Comparison of Multivitamin/Mineral Supplements

Notes:

* Calcium carbonate is limestone. We're not plants and we don't digest rock; this is a very difficult form to absorb. Bone meal and eggshell are marginally better. The presence of acid (Vitamin C will work) helps in absorption, so the low quantity of Vitamin C in Herbalife is of concern.

Kelp is a superior source of iodine.

Synthetic Vitamin E is really half the dose listed, because only the l-alpha tocopheryl can be used by the body.

* On the dose of copper, you read that right. Formula 2 has MICROGRAMS, not milligrams.

I obtained the Herbalife information from their web site.

Herbalife Formula 2 also has an herbal blend for a whole 16 mg worth of the following: Bee pollen, choline bitartrate, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, citrus bioflavonoids, cabbage, garlic, licorice root, limonene, polyoids, spinach, and fungal enzymes. Fillers and binders are not specified. Some people are allergic to licorice root. I am one of them. Licorice root gives me formication. When I am trying to sleep, it feels like ants are crawling all over my body. Licorice root nourishes the adrenals, but it is not the only alternative for this purpose.

Provide includes a perlecap made of gelatin, glycerin, and carob powder, purified silica, and beeswax. I'm not excited about the purified silica, and don't know the reason for it.

Herbalife Longetics is a chewable vitamin/mineral tablet for adults. The contents is for one tablet, so one should double the amounts for a daily dose. This product contains a quantity of objectionable ingredients. The following other ingredients are listed: sorbitol [artificial sweetener], polyethylene glycol, silicon dioxide [sand], strawberry artificial flavor [!], ethylcellulose, natural flavor [not monosodium glutimate, I hope], hydrogenated cotton seed oil [a good source of bad cholesterol, and it may be genetically engineered], guar gum, Red 40 [an allergin for some people], and monoammonium glycyrhizinate [derived from licorice root; see remarks above]. Sorbitol gives me diarrhea. There's no excuse for using it in a product that is supposed to promote health. Even if someone isn't allergic to it per se, it's still bad news. Other substances in this list are discussed elsewhere. Herbalife Longetics also contains 4 mg of carrot and spinach powder, which is fine. Please note: licorice is a common ingredient in herbal combinations. The excuse for using it is that supposedly it makes the other herbs "work" together.

The information on Nature's Way Multivitamins was obtained from their web site awhile back, so they may not be marketing something comparable at the moment. Nevertheless, they have four vitamin formulas available, and you can easily obtain ingredients. This is a gelatin capsule with magnesium stearate in it. A similar product is available without the iron. This is important because some people ought not to take iron supplements, which can also be constipating, and iron ought not to be taken with some of the other ingredients in a typical multivitamin formula. It is recommended to take 2 daily doses of 3 capsules each. The values given are for 3 capsules. This makes this product a bit pricey. Since I would be able to obtain this product at a health food store, at a 20% discount, I have also included those prices.

I got the Provide at a standard 20% discount, hence, the second lower price. Because the daily dose is 2 capsules, I can choose to take a half dose if I cannot afford a full dose. Herbalife Formula 2, on the other hand, does not give you that choice, and is half again to twice as expensive for a daily dose. If it is delivered through the mail, a person will also have to pay for shipping. Sales tax on vitamins available in a health food store would amount to no more than the shipping. If your distributor lives in the same state (likely), then you have to pay both shipping and sales tax on Herbalife products. Some people might like to have the product sent through the mail, because it arrives at the door. But you can't do this in the summertime if you aren't sure you'll be home, because the heat isn't good for the ingredients. If you have a post office box, then you have to make a special trip. You also have to wait for the product to arrive. And sometimes, getting a company to deliver by USPS to a post office box can be a real pain! On the other hand, if the product is available in the health food store, you can go pick it up at your convenience while you are out for another reason, or at a moment's notice in case of emergency. You don't have to leave a message on an answering machine and wait for the distributor to call you back. The availability of these products on the internet may help, but it doesn't alleviate all of the potential objections.

Given the facts above, I'll let the reader decide how useful Herbalife multivitamins are, and how much of a bargain. The doses in the Herbalife products are more like the ones you'd get in a drug store multivitamin, not what you'd get in a health food store multivitamin. I'm not sure exactly who it is that Herbalife wants to appeal to, but if a person prefers or needs the higher doses, it won't satisfy.

Nature's Sunshine is another multi-level marketing company that specializes in supplements. I obtained this information from their web site. The quantities given are for one tablet. The recommended daily dosage is two. The filler is stearic acid, and it also contains silicon dioxide (sand) as powdered silica. In addition, it contains the following: broccoli flowers (Brassica oleracea), turmeric root (Curcuma longa), red beet root (Beta vulgaris), rosemary leaves (Rosmarinus officinalis), carrot root (Daucus carota), tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum), Chinese cabbage leaves (Brassica rapa), cabbage leaves (Brassica oleracea), orange bioflavonoids, grapefruit bioflavonoids, hesperidin, cellulose (plant fiber). Quantities for these are not given. I am a little concerned because some people cannot digest broccoli or cabbage, and some people are sensitive to tomatoes, not to mention tomatoes can be a genetically engineered crop. Nevertheless, this is a good collection of antioxidants, provided there is sufficient quantity. That seems unlikely. Nature's Sunshine also makes a chewable and a time release multivitamin.

In my opinion, Nature's Sunshine compares favorably to Herbalife, but not to the multivitamins available in health food stores.

Metabolife is another multi-level marketing company. Give those guys a gold star for including a highly absorbable form of calcium (orotate), but a black mark for not telling us how much. Otherwise, this one is the pits; it has virtually nothing in it. And it is astronomically priced! However, it has the following herbs and supplements: Bladderwack (leaf), Gotu Kola (aerial part), Enzyme blend (Protease, Amylase, Lipase, Cellulase), Gentian (root), Rhodiola Extract (root), L-Carnitine Tartrate, Cell salts, Vanadium Citrate & Fulvic Acid. If you're trying to do homeopathy (which I don't reccommend, but if you are), the cell salts can be a problem. From their web site.

For substantially more information on eyes, their nutrition, eye diseases, and a way to order the best supplements, visit The Eye Site. Thank you to Dr. Schmidt for permission to use part of his chart.