# Timed-release multivitamins vs. the rest



## Chris (May 9, 2006)

Just a handy tip that I picked up. If you take a multivitamin (which you should, especially if you're Drew and you drink 5 gallons of booze a week), you should take something timed-release.

I take these:

http://www.gnc.com/sm-gnc-ultra-mega-gold-multivitamin--pi-2133437.html

Two in the morning, every day. The difference with the timed-release and the regular MV's (like Centrum) is that if you're taking these when you get up, you end up 'whizzing out the majority of the Centrum midway through the morning.TR multivitamins slowly work into your system all day so that your body actually does get all of the vitamins/etc that you're paying for.

Also take note that if you're taking a MV (and you're a guy) you get the Iron-Free variety. Men don't need iron as a supplement, women do. If you're a guy and you're taking an Iron-laden MV, you're apt to set yourself up for things like Gout later on in life. 

So as Lars said, Iron = Bad, Timed Release = Good.


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## Drew (May 9, 2006)

Interesting. 



Chris said:


> (which you should, especially if you're Drew and you drink 5 gallons of booze a week)




And I take a MV for that very reason.  I've been taking Centrum, but I'll talk to you when I kick the current bottle and look into some other alternatives.


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## Chris (May 9, 2006)

The Centrum is doing nothing for you.


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## Drew (May 9, 2006)

Placebo effect, FTW!!!!!


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## Leon (May 9, 2006)

i don't know if i'd take something with both "Ultra" _and_ "Mega" in the title, but the time-release thing sounds plausible. know of any other brands?


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## Chris (May 9, 2006)

Men's Health rated the generic GNC higher than the EAS stuff, thus I go with it. It's why I am ultra, mega sexy.


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## Leon (May 9, 2006)

mega


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## Jason (May 9, 2006)

My gf stepdad takes the gnc megaman vitamins.. i always make fun of him when he takes them, i yell stuff like "MEGAMAN COCK PILLS!!!" and he usually starts laughing and spitting his drink everywhere..


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## Sentient (May 9, 2006)

Chris said:


> The difference with the timed-release and the regular MV's (like Centrum) is that if you're taking these when you get up, you end up 'whizzing out the majority of the Centrum midway through the morning.TR multivitamins slowly work into your system all day so that your body actually does get all of the vitamins/etc that you're paying for.


Dude... thanks for the tips & info. I too, have been taking Centrum, but had no idea I was pissin' it away before lunch. I'll see if I can find those mv's you're taking.


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## noodles (May 9, 2006)

At the risk of comments from the peanut gallery...

When you take a multi-vitamin, and piss neon yellow into the toilet...that's all your vitamin B going bye-bye.


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## Drew (May 9, 2006)

The idea is that hopefully your body has already absorbed all it needs prior to that point, but that's most likely wishful thinking.


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## Leon (May 9, 2006)

shit... if i take three MV's in the morning, will my afternoon piss glow? 

[action=Leon]is probably going to try some time-release MV's soon.[/action]


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## David (May 10, 2006)

This is definitly a healthy tip for all. 


About 2-3 years ago, my budget only allowed me to eat shit food, so I starting taking a multi-vitamin everyday. I read some articles like this, and it really clears up my mindstate everyday, and just helps me through the day.


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## Oogadee Boogadee (May 19, 2006)

what about taking a multi with normal 100% levels of stuff 2 or 3 times a day, instead of the mega junk?

when you're 100% full, your body is going to expend it. so I don't buy the mega crap. surely, your body might only absorb 50% of the 100% multi, but I would hope that the other 50% would come from your food.

i'm not sure i buy the time release. how can you get the battery acid in yoru stomach to 'hold back' on half the vitamin's contents? if it's incased in some undigestible material, maybe - but then when if it passes through the stomach into the intestinal tract before the release? then you have 1/2 your vitamin still encased in its package, making it's way toward your toilet?

i have no knowledge on this - i'm going by a hunch.

Stuff will only stay in the stomach for so long - by then the contents of the pill just missed the window of opportunity. So while there is no false advertising in the claim that the pill has 200 or 3300% of everything and it's timed release, it doensn't mean your body is going to get to see it. it's there. but it's encased and passes by that window of opportunity. if you're stomach isn't going to break into the case, nothing will.

gone.

expensive poo.


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## Drew (May 19, 2006)

Actually, Ooogadee, most of your absorbtion is done in your intestines.


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## Oogadee Boogadee (May 19, 2006)

Drew said:


> Actually, Ooogadee, most of your absorbtion is done in your intestines.




right, but doesn't the stomach have to break the stuff down and expose the goods so that the SI can absorb it? If it's still encapsulated in something, then it won't get recognized for what it is. So why would the SI or LI absorbe it? It does'nt know that it's valueble. And say that it does get absorbed. Your blood truely isn't going to aid the digestion process.


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## Drew (May 19, 2006)

It's time-release - you continue to release small amounts as it goes through the intestines. 

The principle is, if strange, medically sound.


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## Oogadee Boogadee (May 19, 2006)

ah.... so, it is encapsulated in an undigestable, but micro-pourous encasement?


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## Nick1 (May 24, 2006)

I take the GNC Mega Man MVs I see a huge difference in my energy level. I used to drink like 3 or 4 red bulls a day now I feel more "naturally" alert and awake and dont require MASSIVE amounts of caffiene but beer now that is another story.


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## Drew (Jun 1, 2006)

The other thing that's occuring to me here is that the % Daily Values aren't saturation thresholds, per se, but rather your body's dietary minimums. Just because you only need X amount of a given vitamin doesn't mean that your body is going to get rid of any minescule amount above X that you put into it - it will use as much as it can, then get rid of the rest. That may be more, possibly quite a bit more, than the minimum daily amounts, or it may even possibly be less.


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## rogue (Jun 1, 2006)

personally i dnt touch any pills if i can help it because theyre filled up with crap. bodies cant store vitamins in any way and habitually the pills have too much in. any kind of healthy diet should give you enough vitamins.

its like the detox fad in th UK everyones going out and buying this shite that costs loads. you could just drink water for a 3 days and it would do the same thing. for free...

sorry for the scepticism


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## Drew (Jun 2, 2006)

rogue said:


> any kind of healthy diet should give you enough vitamins.



While this is undoubtably true, is your diet really healthy enough that you're getting all of your necessary vitamens from it? I eat pretty well, all in all, but eventually I started taking a multivitamin because even I could tell i wasn't eating a balanced enough diet to cover all my nutritional needs.

I'm a huge proponent of treating the problem and not the symptoms, but I'm also pragmatic, you know? When I get home from work at 7 or 8 at night after a rough day at the office, I'm rarely in the mood to cook a meal with two or three sides - I'd rather just whip up a pasta sauce, pop a multivitamin, and mix a gin and tonic.


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## Nick1 (Jun 3, 2006)

Drew said:


> a gin and tonic.



MMMM Gin


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## dysfctn (Jun 7, 2006)

Sorry to come in late on this one, but the opening thread suggests that dudes don't need to take iron tablets...

I'm a semi-vegetarian (only eat meat maybe once per week) and have been taking iron supplements for the last couple of months. Should I just forget the Iron supplements?

I currently take a multivitamin, vitamin C, and Iron tablets everyday...


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## Nick1 (Jun 8, 2006)

MMMM Gin.


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