# Vitamins in Lidl



## redbhoy

I was in lidl recently and noticed that their stock of vitamins are an awful lot cheaper than the other supermarkets. Would the quality of vitamin be much less inferior? 
Who tests these products?


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## ClubMan

redbhoy said:
			
		

> Who tests these products?


Lab rats?


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## DrMoriarty

There's a lot of debate as to how effective _any_ of these vitamin XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX really are — the thrust being that vitamins are best obtained (and most effective) from eating healthy, vitamin-rich "real" food.

As long as people are prepared to shell out for various "supplements", pharmaceutical companies will keep churning them out and producing (commissioned) research findings to back up their expensively-advertised claims.

That said, I'm no doctor , much less a pharmacologist. Some people swear by them. And I'm sure that the cheaper Lidl products are no better or worse than the others. I "pop" one multivite and one aspirin a day, probably out of sheer superstition and/or because my wife nags me into it. But I'm under no illusions as to how useful they really are in combatting the effects of all my other bad habits...


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## TarfHead

DrMoriarty said:
			
		

> There's a lot of debate as to how effective _any_ of these vitamin XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX really are .. But I'm under no illusions as to how useful they really are in combatting the effects of all my other bad habits...


 
Anyone else watch *30 Days* on *more4* last night ? The guy doing guinea pig for nutritional supplements did go off the end of the scale (>40 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX per day) but it should serve as a salutory warning about using over the counter items such as this.

If you're interested in this and have access to *more4*, watch out for the repeat ..

Monday 07 November
12:45am to 01:45am
more4

It's by the same guy who did *Super Size Me*.


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## ClubMan

Many people don't realise that you can overdose on some (fat rather than water soluble) vitamins and the effects can be severe (including death - which is quite severe). If you eat a balanced diet and are not suffering or recuperating from any illness then you shouldn't really need vitamin/mineral supplements.


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## Alba Longa

It is difficult to eat a balanced diet nowadays owing to the growing methods of vegetables, fruit and animals.  Perhaps people were better off in rural Ireland years ago when each family had its hens for eggs, chickens and pigs for meat and a good vegetable garden and orchid. 
It seems to me that people today are neither hungry nor properly nourished.


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## ClubMan

Alba Longa said:
			
		

> It is difficult to eat a balanced diet nowadays owing to the growing methods of vegetables, fruit and animals. Perhaps people were better off in rural Ireland years ago when each family had its hens for eggs, chickens and pigs for meat and a good vegetable garden and orchid.
> It seems to me that people today are neither hungry nor properly nourished.


I don't think that this is correct. It's sort of harking back to the old "organic versus mass produced food" argument with there being no objective evidence that the former is necessarily "better" (from a nutritional point of view - and sometimes even a taste point of view - e.g. the recent taste test in the _Irish Times _which detected few advantages of organic over mass produced) than the latter. People can easily get the necessary nutrients by eating a balanced diet, ideally cooking as many meals from fresh ingredients (even mass produced) as possible and minimising the "junk" and "TV dinners" as much as possible.


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## runner

As a so called 'fitness fanatic' I agree with the good food protocol.

however, I pop a single multi-vitamin per day, just as top up.
Any more only produces expensive urine!
Check the constituent vitamins as per the contained against a typical 'brand name' ie A,C D E per tablet for realistic comparisons as they will all have passed the FDA regulations to get to market.
How much are they there anyway?


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## redbhoy

I think the Vitamin C from Lidl is 1.30 whereas the Haliborange in Superquinn are nearly a fiver. The content is 180mg and 1000mg respectively. I heard that you're body cant take in the 1000mg amount anyhow so its a bit of a waste.


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## ClubMan

Isn't the adult _RDA _for vitamin C something like 60mg in which case both of the doses above are more than enough. At least with vitamin C any excess dosage is excreted from the body but be careful about overdosing on some other vitamins though! In addition to the situations that I mentioned earlier that might merit additional vitamin/mineral food supplements, pregnant women may also need to take some (especially folic acid before pregnancy and iron during and after it).


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## Bamhan

In my opinion people should only take supplements when they have been advised to do so. In which case I would ask your doctor or pharmasist to reccomend a supplement.
In my case I need to take an iron supplement but I have to use a particular brand as the others cause stomach upset.
I would not take any supplements whether from Lidl or otherwise without first being instructed to do so.
How do you know you are lacking in any particular vitamin or mineral without first being tested.


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## stuart

Most multi vitamins carry 100% of the most commonly required vitamins and minerals

So if you lived on water and bread you would need these

But since in a balanced diet most nutrients should be picked up then a mutli vitamin once a week should cover any shortfall for the week

Also since your body generally cannot store (for any length of time) most vitamins or minerals threr is not really any point on taking these every day as whatever is not used will be lost

stuart@buyingtolet.ie


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## ClubMan

stuart said:
			
		

> Also since your body generally cannot store (for any length of time) most vitamins or minerals threr is not really any point on taking these every day as whatever is not used will be lost


This is not true and is relevant to the point that I have been trying to make. Some vitamins are fat rather than water soluble and, as such, can be stored in the body and elevated or excessive levels of them can cause health problems (basically a form of poisoning related to overdosing). In some cases these problems can be very serious. However I agree with the general gist of the last two posts in terms of when people should and shouldn't take supplements.


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## michaelm

DrMoriarty said:
			
		

> I "pop" one multivite and one aspirin a day, probably out of sheer superstition and/or because my wife nags me into it.


Low dose aspirin? I wouldn't be keen to take much aspirin every day, I know it can have various positive effects on the heart, stroke and DVT issues but I think it can increase the risk from other things. If I a have a few drinks (too many) I will take a 200mg vit C and a glass of water before retiring and never get hangover effects . . obviously I'd be better advised to drink less but hey, what are you gonna do.


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## ClubMan

michaelm said:
			
		

> I will take a 200mg vit C and a glass of water before retiring


At 60 or 65?


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## Sue Ellen

"I have to use a particular brand as the others cause stomach upset"

IMHO the best iron supplement which does not affect the stomach is [broken link removed].


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## ClubMan

My wife was advised to take an iron supplement while pregnant and found the recommended _Ferrograd _too hard on her stomach so she switched to _Spatone_. It's a slightly lower dose of Iron but the midwife and doctor said that it was still sufficient.


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## Bamhan

Yes Sueellen that is the one I use too after much trial and error.


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