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Are Complete Multivitamins any good?

Hi I'm 15 and currently taking One a Day Teen Advantage complete multivitamin. I take zoloft and adderall and was hoping the vitamin would provide a good nutrional balance to. Is this stuff any good with helping with stress/anxiety? Any answers would be awesome.
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Avatar universal
Agreed about healthy eating.

Magnesium and the B Complex Vitamins are essential to handling stress smoothly.

I am not impressed with the typical multivitamins out there, such as the one you mention and similar popular ones.

I suggest you also look online for a **highly absorbable**, high dose, high nutrient, multi-mineral & multi-vitamin, supplement. Something with many good testimonial reviews for many conditions greatly improved.
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Avatar universal
I will be going to Chicago in a few weeks
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Avatar universal
No, not at all.  I'm saying it won't help produce norepinephrine in any appreciable amount.  The reason, and I guess I said it badly, is that protein is made up of a whole collection of amino acids, and so it affects every bodily system, without a focus on just one or two.  While it's true protein contains phenylalanine, which the body uses to make norepinephrine, it also contains taurine, which is used to make GABA, the body's relaxant, and tyrosine, which makes serotonin and norepinephrine, and tryptophan, which makes serotonin, and all the other amino acids that make the body work, along with essential cofactors found in other foods.  To truly elevate norepineprine, therefore, one would want to take extra phenylalanine, but for an anxiety sufferer, this would be counter to what you'd want since that would elevate cortisol production in the adrenals, which is already overstimulated.  You have to eat protein or else you'd wither away and die.  Wait -- doesn't sound so bad.  No, takes too long.  What are you doing in town in August?  Oh, that's right, it's September already.  Almost time for the Awe times, isn't it?
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Avatar universal
It is FANTASTIC to find people educated on magnesium.  It is so important.
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Avatar universal
pax, are you saying not to eat protein because it can help produce norepinephrine?
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Avatar universal
I should add that eating protein won't stimulate norepinephrine.  Protein is made up of many amino acids, some of which are relaxing, some stimulating, some for this, some for that.  Protein is a collection of amino acids.  Turkey, for example, though a great source of protein, is high in tryptophan, which is a relaxant.  To stimulate norepinephrine, which again an anxiety sufferer definitely doesn't want to do, is to take phenylalanine, the precursor to norepinphrine.  And that's adrenaline, exactly what anxiety sufferers are trying to mitigate.
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Avatar universal
Somebody on here actually recommended increasing norepinephrine for anxiety!  That's exactly opposite what a person with anxiety should do.  But that's not what you asked.  The vitamin you're taking is worthless.  It's too little of anything to really help, and the forms of nutrients used in drug store vitamins are the cheapest available, meaning poor absorption.  Not to mention the artificial this and that.  It is very hard in today's world of long shipping time between picking of crops and eating them -- much is lost along the way.  And if you don't buy organic, many nutrients are never put into the food to begin with -- commercial fertilizer is only high in three nutrients, and it destroys the soil, leaving it mineral poor.  So yes, I would say a multi is a good idea just to cover yourself.  You're also correct in assuming the medications you're taking are interfering with nutrient absorption, as well as with you're body's natural function and digestion, particularly Zoloft, which leaches out magnesium and, since serotonin is much more prevalent in the digestive system than the brain, can interfere with proper digestion.  So I would again definitely recommend a multi.  Good brands, with low dosages but good reps for absorption, are New Chapter and Mega Foods, and Rainbow Light's more advanced formulas.  One a days are virtually never enough, since minerals in their absorbable forms take up a lot of space.  For good basic vitamins, Nature's Plus and Bluebonnet are excellent companies, but again, the one a days won't have enough of anything.  And eat well -- as said above, that's the best medicine.  
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1431785 tn?1283314001
The best way to get your nutrition is by eating healthly.  Although vitamins can provide some of the things that we do not take in in our diets, the absolute BEST source of these nutrients is in FOOD, because food contains types of phytonutrients that synthetic compunds just cannot reproduce.  The more whole foods you eat the better (natural as opposed to processed, packaged, refined, and "fast food")  Of course vegetables and fruits are of vital importance.  Did you know that you can reduce your chances of certain types of cancers just by eating fruits and vegetables?  It's all in the phytonutrients and natural compounds found in whole foods that you cannot get in a pill.

However, IF you know that you consume a poor diet (one that is lacking in vital nutrients) as many people do these days unfortunately for "convenience", then a good mutlivitamin can only HELP you.  It is BETTER to take a daily multivitamin than to take NOTHING along with a poor diet.  I take a good multivitamin every day.  Some of the lesser-grade vitamins are very poorly absorbed.  The best type of multivitamin is a LIQUID SOFTGEL.  I use "Nature Made" Brand Multivitamin "for her" (Women) which is a liquid-filled softgel; this is one of the best vitamins you can take.  Usually a liquid-softgel will be better absorbed by your body than a tablet.

For NATURAL stress relief you will find both Calcium and Magnesium to be very beneficial.  Calcium is a natural 'calming' nutrient and magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant.  Be careful though of which kind of magnesium you take, magnasium oxide is very POORLY absorbed by the body.  Magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate is much better absorbed.  (These are chelated forms of the mineral, and are much more bioavailable to the body)  Most diets are lacking in magnesium...the RDA for magnesium is 400 mg.  Also keep in mind when taking calcium, either through food or vitamins, that calcium will NOT be absorbed by your body AT ALL unless it is taken with Vitamin D (this is why milk is fortified with vitamin D.)  You mentioned that you take Zoloft.  If your stress or anxiety is very bad, speak to your prescribing Doctor about perhaps adding an additional medication specifically for anxiety.  For NATURAL anxiety relief, I would recommend buying a brand of tea called "Yogi tea - Kava Stress Relief"  Kava (also known as Kava Kava) is a natural herb with clinically proven effects on relieving stress & anxiety, and producing a feeling of calmness.  I use this tea, and it is better than any other Kava supplement available.  I would NOT recommend Kava pills or tablets, they are not at all effective; the liquid tea that you can drink is much more effective.  Good luck to you.
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Avatar universal
Irenak is correct about eating healthy!
The following is very good for Anxiety, Stress and Depression

Anxiety
Eating between 4 and 5 ounces of protein helps your brain create dopamine and norepinephrine, neurochemicals that keep you alert,

Stress
Eat a handful of sesame seeds
Stress hormones can deplete your body's supply of magnesium, reducing your stress-coping abilities

Depression
Grilled salmon or sushi for dinner
A study in Finland found that people who eat more fish are 31 percent less likely to suffer from depression. And skip sweet, simple carbs—the inevitable sugar crash can actually deepen depression.



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Avatar universal
There is no substitute for healthy eating.  There are some vitamins that are better than others, though.  Do some research on muscle testing and you can find out if this is the right one for you.
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