Where does everyone get their supplements?

[jdb7560]

I am looking for a quality supplier for herbs, vitamins, and other natural products. I've heard there are differences in quality. I figure if I am going to spend my money, I want it to be on something worthwhile. So what does everyone else do? Do you have a favorite supplier? If so, why? I cannot really find any third party reviews on these type of products.

[peggy64]

Thank you for the info. Will check them out, as I am all in for saving money when and where I can.

[Paxiled]

IHerb is free shipping over $50 or something like that, and you get larger discounts the more you buy.

[M4Y0U]

Hehe good one gymdandee, The next step is stop eating food containing vitamins/minerals? lol

[gymdandee]

Reader's Digest Anti-Vitamin Article


http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/index.shtml

[M4Y0U]

I couldn't tell, it's the only magnesium I tried so far and I get really good absorption. The fact that I take it at breakfast and before going to bed is helping too.

One thing is sure thought is that I'm happy to get it from my magnesium since bioperine is a natural thermonutrient and bioavailability enhancer that will most likely help the absorption of some other supplements I take.

[Paxiled]

I never really got much into bioperine (the black pepper).  Do you find it really does help absorption?

[M4Y0U]

When I say the best magnesium I mean magnesium chelated with amino acids and Doctor's best uses black pepper extract which is a bonus. Anyway any brand using the same formula will be good magnesium. Just don't buy cheap magnesium oxide unless you want a lot of flushing.

[Paxiled]

Ester-C isn't a supplier, it's a trademarked form of vitamin C that's buffered with calcium.  Any calcium ascorbate will be essentially the same as Ester-C.  Make sure to get the one with bioflavanoids.  I wouldn't personally buy Schiff vitamins, they're largely a supermarket brand now that uses the least expensive ingredients.  Source Naturals is an odd bird of a company.  When it started, it made some great stuff, but then it morphed into a copy-cat that just makes cheaper versions of other company's products.  It uses a lot of fillers and binders that we're all better off without, and uses a lot of sugar in its supplements.  So some of its products are first rate, and some aren't so good.  Doctor's Best is a company I personally don't like, but that doesn't mean anything.  It was basically some physicians who knew nothing about supplements deciding to get in on the action.  There is no "best" magnesium.  Personally, I think the best company for basic vitamins is Bluebonnet, and for more complicated products one company will usually be better than others.  It's hard to buy from just one company.  Now, if you're buying Ester-C, it doesn't matter who you buy it from -- since it's a trademarked product everyone's is the same.  Same for products such as Pycogenol, Opti-Zinc, and many others.  Doesn't mean they're different or better, just means it has a trademark.  Gaia is an excellent old herb company, and Herb Pharm is probably the best for tinctures.  There are also great herb companies nobody's heard of such as Herbalist and Alchemist and Eclectic Institute and others -- you can only find out about these if you can still find a small health food store with knowledgeable veterans and that's not easy with Whole Foods and its copy-cats having monopolized the market.  Ah, well.  M4 mentioned I-Herb.  I really like that internet supplier too, they ship quickly, have good prices, but unfortunately there's a lot they don't carry.  But they really do have good prices and great service.  

[M4Y0U]

I agree with you. Choosing the right supplements is a must. Cheap brands must be avoided so avoid pharmacies and Wal-Mart or Cosco and go instead for good reputed online supplier like iherbs or try to find out what's the best at you own local health food and supplements stores.

Doctor's Best is by far the best magnesium supplier. Natural Factors are okay with vitamins and relatively good quality-price. Thorne Research, Food Now, Source Natural, Sisu are all good stuff. Green+ = excellent products but expansive.

M4

[Shanna707]

I realize this is an old question, but there may still be people looking for the answer to this.

Whole Foods and Pharmaca are healthstores who both have excellent brands to offer on supplements.  For many herbs, I love Gaia herbs.  They have capsules with liquid in them and also elixir's which work really well for me since I have GERD &IBS.  Most of the hard tablets are harder to digest than the above products, and the better you digest and absorb your vitamins and herbs, the better response to the body.  
  I agree with M4YOU that Ester-C is the best supplier of vitamin C.
Schiff makes my favorite Calcium-Magnesium supplement
Source Naturals is also a good brand for various products as well as Solaray as stated above.
For 5-HTP I prefer Jarrow Formulas.
Do not go with wal-mart brand herbs and vitamins, because though they are cheap, you get what you pay for and they cannot be counted on for reliable dosage and quality

[misha_AL]

I found solaray products to be very high quality and I can find it on either swansonvitamins or puritan with quick delivery and satisfactory product.  Just my personal choices, though.

[peggy64]

I really like vitacost. They have good prices, knowledgeable info, and good delivery. 4.99 flat shipping rate.

[Paxiled]

Second iherb.  Great site, good prices, very quick delivery.  There are a million internet sites if you know what you want.  If you're not that knowledgeable, find the local small health food store with the best reputation, and this means no GNC or Vitamin Shoppes.  Avoid store brands and discounters, as they use the cheapest ingredients that are often not well absorbed.  Whole Foods has good supplements, but their staff isn't very knowledgeable and there's a lot they don't carry.  myvitanet is another good internet site that carries more selection than iherb, but delivery can be slow and has more out of stocks, but prices are very good.  I use both -- in fact, I have to use several sites because I know supplements so well and Whole Foods has driven all the small stores out of business in my area.  

[M4Y0U]

Ester-C is my favorite supplier for vitamin C, they have a solid reputation. Natural's Factors is my Bs and D supplier. I get everything from my local health store but www.iherbs.com is a good website and it would be my first choice if i was to order online.