Discount Health Vitamins: Trying Them at a Discount Price

Store-brand vitamins at a discount price are just as good as costlier name-brands. Consumer Reports tested name-brand vitamins and cheaper store-brand vitamins and found both were reliable. But steer clear of super-cheap vitamins you might find in dollar stores. Tests of a sampling of these products found almost half did not contain the labeled amount of at least one nutrient. Ways to find good vitamins at a discount price include watching for sales, and then buying in bulk, and comparison shopping. When buying vitamins in bulk, always check the expiration date. Vitamins may lose potency over time, and your discount price won’t save money if you have to throw the vitamins away before you can use them. Vitamins don’t need fancy or exotic ingredients.  Consumer Reports suggests a basic multivitamin that includes vitamins A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, folate, C, D, E, and K.

Vitamins at a Discount Price

If you need vitamins to help maintain a healthy diet, you aren’t alone. The Harvard School of Public Health says the vitamins most likely to be missing in average diets are folate, B6, B12, D and E. But it isn’t necessary to pay top dollar for name-brand vitamins. Store-brand vitamins are just as good and come with the added benefit of a discount price. Don’t worry about a difference in quality. According to Consumer Reports, its tests on major brand-name and reputable store-brand multivitamins have found that both are reliable. In other words, the vitamins on the label were actually in the products, in the promised amounts. But it’s no bargain to buy the kind of super-cheap vitamins found in dollar stores.  Consumer Reports found that almost half of these failed to contain the labeled amount of at least one nutrient.

More Ways to Find a Discount Price

If you watch for sales on store-brands and then buy your vitamins in bulk, you’re really getting a discount price. Most vitamins can keep for more than a year, but always check the expiration date. If you can’t use the vitamins before the expiration date, it won’t be much of a bargain in the long run. Never buy a vitamin after its expiration date, no matter what the discount is. Over time, vitamins can lose their potency. You might also find a discount price by comparison shopping. Find several supplements that meet your needs and buy the cheapest one.

Discount Price, With Vitamins You Need

Consumer Reports recommends multivitamins with vitamins A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, folate, C, D, E, and K, at or near levels recommended by the government’s Dietary Reference Intakes guide levels.  Don’t buy pricier vitamins with “megadoses.” More doesn’t necessarily mean better when it comes to vitamins. The Harvard School of Public Health warns against supplements with more than 200% or 300% of the Dietary Reference Intakes guide. Doses this high may harm your health. The Harvard School of Public Health also says claims that a vitamin brand can help you lose weight typically are not substantiated.