thread: Vitamins - which brand?

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  1. #1

    Oct 2005
    A Nestle Free Zone... What about YOU?
    5,374

    I would gently dispute that Elevit is the only clinically proven supplement. That is how it's marketed by a very wealthy and clever drug company - however as you will see below the values are really not very different. Blackmores has much that Elevit does not. Fish Oil for example has been proven to be beneficial to developing babies and b/feeding Mamas.

    It is true that a very very small amount of the population react to iodine but the percentage is small (no consolation if that's you). In recent studies the depletion in iodine has been shown to cause neurological deficits in babies - because women often decrease their consumption of fish (due to the fear of mercury poisoning) this depletion it is believed has become more prevalent. Of course many folk eat lots of dietary sources of iodine but many more don't.

    Anyway my point is to provide the info below and then women can make an informed choice. Certainly if you react to non organic iron badly like I and many other women do then Elevit will likely make you more constipated.

    I think there are a number of good supplements on the market but I think particularly Elevit is cleverly marketed... (In my opinion!)



    Elevit - one tablet a day

    * folic acid 0.8mg
    * iron 60.0mg (as ferrous fumarate)
    * Vitamin B1 1.6mg (as thiamine nitrate)
    * Vitamin B2 1.8mg (as riboflavine)
    * Vitamin B5 10.0mg (as calcium pantothenate)
    * Vitamin B6 2.6mg (as pyridoxine hydrochloride)
    * Vitamin B12 4.0µg (as cyanocobalamin)
    * Vitamin C 100.0mg (as calcium ascorbate)
    * Vitamin D 12.5µg (as Vitamin D3 - cholecalciferol)
    * Vitamin E 15mg (as dl - α - tocopherol acetate)
    * biotin 200µg
    * nicotinamide 19.0mg
    * calcium 125.0mg (as calcium hydrogen phosphate, calcium pantothenate and calcium ascorbate)
    * magnesium 100.0mg (as magnesium oxide, magnesium hydrogen phosphate and magnesium stearate)
    * manganese 1.0mg (as manganese sulphate)
    * copper 1.0mg (as copper sulphate)
    * phosphorus 125.0mg (as magnesium hydrogen phosphate and calcium hydrogen phosphate)
    * zinc 7.5mg (as zinc sulphate)


    ELEVIT is used to reduce the risk of having a baby born with defects of the brain and/or spinal cord (neural tube defects). Neural tube defects are a group of abnormalities caused by failure of the neural tube to close during the unborn baby's development. The most common neural tube defect is spina bifida, where part of the spinal cord shows through a gap in the backbone.

    ELEVIT is also used to prevent dietary vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to increased needs that may occur throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. In particular, ELEVIT can prevent dietary iron deficiency during pregnancy.

    Ask your pharmacist, midwife or doctor if you have any questions about taking ELEVIT.

    This medicine is available only from a pharmacy.

    Blackmores - two tablets a day so you get double the listed amount
    (also be aware that some of the values for Blackmores are listed in micrograms as opposed to milligrams for Elevit - this can be confusing.

    Omega-3
    Fish oil - natural (Tuna oil)
    containing omega-3 marine triglycerides 160mg as:
    Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)125mg
    Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) 25mg 500 mg
    10 Vitamins
    Vitamin B1 (Thiamine nitrate) 500 mcg
    Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 750 mcg
    Nicotinamide 7.5 mg
    Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine hydrochloride) 750 mcg
    Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 1.5 mcg
    Folic acid 250 mcg
    Vitamin E (d-alpha-Tocopherol 3.5 mg) 5.2 IU
    Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 30 mg
    Vitamin D3
    (Cholecalciferol 6.25mcg) 250 IU
    Mixed carotenoids
    (as Dunaliella salina (natural source) extract equiv. to fresh cell 72mg) 2.88mg
    6 Minerals
    Calcium* 59mg
    Phosphorus*
    *(as calcium hydrogen phosphate anhydrous 200mg) 45.6mg
    Magnesium
    (as magnesium oxide - heavy 49.8mg) 30mg
    Iron
    (as ferrous fumarate 15.7mg) 5mg
    Zinc
    (as zinc sulfate monohydrate 22.2mg) 8mg
    Iodine
    (as potassium iodide 164mcg) 125mcg
    Medicine Interactions

    * Iodine may interfere with treatment for thyroid conditions. Consult your healthcare professional before use if being treated for thyroid diease.
    * If taking tetracycline or quinolone antibiotics, bisphosphonates (osteoporosis drugs), thyroid hormone, methyldopa, carbidopa or levodopa or penicillamine separate doses by at least 2 hours. Calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron may decrease absorption and efficacy of these medications.

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Apr 2007
    SE QLD
    2,321

    My GP rang me personally after I left my appt with her and told me to get Elevit. I've been on it since I found out I was pregnant.