~~~ONE-A-DAY CARB SMART~~~DESPERATELY WANTING A PIECE OF THE LOW CARB PIE
Written: Oct 05 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: For the average American's diet, it's better than taking no supplement at all.
Cons: Way too expensive in price; takes advantage of the current low carb craze.
The Bottom Line: I just can't justify the extra money I paid for these One-A-Day Carb Smart vitamin and mineral supplements as they feed on today's low carb diet frenzy.
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| melissasrn's Full Review: One A Day One-A-Day Carbsmart Tablets100 Tablets |
As if marketing the One-A-Day Weight Smart dietary supplement wasn't enough to satisfy America's obsession with getting and staying slim, weight conscious consumers now have the new One-A-Day Carb Smart multivitamin/multimineral supplement by Bayer to choose from. Because low carb diets are so popular these days, everyone seems to be trying to profit from this popular craze as all of a sudden there's now a low carb version of many of our favorite foods, etc. Apparently included now, as well, is the vitamin and mineral supplement industry as products like this one seem to be flying off the shelves these days. But just how does this new supplement differ from existing choices and is it worth spending the extra money on? Read on to find out more about this new complete dietary supplement advertised for those following a low carb lifestyle.
~~~The Vitamin and Mineral Supplement~~~
One of the newest choices in the growing vitamin and mineral product aisle is none of than this One-A-Day Carb Smart, a complete multivitamin for your low carb lifestyle. This new supplement claims that it breaks down fats and proteins you eat into energy with more biotin and contains higher levels of key essential nutrients you need when restricting carbs, which include: 8 vitamins found in fortified grains like bread and pasta, antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables, and potassium and calcium found in milk. Of course following a balanced diet is the best way to receive all the nutrition your body needs to stay healthy, but people on special diets apparently need extra help from supplements to fill in the holes. So even though I'm not following a super low carb diet myself as I've done so in the past and have been left with zero energy to keep up with my exercise routine, I have been trying to make more conscious food choices by reducing the amount of simple carbs I eat (like mostly "white" foods, for example). And since I've taken a multivitamin supplement for years anyway, I decided to try this new One-A-Day Carb Smart as I had a special promotional coupon and am usually a sucker for new health/weight loss related products like this one.
Included in these One-A-Day Carb Smart dietary supplements are many key nutrients to help add balance to a low carb diet, such as biotin, which helps convert protein to energy as well as fat to energy. Then there's calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin D, and beta carotene to help promote muscle and bone health. Moving on, there's also vitamin B12, vitamin B7, folic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin E that help maintain immune heart health along with other bodily functions. And finally, don't forget the zinc, selenium, beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E to help keep the immune system strong. So why take this complete multivitamin formulated for your low carb lifestyle Here's what One-A-Day has to say about the new supplement: You're following a low-carb approach to what you eat and it's really working for you. But did you know that as you eat less carbs, you might not be getting a balance of nutrients your body needs for health and vitality? That's why One-A-Day has created Carb Smart, a complete multivitamin with higher levels of essential vitamins and minerals you may need when restricting carbs. Plus, One-A-Day Carb Smart contains more Biotin, a key nutrient that helps break down the fats and protein you're eating into the energy your body needs. And just what does this mean? To me, it's mostly hype as you'll find most of the ingredients in regular supplements costing much less.
~~~Packaging, Price, & Availability~~~
Pick up one of the smaller sized bottles of these One-A-Day Carb Smart dietary supplements online at websites like drugstore.com for $8.99 or the larger 100 count size for around $14.99. I personally chose the larger bottle as it lasts longer and is a bit more economical at the same time. And since I had a promotional "$2 off" coupon and this multivitamin in the 100 count bottle was a bit less expensive at my local Wal-Mart at approximately $12 instead of almost $15 as mentioned above, I got a 3 month (+) supply for right around ten bucks. The cardboard packaging is red in color and features all the low carb advertising hype as I've listed above already. The white plastic bottle itself contains the standard child proof cap (the one you have to push down and turn at the same time to open) and is sealed for your protection. And the average sized capsules themselves are pale orange in color and contain the typical vitamin-like smell. Look for the expiration date on both the outer cardboard packaging as well as the red label on the actual supplement bottle itself and toss any remaining pills after this date. Keep these One-A-Day Carb Smart vitamin and mineral supplements out of the reach of children as any overdose could lead to serious health problems.
~~~Nutrition Facts~~~
Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Tablet
Servings Per Container:
Amount per Serving..............% Daily Value
Vitamin A 100% as beta carotene........2500 IU 50%
Vitamin C.............................. 90 mg 150%
Vitamin D..............................400 IU 100%
Vitamin E.............................. 45 IU 150%
Vitamin K.............................. 25 mcg 31%
Thiamin (B1)........................... 2.2 mg 147%
Riboflavin (B2)........................ 2.5 mg 147%
Niacin (B3)............................ 25 mg 125%
Vitamin B6............................. 3 mg 150%
Folate,Folic Acid,Folacin...............400 mcg 100%
Vitamin B12............................ 9 mcg 150%
Biotin.................................450 mcg 150%
Pantothenic acid....................... 15 mg 150%
Calcium................................ 200mg 20%
Phosphorus............................. 154mg 15%
Magnesium.............................. 100mg 25%
Zinc................................ 22.5mg 150%
Selenium............................. 10 mcg 150%
Copper............................... 2 mg 100%
Manganese............................ 2 mg 100%
Chromium............................. 200mcg 167%
Molybdenum........................... 75 mcg 100%
Potassium............................ 99 mg 3%
~~~Ingredients~~~
Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Cellulose, Dl-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Zinc Oxide, Niacinamide, Croscarmellose Sodium, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Titanium Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Gelatin, Dextrose, Hypromellose, Corn Starch, Silicon Dioxide, Calcium Silicate, Crospovidone, Manganese Sulfate, Dextrin, Polyethylene Glycol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose, Cupric Oxide, Riboflavin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Glucose, Beta Carotene, FD&C Yellow 5 Lake (Tartrazine), Chromium Chloride, Mineral Oil, Sodium Citrate, Resin, Acacia, Lecithin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Selenate, Sodium Molybdate, FD&C Yellow 6 Lake, Phytonadione, Tricalcium Phosphate, Cholecalciferol, Cyanocobalamin.
~~~My Experience~~~
The standard directions for use when taking these One-A-Day Carb Smart multivitamin/multimineral supplements is simple: One tablet daily, with food. If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use. Taking any supplement with food increases absorption while also decreasing the chance of any stomach upset as some people are sensitive to some of the ingredients found in supplements. The only major difference I see in the supplemental facts section when comparing this Carb Smart to a regular women's multivitamin is that this one contains biotin and chromium while others generally do not. There's slightly more vitamin E and vitamin C, yet to offset this there's substantially much less calcium in the Carb Smart version, which is a very important mineral for women especially. And there's no iron either found in the Carb Smart, which might actually be a good choice for some as some can't tolerate iron containing supplements at all. Most of the other nutrients are very similar in quantities, however, so your best bet would be choosing a supplement that best fits your overall needs based on your diet and lifestyle. I, personally, could tell no difference when taking these One-A-Day Carb Smart when compared to a regular women's multivitamin, but your individual results may vary. Then again, I'd rather have the extra calcium and iron, so I found out after the fact that this new version isn't the best choice for my specific dietary needs.
~~~Overall Recommendation~~~
Those on a truly strict low carb diet may very well benefit from taking a specially formulated dietary supplement like this One-A-Day Carb Smart although it's lacking in other essential nutrients like calcium and iron. Then again, those eating more protein than most (especially red meats) don't need all the extra iron found in regular choices, so the biotin might be what the body needs more. Ideally, it's generally better to get all the nutrients the body needs from the foods we eat, but it just doesn't realistically happen very often in our fast food world full of convenience foods and diet crazes. So choose wisely when purchasing a dietary supplement to make sure it contains the nutrients you feel your diet is lacking in and your body can benefit from the most. For some, this overpriced One-A-Day Carb Smart might just be the one, but for me I'll be buying something else in the future. Good luck and stay healthy :-)
***For more information on these One-A-Day Carb Smart Dietary Supplements, check out their website online at:
www.oneaday.com
Questions or comments?
1-800-800-4793
Distributed by:
Bayer Corporation
Consumer Care Division
PO Box 1910
Morristown, NJ 07962-1910
Made in the USA
Recommended:
No
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