Any cheap vits out there??

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations for
the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind up
approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations for
the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind up
approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!

Have you considered that you often get what you pay for? How do you
compare a fast-food meal to one you make at home? If price is your
only criteria for selecting a brand, it's debatable whether you should
even be taking a supplement. I pay about $11 a month for a food-grade,
synthetic free, multi vit. from MegaFood (bottle of 180 for about $64.)
It's a great deal. That $11 gives me more nutrition than I am getting
with $150 in groceries. A vitamin costing $5 a month is probably
comprised of synthetic beta carotene (implicated in elevated cancer),
synthetic vitamin E (limited benefit, or none), synthetic vit. D2
(limited benefit, or none), synthetic B vitamins (questionable benefit,
except for folic acid), and ineffective forms of magnesium, selenium,
and other minerals. Don't worry about hyped specialty formulas for
"bone health" or "brain power." Use a "shot-gun" approach to get basic
nutrition and avoid creating imbalance. If you have a specific
deficiency, you may need to address it with targeted supplementatation,
but choose food-grade nutrients for an effective and safe result.
Don't let price dictate selection.

PeterB

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations for
the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind up
approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!

Have you considered that you often get what you pay for? How do you
compare a fast-food meal to one you make at home? If price is your
only criteria for selecting a brand, it's debatable whether you should
even be taking a supplement. I pay about $11 a month for a food-grade,
synthetic free, multi vit. from MegaFood (bottle of 180 for about $64.)
It's a great deal. That $11 gives me more nutrition than I am getting
with $150 in groceries. A vitamin costing $5 a month is probably
comprised of synthetic beta carotene (implicated in elevated cancer),
synthetic vitamin E (limited benefit, or none), synthetic vit. D2
(limited benefit, or none), synthetic B vitamins (questionable benefit,
except for folic acid), and ineffective forms of magnesium, selenium,
and other minerals. Don't worry about hyped specialty formulas for
"bone health" or "brain power." Use a "shot-gun" approach to get basic
nutrition and avoid creating imbalance. If you have a specific
deficiency, you may need to address it with targeted supplementatation,
but choose food-grade nutrients for an effective and safe result.
Don't let price dictate selection.

PeterB

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations for
the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind up
approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!

Have you considered that you often get what you pay for? How do you
compare a fast-food meal to one you make at home? If price is your
only criteria for selecting a brand, it's debatable whether you should
even be taking a supplement. I pay about $11 a month for a food-grade,
synthetic free, multi vit. from MegaFood (bottle of 180 for about $64.)
It's a great deal. That $11 gives me more nutrition than I am getting
with $150 in groceries. A vitamin costing $5 a month is probably
comprised of synthetic beta carotene (implicated in elevated cancer),
synthetic vitamin E (limited benefit, or none), synthetic vit. D2
(limited benefit, or none), synthetic B vitamins (questionable benefit,
except for folic acid), and ineffective forms of magnesium, selenium,
chromium, and other minerals. Don't worry about hyped specialty
formulas for "bone health" or "brain power." Use a "shot-gun" approach
to get basic nutrition and avoid creating imbalance. If you have a
specific deficiency, you may need to address it with targeted
supplementatation, but choose food-grade forms whenever possible.
Don't let price dictate selection.

PeterB

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations for
the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind up
approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!

Have you considered that you often get what you pay for? How do you
compare a fast-food meal to one you make at home? If price is your
only criteria for selecting a brand, it's debatable whether you should
even be taking a supplement. I pay about $11 a month for a food-grade,
synthetic free, multi vit. from MegaFood (bottle of 180 for about $64.)
It's a great deal. That $11 gives me more nutrition than I am getting
with $150 in groceries. A vitamin costing $5 a month is probably
comprised of synthetic beta carotene (implicated in elevated cancer),
synthetic vitamin E (limited benefit, or none), synthetic vit. D2
(limited benefit, or none), synthetic B vitamins (questionable benefit,
except for folic acid), and ineffective forms of magnesium, selenium,
chromium, and other minerals. Don't worry about hyped specialty
formulas for "bone health" or "brain power." Use a "shot-gun" approach
to get basic nutrition and avoid creating imbalance. If you have a
specific deficiency, you may need to address it with targeted
supplementatation, but choose food-grade forms whenever possible.
Don't let price dictate selection.

PeterB

"PeterB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!!
Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations
for
the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind
up
approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!

Have you considered that you often get what you pay for? How do you
compare a fast-food meal to one you make at home? If price is your
only criteria for selecting a brand, it's debatable whether you should
even be taking a supplement. I pay about $11 a month for a food-grade,
synthetic free, multi vit. from MegaFood (bottle of 180 for about $64.)
It's a great deal. That $11 gives me more nutrition than I am getting
with $150 in groceries.
---------------------------

Some would say that the stockpile of raw vits is sorta like gas: all these
goddamm oil companies
are selling the same [censored].
More-or-less.

----------------------------

A vitamin costing $5 a month is probably
comprised of synthetic beta carotene (implicated in elevated cancer),
synthetic vitamin E (limited benefit, or none), synthetic vit. D2
(limited benefit, or none), synthetic B vitamins (questionable benefit,
except for folic acid), and ineffective forms of magnesium, selenium,
chromium, and other minerals.

----------------------------------------------

Cupla points/Q's.
1. The value of beta C is questionable anyway, as it's conversion to A is
really limited, and it seems to do funny things to retinas.
But I would be curious as to what is it about the synthetic form that would
cause cancer?

My understanding is that the only problem w/ synthetic vits is that the
product is racemic, ie, D,L forms. Which can knock their activity down by
1/2, in some cases, but does not render them toxic or useless.
Iirc, supplements are D3, not D2.
There are no ineffective forms of minerals! In some cases, like Cr, the
polynicotinate is in fact absorbed to a much better degree than the
inorganic forms (chloride, sulfate, etc). Cr picolinate is also absorbed
well, but likely toxic, and irrelevant in light of the natural nicotinate.
It has been cited that the cheapest form of Calcium, the lowly Calcium
Carbonate (chaulk?) is among the best absorbed.
Mineral chelates are [censored]. Virtually all the fancy-shmancy derivatives
of Vit C are [censored]--but apparently Larry King fancies hisself a
nutritionist.
Go figger.

------------------------------------

Don't worry about hyped specialty
formulas for "bone health" or "brain power." Use a "shot-gun" approach
to get basic nutrition and avoid creating imbalance. If you have a
specific deficiency, you may need to address it with targeted
supplementatation, but choose food-grade forms whenever possible.
Don't let price dictate selection.

-------------------------------------

There are a variety of supplementing strategies out there, most of them
sub-optimal. I'm a lot more conservative than I used to be, but still
open-minded.

You do bring up a good indirect point, tho, that it is not immediately
obvious what in a multivit is natural or synthetic.
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll

PeterB

drugstore.com

I have no connection to them, except as a customer.

They are linked to GNC, so if you buy a GNC card through them, the first
week of the month has a lot of discounts. I buy 6 months of supplements at
a time, so I get free shipping. Sometimes they send me a 5% rebate credit
about a month after a large purchase.

vitacost.com is good too. They have a fixed $4.95 shipping charge, so a
heavy item or large order does not cost extra shipping.

I have no connection to vitacost, except as a customer.

"Proctologically Violated©®" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!!

Eg,

Quoted message said:

Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations

for

Quoted message said:

the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind

up

Quoted message said:

approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll

In article <[email hidden]>,

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

Try costco.com, see what they have to offer. I buy most of my
vitamins at Costco.

-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"If you can't say something nice, then sit next to me."
-- Alice Roosevelt Longworth

"Proctologically Violated©®" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!!
Eg, Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

Go to your local farmer's market. Pick up some green leafy vegies, some
nice bright colored vegies (there is now orange and purple cauliflower...
the orange cauliflower has lots of Vitamin A!,
http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=2920 ), some bright root
vegetables, fresh fruit, legumes, whole grain bread and good fresh cheese
(though the latter in small doses, to keep down the fat).

With plenty of the above in your diet you would not need to buy vitamins.

Even better would be to buy seeds for the vegies and grow your own.
Sometimes it gets even cheaper when they re-seed themselves. Right now I
have chard and Italian parsley growing in my rose garden without any
intervention from me (except for the trimming I do when I cook with them).
The exercise always helps, and you know where your food comes from. You
might want to check out some books in the library on edible landscaping.

PeterB said:

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations for
the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind up
approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!

Have you considered that you often get what you pay for? How do you
compare a fast-food meal to one you make at home? If price is your
only criteria for selecting a brand, it's debatable whether you should
even be taking a supplement. I pay about $11 a month for a food-grade,
synthetic free, multi vit. from MegaFood (bottle of 180 for about $64.)
It's a great deal. That $11 gives me more nutrition than I am getting
with $150 in groceries. A vitamin costing $5 a month is probably
comprised of synthetic beta carotene (implicated in elevated cancer),
synthetic vitamin E (limited benefit, or none), synthetic vit. D2
(limited benefit, or none), synthetic B vitamins (questionable benefit,
except for folic acid), and ineffective forms of magnesium, selenium,
chromium, and other minerals. ...

That's confusing two separate concerns. Even if you choose natural
vitamin E, for example, there will still be a wide variety of prices for
the same thing. In my experience, local stores (health and otherwise)
are the most expensive. Some, like CVS, often have good sales, but
their selection is limited. As the OP noted, Puritan's Pride is a
decent source of most supps, but they don't have everything I want.
There are a number of other mail order, on-line discount vendors like
http://www.totaldiscountvitamins.com

In article <[email hidden]>,

(David Wright) said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

Try costco.com, see what they have to offer. I buy most of my
vitamins at Costco.

"Now" brand is always reasonable, and IMHO is very good quality.

Buy capsules instead of tablets wherever possible.
They tend to digest more efficiently.

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

(David Wright) said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

Try costco.com, see what they have to offer. I buy most of my
vitamins at Costco.

"Now" brand is always reasonable, and IMHO is very good quality.

Buy capsules instead of tablets wherever possible.
They tend to digest more efficiently.

A red herring, I think. Even tablets disintegrate fast enough that
it's not an issue. (If you doubt this, drop a tablet into a still
glass of water and watch how fast it disintegrates -- I've seen a
few that looked like slow-motion explosions.)

-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"If you can't say something nice, then sit next to me."
-- Alice Roosevelt Longworth

In article <[email hidden]>,

(David Wright) said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

OmManiPadmeOmelet said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

(David Wright) said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
Proctologically Violated©® <[email hidden]> wrote:
>All--
>
>There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
>vits.
>Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!!
>Eg,
>Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

Try costco.com, see what they have to offer. I buy most of my
vitamins at Costco.

"Now" brand is always reasonable, and IMHO is very good quality.

Buy capsules instead of tablets wherever possible.
They tend to digest more efficiently.

A red herring, I think. Even tablets disintegrate fast enough that
it's not an issue. (If you doubt this, drop a tablet into a still
glass of water and watch how fast it disintegrates -- I've seen a
few that looked like slow-motion explosions.)

Maybe, maybe not. ;-)
Try going camping sometime when you end up going [censored] on the ground and
burying it during hikes. You come into much closer proximity to your
"waste".

You may find that it's more common than you think for some tablets to
make it all the way out the other end, intact.

I work in a hospital lab.
I, unfortunately, get to take close looks at human poops as part of my
job.

That's why I try to purchase capsules as much as possible.
I hate the idea of literally flushing my money down the toilet...

Cheers!
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

In article <1130943888.236066.133390
@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Have you considered that you often get what you pay for? How do you
compare a fast-food meal to one you make at home? If price is your
only criteria for selecting a brand, it's debatable whether you should
even be taking a supplement. I pay about $11 a month for a food-grade,
synthetic free, multi vit. from MegaFood (bottle of 180 for about $64.)
It's a great deal. That $11 gives me more nutrition than I am getting
with $150 in groceries. A vitamin costing $5 a month is probably
comprised of synthetic beta carotene (implicated in elevated cancer),
synthetic vitamin E (limited benefit, or none), synthetic vit. D2
(limited benefit, or none), synthetic B vitamins (questionable benefit,
except for folic acid), and ineffective forms of magnesium, selenium,
chromium, and other minerals. Don't worry about hyped specialty
formulas for "bone health" or "brain power." Use a "shot-gun" approach
to get basic nutrition and avoid creating imbalance. If you have a
specific deficiency, you may need to address it with targeted
supplementatation, but choose food-grade forms whenever possible.
Don't let price dictate selection.

PeterB

is that the MegaFood Essentials® for Life ?

Hi,
Another inexpensive place for vitamins & supplements:
http://www.doctorstrust.com/

All the best,
Yannic

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations for
the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind up
approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll

USANA is in the Physicians desk reference
http://www.successti.com/download/pdr.pdf

USANA ESSENTIALS RATED #1in North America
http://www.gotresidualincome.com/compare/

Why USANA is #1 nutrition - United Airlines inflight video
http://www.usana.com/bin/unitedinflight.wmv

The difference between USANA and Equivalent Products
http://www.unitoday.com/forms/usana_difference.pdf

Ten compelling reasons why USANA is the company of choice
http://www.successti.com/10reasons.html

My USANA website where you can check out the products and opportunity
www.smiler.usana.com

To receive USANA products and become a preferred customer or distributor
https://shop.usana.com/shop/jsp/onlineServices/onlineEnrollment/controller.jsp?ControllAction=setup&sponsorId=212504&doPlacement=0

If you would like more information contact me at [email hidden]

best wishes

Andy

"Proctologically Violated©®" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!!
Eg, Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations
for the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind
up approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll

djk said:

In article <1130943888.236066.133390
@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Have you considered that you often get what you pay for? How do you
compare a fast-food meal to one you make at home? If price is your
only criteria for selecting a brand, it's debatable whether you should
even be taking a supplement. I pay about $11 a month for a food-grade,
synthetic free, multi vit. from MegaFood (bottle of 180 for about $64.)
It's a great deal. That $11 gives me more nutrition than I am getting
with $150 in groceries. A vitamin costing $5 a month is probably
comprised of synthetic beta carotene (implicated in elevated cancer),
synthetic vitamin E (limited benefit, or none), synthetic vit. D2
(limited benefit, or none), synthetic B vitamins (questionable benefit,
except for folic acid), and ineffective forms of magnesium, selenium,
chromium, and other minerals. Don't worry about hyped specialty
formulas for "bone health" or "brain power." Use a "shot-gun" approach
to get basic nutrition and avoid creating imbalance. If you have a
specific deficiency, you may need to address it with targeted
supplementatation, but choose food-grade forms whenever possible.
Don't let price dictate selection.

PeterB

is that the MegaFood Essentials® for Life ?

The "Essentials" product uses synthetic B vitamins, so I avoid it. The
primary line says "100% Whole Food" right on the label, it's a little
more expensive.

PeterB

Dr. Zarkov said:

PeterB said:

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!! Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulationsfor
the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind up
approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!

Have you considered that you often get what you pay for? How do you
compare a fast-food meal to one you make at home? If price is your
only criteria for selecting a brand, it's debatable whether you should
even be taking a supplement. I pay about $11 a month for a food-grade,
synthetic free, multi vit. from MegaFood (bottle of 180 for about $64.)
It's a great deal. That $11 gives me more nutrition than I am getting
with $150 in groceries. A vitamin costing $5 a month is probably
comprised of synthetic beta carotene (implicated in elevated cancer),
synthetic vitamin E (limited benefit, or none), synthetic vit. D2
(limited benefit, or none), synthetic B vitamins (questionable benefit,
except for folic acid), and ineffective forms of magnesium, selenium,
chromium, and other minerals. ...

That's confusing two separate concerns. Even if you choose natural
vitamin E, for example, there will still be a wide variety of prices for
the same thing. In my experience, local stores (health and otherwise)
are the most expensive. Some, like CVS, often have good sales, but
their selection is limited. As the OP noted, Puritan's Pride is a
decent source of most supps, but they don't have everything I want.
There are a number of other mail order, on-line discount vendors like
http://www.totaldiscountvitamins.com

What's confusing? Shop for quality first, then price, in that order.

PeterB

Proctologically Violated©® said:

"PeterB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Proctologically Violated©® said:

All--

There used to be "local wholesalers"/private labels that had perty cheap
vits.
Now, I can't find them and/or their prices are just through the roof!!
Eg,
Carlson, Thompson, some local outfits here in the metro NYC area.

The cheapest place I have been able to find is... Puritan's Pride, which
happens to be in LI.
Also CVS has comparable prices to PP, but not quite the selection.
Also, PP deigns to put out a trad'l style catalog, which altho not
super-organized, is not nearly as chaotic as it could be, and is thus
"manageable", if you spend the time to check out alternate formulations
for
the best value.
90% of the stuff at Costco/Sam's Club is grossly overpriced, esp. for any
"hot items", such as anything to do w/ osteoporosis, joint health, etc.

So-called Discount Vit houses on the web are anything but cheap.... often
3x the prices at PP!

In my perhaps out-of-date opinion, PP's prices are just about "normal".
And, PP plays all kinds of games w/ "3 for 1", "70% off", etc. All wind
up
approx. the same, but still way cheaper than the ripoffs elsewhere.

Any leads for better/cheaper vit suppliers? Really would appreciate the
info.
TIA!

Have you considered that you often get what you pay for? How do you
compare a fast-food meal to one you make at home? If price is your
only criteria for selecting a brand, it's debatable whether you should
even be taking a supplement. I pay about $11 a month for a food-grade,
synthetic free, multi vit. from MegaFood (bottle of 180 for about $64.)
It's a great deal. That $11 gives me more nutrition than I am getting
with $150 in groceries.
---------------------------

Some would say that the stockpile of raw vits is sorta like gas: all these
goddamm oil companies
are selling the same [censored].
More-or-less.

Not all "raw vits" are created equal. Synthetic forms work differently
than their naturally-occuring counterparts, except when they are
molecularly identical, as is the case with ascorbic acid. Synthetic B
vitamins have reasonably good value in short-term therapeutic use, but
aren't as effective as food-grade forms. The smokers study shows that
synthetic beta carotene is probably a bad idea for everyone.

Quoted message said:

----------------------------

A vitamin costing $5 a month is probably
comprised of synthetic beta carotene (implicated in elevated cancer),
synthetic vitamin E (limited benefit, or none), synthetic vit. D2
(limited benefit, or none), synthetic B vitamins (questionable benefit,
except for folic acid), and ineffective forms of magnesium, selenium,
chromium, and other minerals.

----------------------------------------------

Cupla points/Q's.
1. The value of beta C is questionable anyway, as it's conversion to A is
really limited, and it seems to do funny things to retinas.
But I would be curious as to what is it about the synthetic form that would
cause cancer?

http://www.newstarget.com/012148.html

Quoted message said:

My understanding is that the only problem w/ synthetic vits is that the
product is racemic, ie, D,L forms. Which can knock their activity down by
1/2, in some cases, but does not render them toxic or useless.

It's more complicated than that. Molecular weight differences exist
between synthetic and natural forms, as well. Metabolic handling of
natural vitamins is more efficient. The only case histories of
toxicity from vitamin supplementation I have found are from use of
synthetic vitamins, namely A, D, and B3. The great majority of
negative vitamin studies we have seen the last few years have resulted
from use of synthetic varieties.

Quoted message said:

Iirc, supplements are D3, not D2.

What?

Quoted message said:

There are no ineffective forms of minerals!

Of course there are, we have studies that show this. One example:

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp

Just as some foods are more nutritious than others, some mineral forms
are more easily absorbed than others. It can vary by individual, as
well. For instance, magnesium orotate is more efficiently absorbed
than magnesium oxide. Some forms of magnesium produce a laxative
effect precisely because they are *not* well absorbed. Milk of
Magnesia and magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) works on that principle.

Quoted message said:

In some cases, like Cr, the
polynicotinate is in fact absorbed to a much better degree than the
inorganic forms (chloride, sulfate, etc).

Correct.

Quoted message said:

Cr picolinate is also absorbed
well, but likely toxic, and irrelevant in light of the natural nicotinate.

I agree, mostly.

Quoted message said:

It has been cited that the cheapest form of Calcium, the lowly Calcium
Carbonate (chaulk?) is among the best absorbed.

Correct.

Quoted message said:

Mineral chelates are [censored].

No, they aren't. In animal husbandry, if it doesn't work, it isn't
used, because it represents overhead. This reference may be of
interest: http://www.knovel.com/Knovel2/Toc.jsp?BookID=506

Here are some references that prove chelates work in human physiology,
as well.

Fouad, M.T., "Chelation and Chelated Minerals", J. Applied Nutrition,
28 (1) (1976).
Martell and Calvin, Chemistry of the Metal Chelate Compound, Prentiss
Hill Inc., New York, (1952)
Miller, J.J., Paper Presented to the International College of Applied
Nutrition, Pasadena, California, (1962).
Bates, G.W., et al, Amer. J. Nut., 25, p.983, (1972).
O'Dell, B.L., Cornell Nutritional Conference, p. 77, (1962).
Greenberger, A.S., et al, Science, 153, p. 315, (1966).

Quoted message said:

Virtually all the fancy-shmancy derivatives
of Vit C are [censored]--but apparently Larry King fancies hisself a
nutritionist.
Go figger.

Except for the Larry King comment (I have no idea about that) I agree
with you.

Quoted message said:

------------------------------------

Don't worry about hyped specialty
formulas for "bone health" or "brain power." Use a "shot-gun" approach
to get basic nutrition and avoid creating imbalance. If you have a
specific deficiency, you may need to address it with targeted
supplementatation, but choose food-grade forms whenever possible.
Don't let price dictate selection.

-------------------------------------

There are a variety of supplementing strategies out there, most of them
sub-optimal. I'm a lot more conservative than I used to be, but still
open-minded.

You do bring up a good indirect point, tho, that it is not immediately
obvious what in a multivit is natural or synthetic.

Most people don't even know to look.

PeterB