Jarrow or NOW Brand?
 

It seems for virtually every supplement out there it comes down to a choice between these two brands. I am hesitant to stick with one for all products but I would think one is higher quality than the other, in general. I would love to be confident in one brand for my needs.

Any opinions or preferences out there? I would love to get some feedback as I'm in the process of ordering some pretty obscure supplements.

I think they are both good. I also like Doctor's Best.

I've done well with the Vitacost house brand.

I have bought all three that you and mrsD have mentioned. It is difficult to choose sometimes.

I have found that a lot of the Now have been on sale recently at the vitamin supply place I use. I can't get Methylcobalamine in Australia so I buy from the US. I usually buy the Natural Factors in the larger dose and split the tab in 1/2. I do that purely for cost purposes. It may not be of superior quality, I really don't know.

I figure if I'm getting that overseas I may as well get everything overseas (I buy Lemon balm leaf tea and essential oils and such) and then I get free shipping. :)

As I have read labels, I find the NOW, Jarrow and other 'top' brands have some items with questionable dosages and ingredients. I'm a believer in the concept that if they are not consistently high grade, how can I trust them. So, I look at the ingredients and try to find the best value.

Hi DannyT, I’ve used supplements from Jarrow and NOW Foods and there doesn’t seem to me to be much difference in quality between them.

If both companies have similar products that you are interested in, you may want to read reviews from users shown on such sites as Amazon and iHerb to help you decide.

Many reviews on Amazon and other sites are solicited, especially Amazon. Reviewers can often qualify for specials based on how often they review products.

There is no true way to know what different brands are doing if you are also taking other vitamins and supplements. That is why I learn to read the ingredient labels. It takes time to learn what to look for on the labels. Sub-lingual B-12 often has an artificial sweetener or two.

Some user reviews are helpful, others not so much. If people say they have experienced side effects from using a product, this is something I want to know about.

User comments about dosages of a product can also be helpful. For example, I was taking benfotiamine for nerve pain at a dosage of 150 mg daily as suggested on the product label. I didn’t notice any benefit. Then I read a review where a user said the product was effective for him at a dose of 600 mg daily. This prompted me to do a little more research, and when I upped my dosage I did get better results.

AA,

We have lots of people here who have been using vitamins and supplements for years as they struggle with PCS. We understand how they influence concussion issues. A generic review on Amazon is just that, generic. On this forum, we focus on the needs of people suffering from Post Concussion Syndrome. Confusing PCS issues with non-PCS issues is counter to the needs of many here.

Anxiety is a core struggle with PCS. Adding extraneous issues to the discussion often just adds to these anxiety issues.

SUPPLEMENT RANKINGS website - has some interesting info
https://labdoor.com/rankings

Hi Mark in Idaho, it was not my intent to say anything that would result in anxiety for you. I was only trying to explain why user reviews for supplements have sometimes proven helpful for me.

I should also mention that I had a concussion many years ago while playing basketball for my high school team. My parents kept me out of school for a little over a month, but I had symptoms for nearly two years afterwards. So I do understand what some of the people on this forum are experiencing.


Hi Jo*mar, thanks so much for the link. It will be interesting to read the ratings for future supplements when they become available.

I have read lots of reviews. I have written many reviews. I was a participant in a review group at Amazon that received special benefits for reviewing products. Many in the Vines program wrote fluff reviews. The negative reviews often were questionable. Many anxious people write reviews and let their anxiety take control. We are not recommending exotic supplements, nootropics and such. The basics are important. Those exotics are a different subject.

We have many on NT who delay getting started with vitamins and supplements because they are anxious over which brand is best. Getting started with a vitamin and supplement regimen is more important than delaying because of anxiety over the different brands. I've seen people hash out the different brands for months while not starting on even the basic of brain health supplementation. This is counter to getting started with recovery.

Most reviews discuss "effectiveness".... etc.

I posted to the quality of the maker.... whether they are labeling correctly, available to consumers for questions etc, and whether they make grandiose claims and therefore get FDA warning letters, or get closed down.

Companies with quality, and GMP practices do a pretty good job.
Jarrow is Canadian (or was but now has a US address), and I don't know if that lab site tested non US makers. But Doctor's Best, NOW, and Jarrow have always been a quality act. Country Life is also good. I don't use the pricier brands, like LEF or Thorne but they are supposed to be good too. I tested out Puritan's methyl B12 with blood work after using their new product for 3 months. It gave me very high levels.

Most raw materials come from a very few sources, so many places may get their active ingredients from the same place.
Methylfolate is one. (comes from Merck).

At one time Roche was supplying 90% of the world with vitamins they made. I don't know how that is going now, with India and China so active, but historically vitamins typically come from limited sources. So you want a packager and distributor with quality controls in place. You don't see reviews often about this aspect on iherb or Amazon.

Whether something is "effective" and "well absorbed" depends on the studies to reveal value.

So my recommendations here involve quality control, content, and cleanliness....and affordability. I spend alot of time myself selecting quality items for my home, and I share that on this board. At one time over 10 yrs ago, methylcobalamin was hard to find. We used Jarrow for several years here that I bought on iherb.com

But now I can get Puritan's and Costco's for less $$ than iherb so I have moved to those.

I like both brands and use both. I have contacts at both companies that I call when I have questions about a product or dosing etc. At one time years ago when I was out of work at 61 due to job loss, I had gone to Jarrow plant here in LA thinking I'd like to work for them....I'd love to work for a supp company in some capacity, but it didn't work. I'd thought of working for a health food store, but I would "push" grape seed ex so much and they wouldn't like that...gotta "push" everything you can to customers....

This seems like a highly debated topic. I think the LabDoor concept has a lot of promise. They supposedly do third-party testing of supplements. There's a convenient application for iPhone but it doesn't have many compounds listed.

As for the methylcobalmin (vitamin B-12), is there any brand that offers lozenges that don't have some natural or artificial sweetener in them? I looked and all of them seem to have some flavoring.

They all do that I know of. This is because some people still put them under the tongue.

The tablets (except for Jarrow's) are tiny though, not much in them IMO. You can just swallow them. Most are cherry flavored.

Google and you might find one or two companies, but be prepared to pay $$ for it.

Vitacost sells a house brand methyl B-12 without any sweeteners. Here is a link:
http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-vit...g-300-capsules

wow, those only have 500mcg... of B 12.

we've been using the 5000 mcg Kirkland brand (off and on, I need to get back to being consistent)
(but they do have a sweetener if that is a concern..)
the 5000mcg will last about 6 - 7 hours for me energy wise..
I can totally skip coffee even on a dreary rainy day...:)

I know they are only 500's. People can take multiples. They come in a 300 capsule bottle. The point was to find a version without a sweetener.

Personally, I am opposed to artificial sweeteners, too.

Here is a 1000 mcg version with alcohol sweeteners
http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-met...herry-flavor-2
Alcohol sweeteners are much safer than aspartame or sucralose.

By getting on the vitacost email list, you can learn when nthey have the good sales. Buy one, get one half off is quite common. Free shipping sales are also frequent.

VitaCost is a $280,000,000 company. They have the buying power to offer good values. Last year, the B-12 sub-lingual tabs were sweetened with aspartame. People complained and it appears they responded by changing to alcohol sweeteners.

So is there any danger of toxicity from taking too much B-12?

I'm thinking of just ordering the 5000mcg version but I feel like that's an excessive amount. The RDA's are extremely confusing when it comes to these vitamins.

Danny,

You need to keep in mind that RDA's are a minimum level to maintain a minimal health condition. They are not optimum nor are they for the needs of a recovering/struggling brain. 5000mcgs is only 5 mgs. You should have no problem taking a 5000 mcg tablet. You can beak it in half. I do that because I don't need the whole 5000 and it saves money. I'll break a months worth at a time so I can just grab a 1/2 piece.

No there is no danger with high dose oral B12. Only if you have a rare blood disease called polycythemia vera which is too many red blood cells, should you avoid high dose.

A 1000mcg dose of methylcobalamin will only lead to 13mcg absorption. All the rest is left in the stool.

You can take the 5000mcg for 3 months, as that will bring you up in the brain and spinal fluid faster than a smaller dose. Once you have been using for 3 months you can drop down to 1000 or 2000 mcg etc if you want. That is enough to maintain you. The B12 only gets into the spinal fluid and brain by a concentration gradient. The higher the blood value the more gets into the brain. Being low or having an injury requiring repair, does better with higher levels.

“I'm thinking of just ordering the 5000mcg version but I feel like that's an excessive amount.”


Hi DannyT, if you take B12 in the methylcobalamin form, research indicates that any excess is simply excreted by the body.

I do take a daily dosage of 5000 mcg of methylcobalamin, but I was diagnosed as having a B12 deficiency. From what I’ve read, if your B12 levels are normal, then you probably don’t need to take any more than 2000 mcg daily.

MrsD, I was recently diagnosed with Gilberts Syndrome or at least verified I have slightly elevated bilirubin levels.

Any issues that I should be aware of regarding supplementation with B-12 or any other vitamins/minerals/herbs? I only ask because I know the condition is related to red blood cell metabolism; referring the other condition you mentioned.

Ask your doctor if you have polycythemia vera. This disorder thickens the blood, and makes it more likely to clot under certain situations.
Polycythemia vera:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycythemia_vera

I would think increased tear down of red cells would be the reverse?

https://www.liverdoctor.com/liver-pr...bert-syndrome/

I am not seeing any references to polycythemia vera on this description.

Perhaps you should get a B12 test before you start this vitamin.
Then you could discuss the need to any supplementation when the results come in. You should be at least at 400pg/ml.

If you are above 400pg/ml you may not need to supplement at all.

Hello

Can't speak for the NOW brand, but all of the Jarrows products I have taken seem good - both my Rhodiola Rosea and NAC are Jarrows brand. They seem to have a wide range of products, which may imply that they are a large manufacturer and can therefore be trusted.

Which supplements?
 

Did anyone use the PurOrganica B-12 super energy patch? I was wondering if that would be more effective than a pill... Its a patch that you apply to the skin (behind ear or upper part of neck) 1-2 times a week.

My teenage daughter suffers from PCS. We found a sports medicine doctor who told us to give her B2, magnesium, and green tea daily. I'm not sure about the B2. I use Trace Minerals Research ionic magnesium liquid and Swanson magnesium oil which seems to help with headaches. I use Solgar green tea capsules, as my daughter hates drinking the tea. I know green tea extract is high in antioxidant and nutrients.

I've also incorporated flax / chia / hemp / sunflower seeds in my recipes for extra fiber and antioxidant. Just started using Garden of Life Raw green super food...not sure about this one. I ordered Dr Danielle turmeric curcumin & alpha lipoic acid, cuz I heard curcumin is very helpful in cases of brain fogginess.

Let me know if you have tried green super food or curcumin and if that has helped? Or am I just wasting money or following some silly fad....

The PurOrganica patch is 1200 mcgs and is used once or twice a week. The research I found made two points. First, B-12 is a large molecule of the size at the maximum limit of skin penetration. It is 5 to 10 times larger than other substances successfully delivered through the skin. This creates a challenge for the B-12 to penetrate the skin.
It does penetrate the skin to some extent and results in increased blood concentrations but that increase can vary widely with a 5 fold different between subjects.

So, it would be hard to know if it would be right for your daughter.

Shots are the best way but there is no reason to not take oral tablets of 2500 to 5000 mcgs of methylcobalamin daily. Even with low absorbability, there should be plenty that makes it into the blood stream.

Regarding the B2, I would recommend a B-50 Complex with the B-12 so she gets the full complement of B's. Plus, she needs D-3. The anti-oxidants in green tea are good but don't neglect the other anti-oxidant sources, Vit E and Vit C.

Dr Danielle's stuff is OK if you can afford it.

What else is your daughter doing to help with her PCS ?

How old is she and how did she get her concussion ?

I've had some success with Dr. Danielle's Curcumin. It seems to help with the foggy headed feeling. I can attribute that to curcumin's anti-inflammatory properties. The formulation seems to aid in bioavailability which is important for certain molecules such as Curcumin.

I am awaiting the R-Alpha Lipoic Acid product from Dr. Danielle currently. Hoping to add it to my antioxidant stack in the morning. It, along with Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Ubiquinone (active form of Coq-10), has a reportedly synergistic effect: meaning they add to eachother in how much reaches the central nervous system.

Anyway, Dr. Danielle's products are a little over priced, as Mark hinted at, but if you can afford them, don't hesitate to purchase them. It should be noted that the company is fair and offers free second bottles with every purchase. You just have to write a review or join a mailing list.

Pcs
 

My daughter got a concussion at 13 and suffers from PCS for 9 months now. She was hit on the head by a basketball. My doctor also recommends HRV biofeedback and breathing exercises. She also meets with a few therapists (ST & OT). She really likes cranial-sacral therapy. It helps relieve her headaches for a little while. I heard yoga and meditation are helpful in reducing stress & anxiety.

My neuropsych had a cognitive energy scale which was a good base line for tracking my daughter's cognitive moods. It was a scale of 1-5, with the emphasis on 3 (alert & attentive) as what she should aim for. 1-2 is exhausted/tired and 4/5 is distracted and hyper. So she has to keep a journal and track these energy scales to monitor her cognitive feelings, and my neuropsych comes up with strategies for her to avoid exhaustion and hyper-activity. It sounds like a good concept.

My doctor suggested Vital Nutrients because its suppose to be a pure form of supplements. Anyhow, it seems expensive and hard to find. Also my daughter does not really like pills, so I have to find alternative options like liquid and patch and oil based supplements.

Her main symptoms are mental fatigue, fogginess, and noise sensitivity. So I hope curcumin will alleviate the fogginess....

You can buy B-50 Complex in a liquid form. B-12 pills can be chewed, especially the pills designed for sublingual absorption. D-3 is a very small pill.

If the CST helps with her head aches and involves working with her neck, it suggests she has a neck injury, usually an upper neck injury. It takes discipline to use good head and neck posture, especially when sleeping and resting, for the upper neck to heal.

What does the speech therapist do ?

What does the occupational therapist do ?

I wonder if she is getting too much therapy and focusing too much on her symptoms. Treating her neck and head aches and making sure she has good brain nutrition would be a good minimalist approach to try. The journaling may be too much focus on symptoms. Just my thoughts.

St/ot
 

It's just an evaluation at this point with the ST/OT. It was actually a brain injury support group that told me how ST helped their kids during this phase. Something to do with cognitive and memory strategies, etc. Time will tell if this helps...