[Closed] Berocca, and the like.. snake oil or worth the £5 a pop?

It's like you, only £5 poorer.

There's some evidence, that if you're incredibly fit - marathon runner level fittness that increasing Vit-C levels might help you avoid a cold, but it's far from a dead cert.

You'd be better off looking at your diet to see if you're not eating enough of a certain nutriant or if you think you're Vit C levels are low, spend the £5 on some Broccoli or something.

Worth the £5

If placebo tablets work for you then these chappies will do just fine.

Alternatively, bag of sugar cubes / haribo / creme eggs, much cheaper, and contain calories.

ive been taking soluble vits for a while and it had sorted out the last 2 winters. Stopped this winter and went to tablets and now have man flu for 2 days. Back on soluble vits to try and head it off at the pass. You can get tubes from Aldi etc for a quid. Weird thing is the soluble vits gives me dry eyes which was why I stopped taking them to see

I have used them for a while and they seem to stave off the garden variety colds that i used to get. I am not sure if that placebo but dont really care if that's the case. I have just had the big cold that everyone round here seems to have had but got it nearly 4 weeks after everyone else in my family had it.

I'm fairly sure everything in berocca you don't instantly use you just pee out as your body can't store it, so if you like expensive orange pee...

Buy the extra strength placebo tablets, they work better.

I used it for years and never ever got a cold, even when everyone at home did. Ran out in November and just didn't get around to getting any more (or the wife didn't more accurately!) until January and picked up man-flu between christmas and new year which took about 3 weeks to shake off. Make of that what you will, but even if it's placebo (I am of course a super elite athlete so perhaps that's why) but for 20p a day I'll keep taking it.

To be honest if it was as easy as taking a tablet, colds / man flu etc. would not exist any more.

Weird thing is the soluble vits gives me dry eyes which was why I stopped taking them to see

Try dissolving them in water rather than sticking them in your eyes?

Why bother with Barrocca over supermarket own brands. I usually have a supermarket own brand and have them when i'm feeling a bit under the weather. I've been cold free for about 4 years since I started this regime. I don't care whether it is a placebo or what, it seems to work for me so i'll carry on so long as it works. I only use them when feeling under the weather rather than all the time and so far it seems to have held off a fully blown cold. Also barocca used to contain Partially Hydrogenated Vegitable Fat wheras the supermarket ones did not, so for that reason alone i'd avoid it (though not checked the incredientls list for a few years).

ive been taking soluble vits for a while and it had sorted out the last 2 winters. Stopped this winter and went to tablets and now have man flu for 2 days.

I used it for years and never ever got a cold, even when everyone at home did. Ran out in November and just didn't get around to getting any more (or the wife didn't more accurately!) until January and picked up man-flu between christmas and new year which took about 3 weeks to shake off

well that's conclusive, all we need is one more anecdote and it'll be an internet FACT 😉

EDIT - and one popped up above in between posting 🙂

Berocca tastes bloody awful.
Also considering the colour the glass goes once you have drunk it I'm glad i only tried it as a free sample. Won't be buying anymore

I bought some once purely as a curiosity. I took the recommended 1 a day.

Piss was bright orange within a day - so that goes to show how much wasn't absorbed by my body.

And the acidity of the tablets caused me ulcers in my mouth. I had about 3 at once. Didn't put two and two together until I finished the packet and they all went away and never had once since.

All in all, 1/10 - the packet made a satisfying pop when you flicked it open.

100% snake oil. No evidence to support their use at all.

Even eating Oranges to "top up" your immune system when you've got a cold is a complete myth.

Good as a hangover cure ... but so are High 5 Zero tabs and you can pick them up cheap with a google

well that's conclusive, all we need is one more anecdote and it'll be an internet FACT

EDIT - and one popped up above in between posting

I'll just post it again if you want, then it becomes FACT even quicker!

I once compared the real Berocca and Poundshop ones that we had at home.
Absolutely identical tube and foil. Size, shape and colour of the tablets was also identical. The ingredients and %ages were also identically listed and to the same values.

I took this to mean they were the same product.

No comment on if either of them work or are just a placebo though.

Edit: just realised how dull that post was.

Why bother with Barrocca over supermarket own brands.

Because brand name placebo, backed with advertising etc. works better than generic placebo?

(Of course, this would be funny if it wasn't actually true!)

I like the taste of vit-c tablets as a less sweet alternative to squash. Have found that they make me 'feel' more hydrated than just plain water in the same way nuun tablets do, which is nice. They also make me invincible to all disease and I can produce an extra 30W power on the bike because if them.

Aldi's tropical flavour vit-c tablets have a similar supier-urine effect to berocca if you want a cheap alternative.

Boots own "for men" range is much cheaper.

Well I don't take any placebo / snake oil type tablets. I've not had a cold for about a decade now.

Feel free to give me your £5 and I will send some non flu vibes your way.

Has anyone had anyone luck with magnetic healing crystals
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beautiful-Hematite-Magnetic-Arthritis-Migraines/dp/B00J0FBZJQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453738515&sr=8-1
or negative ion bands?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/OFFICIAL-Satori-Wristband-Properties-Available/dp/B015E1PYGY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1453738515&sr=8-5

Make of that what you will

I make that a co-incidence.

Make of that what you will
I make that a co-incidence.

i just like seeing my pee glow with the fluorescent colour afterwards 🙂 What could possible go wrong give it a go

Are you paying £5 a glass or 33p.

If it's the former I have some snake oil tablets for you.

FWIW, I like chucking a whole one straight in the gob then drinking carbonated water (San Pellegrino minimum standard)

Boots own "for men" range is much cheaper.

Actually worth checking what's in this particular snake oil tablet, pretty sure it was ASDA "effervescent" tablets that are actually dog egg oil rather than bona fide snake oil.

My tuppence,

More sleep and more veg gave me more energy, but I also took a fairly generic miltivitamin when I was working away from home, my diet was fine but working a full week, plus 15 hours in the car, plus maintaining some sort of social life and getting in some exercise was leaving me like a zombie. Multivit did seem to cure that, it wasn't an immediate placebo effect, but after a couple of weeks I no longer got to Thursday with bags under my eyes unable to peel myself out of the car. May have been one particular vit/mineral that did it, but the mitli's were cheap.

As for colds, zinc seems to work, and that's actually scientifically proven, not just a placebo. IIRC VitC does also stave off colds, but you don't need >100%, but it does need to be everyday, taking it whilst you've got the cold had no effect.

I've been putting Berrocca lozenges up my bum for months now. Haven't got a single cold AND I like the way it feels.

Win/Win. And it's science.

OP been taking it for 15 (?) years. I used to get lots of colds etc over the autumn/winter/spring but thats pretty rare now. I remember a semi-pro footballer telling me how they where given vitamins (esp zinc and c) to stay healthy and keep colds away. Seems pretty obvious to me to take something, other brands available. Buy it on 3 for 2 at boots in boxes of 45 I think thats approx 19p a tablet

I get the ones from Lidl, they're less than a pound and are good for hangovers.

I don't think they do anything for you long term but they make me feel a bit better if a start feeling groggy. Placebo or not at a few pence a time i'm not bothered. Wouldn't dream of buying Berocca at their price though.

And they make your piss a funny colour!!

And they make your piss a funny colour!!

Eh, thats their main selling point.

Next you'll be telling us you like Asparagus because of the way it tastes.

Berocca - £5 for 15
Waitrose own - £1.99 for 20 (3 for the price of 2)

Do they work? Yes! They clear up a hangover tout suite, and I use a tab per water bottle while riding. Seems to work there too, especially in the hottest weather.

Best thing they're for is to have a laugh by popping one in your mouth and seeing how long you can keep your mouth closed while the tablet froths up....

I use a tab per water bottle while riding.

Is that safe?

Actually worth checking what's in this particular snake oil tablet, pretty sure it was ASDA "effervescent" tablets that are actually dog egg oil rather than bona fide snake oil.

I use the Everyman or whatever it's called multivit. Exactly the same contents as the Wellman version but 1/3 of the price approx.

Am I missing something here?

I thought Berocca was a Vitamin B Complex supplement (and dayglo weewee would suggest as such). Why are half of us talking about Vitamin C / zinc tablets? Are you thinking of Redoxon?

Here is the science from the website

To be at the top of your game right from the start, nutritional supplements can help gain that extra little edge.

Berocca® is specially tailored to support physical stamina and improve cognitive function.
Physical stamina and mental sharpness are both important for achievement-driven individuals. By leading a healthy lifestyle with sports and balanced nutrition, you can always remain a step ahead, even when you have many professional and personal responsibilities to tackle. In times of high pressure, however, consuming adequate amounts of the fruits and vegetables that deliver all the vitamins and minerals the body needs can become challenging. This is why many consumers then turn to micronutrient supplements like Berocca®. Its unique formula contains the water-soluble B-Vitamin complex and Vitamin C, as well as the minerals calcium magnesium and zinc. All these micronutrients are known to play an important role in energy metabolism and cognitive function. They act synergistically to provide the necessary edge you need to be at the top of your game.

That is about as weak a claim as you can make isn't it

Ohhh I see now..

I'm feeling a bit grog, look for instant fix and stick my clammy paw into my wallet and head into Boots. Grab the first brightly coloured package of something with "B" in it and stand in a queue for 6mins whilst waiting to pay for said object pour desire.

I get it.

I'll finish the "tube" and make fountains of glistening gold from my bouyhood...

😆

As eva, muchos grazious mon amigous..

Waste of money. Spend it on food instead.

Just out of interest, are those claiming to not care if it's a placebo effect also religious types?

Only here could someone link Berocca to religion.

I'm genuinely interested to know if there's a correlation between those who can convince themselves of anything, despite a complete lack of evidence.

Damn, I just described 650b didn't I

The lidl and other supermarket own brand ones are effervescent multi vitamins, and vitamins are good for you aren'the they?

Lots of vitamins in a big drink seems to mean not so much hangover!!

And I am not religious in any way, shape, or form.

Berocca is an energy supplement based on B vitamins (which are depleted when alcohol is drunk). They don't do anything for colds. The evidence behind vit c as an immunity boost is largely discredited. I am in the vits business and I take the boots equivalent fir hangovers. Though probably the effect is largely placebo.

Vitamins = good

also readily available in nearly all everyday food stuffs

Multivitamins in soluble/supplementary form = impossible to break down to a format that a human is capable of absorbing into blood stream.

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre would be a valuable read for many here.

I would be willing to accept a potential minor benefit to be felt by taking Berrocca being due to sugar/salt/isotonic properties.

Why not just eat a marmite sandwich (vitamin b) and an orange (vitamin c)and swill the whole lot down with amug of tea??

Because it sounds bloody awful?

Slimjim I call lies,with access to a Berocca tube there's no way you inserted just the lozenges

Some studies have shown American Ginseng to be of some use

do people not eat properly anymore?

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/health/pseudo-scientific-diet-fails-to-stop-scientific-illness-20160126105659

slimjim78 - Member

Just out of interest, are those claiming to not care if it's a placebo effect also religious types?

Usually I'm cynical. When I have manflu, I suspend disbelief.

In the death throes of an afterparty, I have been known to drink vodka and berocca once all other suitable mixers had been exhausted

And the acidity of the tablets caused me ulcers in my mouth. I had about 3 at once. Didn't put two and two together until I finished the packet and they all went away and never had once since.

There's the problem. Dissolve them in water first and only take one a day.

Anything that makes p155 smell like pineapples has got to be worth it.

I have a supermarket brand fizzy pill first thing in the morning w/ a pint of water. Haven't noticed any side effects except my lunchtime pee looking like a discharge from Selafield.
I've also not had a cold in ages, although I doubt its got any relation. TBH even if its kust a placebo I'll keep taking them.

[img] [/img]

Man Flu for the win!

I took these when my last cold was approaching and hardly got sick. I was working outside, so needed to not be ill!

I also know of a DOCTOR (yes, I'm sure he'll be along soon 😆 ) who puts Berocca in his Camelbak. Hmm? So why's that then if they don't do anything?

I had a long lasting virus last year and as a part of my recovery I started on the Aldi Baroca things. I still take them as they were part of my recovery from feeling proper shite for 6 months. Whether they helped or hindered I have no way of telling, and whether they are helping now, who knows. However since they were part of me getting from 2 naps a day to being back on my bike, and they cost about 4.5p a day I am sticking with them for the time being as I don't want to be laid low like that again.
And just before anyone steps in I eat a balanced diet with plenty of tea and cake and chips once a week so I am not short of vitamins.

And I finished the "course" The tubes now empty and I'm feeling a guilt pang for not having any more in the house.
It's psychological innit..?
Thats what it does to you... it erodes yer brain into thinking it needs more of them things..
😕

You can get 75 eggs for a fiver, probably the most nutritious food there is.

You can get 75 eggs for a fiver

Berroca is not just about Vit B, C or indeed zince. Its a multi vitamin. FYI got perscfibed some vits by the doctor and they made Berooca look reasonable value at 20p a pop

even if its (j)ust a placebo I'll keep taking them.

There is overwhelming scientific study which by and large concludes that taking multivitamins has no provable effect on increasing good health - but can lead to side effects such as kidney stones or in one famous case - a huge uplift in cancer amongst the volunteers.

For some kind of balance - I used to get chest infections/sniffles farily frequently - then I got fit, ran hundreds of miles, lost loads of weight. for the years I remained fit, I recall no particular bout of ill health. Since putting weight back on and losing CV fitness I have had fairly regular respiratory issues. All this whilst taking no supplements.
Now seeing as this is a real case, do we conclude that:
a) being fitter quite probably contritbuted to a stronger immune system and better health
b) multivitmamins would cure my fatness
?

Crack on with your placebo guys - i'd also recommend a faith healer, for a good double dose of magic.

I repeat for the genuine benefit of all - READ BAD SCIENCE BY BEN GOLDACRE - once you have read this, come back here feeling suitably futile and all will be forgiven.

Crack on with your placebo guys - i'd also recommend a faith healer, for a good double dose of magic.

Voodoo? Or other stuff?

Not sure about that other stuff.

I love the way all the naysayers are getting so het up at people who think it may just be a placebo but are prepared to spend 5p a day of their own hard earned money because it makes them feel better.

There's more mouth frothing here than with the Berroca and sparkling water brigade!

£5 = large doner + extra chilli sauce, lahvleee

[img] [/img]

the way all the naysayers are getting so het up at people who think it may just be a placebo but are prepared to spend 5p a day of their own hard earned money because it makes them feel better.

I simply don't like to see people being so easily duped.

I repeat for the genuine benefit of all - READ BAD SCIENCE BY BEN GOLDACRE - once you have read this, come back here feeling suitably futile and all will be forgiven.

I have read it, and I don't remember him talking about multivitamins? (Am I misremembering, it was a while ago...)

I've not read the thread you can get cheap Berocca equivalents at Aldi or Lidl. I drink one a day and swear by them but I find more a preventstive than cure.

Looks to the left and yes, theres a cup with a Waitrose variety in it..

I'm not too sure if I've been duped or whether I'm hoping this cold goes away sharpish..
😕

I find them a refreshing pick me up after a night on the bevvy 🙂 Just bought another few tubes online, should last me till next year !