhaps I should have made this a new thread, I know quite a few bodybuilders drink alot of milk.
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    i take centrum too.
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    Originally posted by Tantalus
    To be honest, I never thought about the amount of D in milk. I usually drink 3-4 gallons of skim milk a week (alot less when cutting though). I remember going through almost a gallon a day for a while when I was a teenager.

    Anyway, your comment made me worry I was getting too much from milk. Michael Colgan says D can be toxic at 5x RDA. Does that sound about right?

    I estimate I've been getting around 250% daily just from milk (that's the upper end of the 3-4 gal b/c I've been bulking). Add a daily multi-vit & that's 350%, awfully close to that toxic 5x.

    Though as a teen, I must have been getting close to 400% from milk, plus a multi, and I got alot of sun back then (I get almost none now ). Nothing bad ever happened.

    It seems I need to do more research. Any advice would be appreciated though. Perhaps I should have made this a new thread, I know quite a few bodybuilders drink alot of milk.
    There are many dissenting opinions on D, and I have no clue who is right. I think that the verdict is still out on that one. I think the best practice is to be aware of the danger and do not over do it.
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    Originally posted by HawaiianHost
    How can you tell that one multivitamin is more "potent" than another?
    Just compare the labels and see which has more vits/minerals etc. I believe that more isn't always better, but most multis are made for sedentary/unactive people who don't need as many vitamins as bodybuilders and athletes. Read the labels and follow the directions and be careful of how much iron is in your multi. I try to look out for vits that have more Vitamin A,B-Complex,C,E and more calcium etc., but I stay away from the ones with lots of iron!

    Yaga, just finish off with your Centrum Multi's and find a more potent one when you're finished with them all!
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    Originally posted by Sonny
    Just compare the labels and see which has more vits/minerals etc. I believe that more isn't always better, but most multis are made for sedentary/unactive people who don't need as many vitamins as bodybuilders and athletes. Read the labels and follow the directions and be careful of how much iron is in your multi. I try to look out for vits that have more Vitamin A,B-Complex,C,E and more calcium etc., but I stay away from the ones with lots of iron!

    Yaga, just finish off with your Centrum Multi's and find a more potent one when you're finished with them all!
    Good advice, finish what you have. Do your research like you are doing, and then when you've given Centrum its time decide whether or not you want to change to a more potent multi.
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    Originally posted by Tantalus
    To be honest, I never thought about the amount of D in milk. I usually drink 3-4 gallons of skim milk a week (alot less when cutting though). I remember going through almost a gallon a day for a while when I was a teenager.

    Anyway, your comment made me worry I was getting too much from milk. Michael Colgan says D can be toxic at 5x RDA. Does that sound about right?

    I estimate I've been getting around 250% daily just from milk (that's the upper end of the 3-4 gal b/c I've been bulking). Add a daily multi-vit & that's 350%, awfully close to that toxic 5x.

    Though as a teen, I must have been getting close to 400% from milk, plus a multi, and I got alot of sun back then (I get almost none now ). Nothing bad ever happened.

    It seems I need to do more research. Any advice would be appreciated though. Perhaps I should have made this a new thread, I know quite a few bodybuilders drink alot of milk.
    2000 IU is the upper limit for safe doses of D. I thought the RDA value was 400 IU, so that would make 5x RDA correct. However, I just found out that the current RDA value is 200 IU. Most multivitamins include 400 IU per tablet, so you're already at 2x RDA just from a single dose. Doubling up on the multis gives you 800 IU, putting you at 4x. I still wouldn't go over 1000 IU even if the UL is technically 2000 IU.

    Why take the chance of tissue calcification with long term elevated values of D? I've said it before and I'll say it again: watch your fat soluble vitamin intake carefully. You got many years to live. Don't take chances by megadosing supplements. You might be fine tomorrow, next year, even 5-10 years from now -- these things take time. But 20 years from now, it's just like the first generation of smokers who found out that smoking kills -- all you'll be able to do is kick yourself. You can't go back in time and reverse the damage you have caused.
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    Originally posted by e_dawg
    2000 IU is the upper limit for safe doses of D. I thought the RDA value was 400 IU, so that would make 5x RDA correct. However, I just found out that the current RDA value is 200 IU. Most multivitamins include 400 IU per tablet, so you're already at 2x RDA just from a single dose. Doubling up on the multis gives you 800 IU, putting you at 4x. I still wouldn't go over 1000 IU even if the UL is technically 2000 IU.
    When Colgan wrote that, 400 IU was the RDA. They keep dropping the RDA to make American diets look better.

    I don't double up on multis btw. I take C, E, B, Magnesium, & Zinc seperately, so there would definitely be no point for me to do that.
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    Originally posted by e_dawg
    Centrum Protegra is EXCELLENT. It is perhaps THE most sensible multivitamin out there, all things considered. Many of the athlete or body builder formulas give you megadoses of certain vitamins and not enough of others.

    Centrum Protegra is still my #1 multivitamin choice after weeks researching all the other multis out there (and I do have a B.Sc degree majoring in Physiology, with courses in nutrition, exercise physiology, biochem, org/inorg chem, and pharmacology, so I can't be fooled by supplement company marketing BS).

    The only minerals it is arguably deficient in are calcium and magnesium -- but 99% of multis are deficient in Ca and Mg because the pills would be twice the size if you put the full RDA amount in there.

    I strongly recommend that in addition to a multivitamin that people also take a good Cal-Mag supplement* (that does NOT contain vitamin D, and has the preferred 2:1 ratio of Ca:Mg). 333 mg Ca : 167 mg Mg is a typical formulation. If you don't drink milk or eat much dairy or dark green leafy veggies, take 2 of these Cal-Mag pills daily. If you actually drink milk (maybe you make your protein shakes with milk instead of water), you only need 1 Cal-Mag per day.

    *If you take ZMA, however, take calcium only supplements (no magnesium or vitamin D).
    That's not the main reason though...

    Calcium inhibits the absorption of zinc and other minerals.
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    wow, thanks for all the great responses guys! im trying to do as much research as i can before buying my next multivitamin, and i've gotten some great advice. it sounds like there is a split in opinion as to whether one should take more than 100% RDA of certain vitamins. some people think that too much is a bad thing, and others think that 100% RDA is enough for the avg person, but not enough for athletes/bodybuilders. i guess i will probably play it safe and take some higher powered mulititamins rather than doubling up on pills if i find that centrum is not doing the job for me, so that i dont double up on the fat soluable vitamins.

    i dont know if this is allowed here, but i was wondering where most bodybuilders shop online for the cheapest supplements. some of these places look fairly cheap, but the websites look a little shady. which ones are the most popular as far as being cheap and reliable?
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    I think Bodybuilding.com has decent prices. It's hard for me though because I live in Canada and the exchange rate on top of shipping charges is BRUTAL. But if you're in the U.S. it shouldn't be that bad. Personally I'd look out for these:

    http://BODYBUILDING.COM/store/ast/multi-pro.html
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  29. #29
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    centrum sucks because tablets are horrible only 30% gets absorbed which multi vit for example twinlab is capusle 90 % gets absorbed, centrum aint good at all.
    diet+training+sleep= Results

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    Originally posted by El Greco
    centrum sucks because tablets are horrible only 30% gets absorbed which multi vit for example twinlab is capusle 90 % gets absorbed, centrum aint good at all.
    Where did you come up with these numbers?
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