THERESA: I had lunch with a trainer friend last week and we got to talking about vitamins. This young woman dug in her purse to show me her multi-vitamin-- it was a sandwich bag filled with LOTS of capsules of various shapes and sizes. Now, I pop a calcium supplement and a grocery-store multi-vitamin when I remember to do so, but I'm not very faithful about it. Are the rest of you vitamin fanatics? Do you notice specific benefits? And should I get more serious about this?

APRIL: I am a vitamin fanatic about the GNC Ultra Mega Gold vitamins. Two per day (I take them both in the a.m.) give me everything I don't always get (when I skip a meal or don't eat enough of something each day.)

WENDY: Vitamins are one healthy habit that I truly stick to. I don't go as nuts as some, but every day I take a good multivitamin with enough iron and folate, plus one calcium supplement, plus one B12. I truly believe this makes me feel better: The iron helps with energy, while the B12 is supposed to improve the way your body takes what it needs from food (particularly when you are under stress, which is why it's sometimes called 'stress formula.') I should probably take more calcium, but it really is better to get it from food. I notice a huge difference in how I wake up and stay with the day when I am taking them.

DIANE: I'm pretty serious about taking vitamins. I take a high quality multi plus calcium, vitamin C and a few other items that are particular to my biochemistry. When I started to move towards menopause, I decided to consult with a doc in my area who specializes in biochemistry. Because of the supplements I take, so far I'm sailing through and feeling great! Calcium seems to be very important. Even though I do so much weight bearing exercises; my calcium levels showed a bit low. Multi vitamins are important to maintain balance throughout your systems...but from what I've read and heard, you can be taking an inferior vitamin that is not being absorbed properly. Taking a high quality multi and certainly helped my energy level.

YVONNE W: I mix 1/2 scoop of protein powder with a low fat smoothie everyday. I also take a multi vitamin, vitamin E, vitamin C, garlic in a soft gel tablet and calcium. I can't swallow calcium pills, so I buy Viactiv recommended by my physician (calcium in a caramel candy form that contains Vitamins D and K. It comes in chocolate, orange, strawberry and other flavors. Viactiv is sold in grocery stores and in stores such as Target. Another way to get vitamins is higher-fiber foods, as they typically have more vitamins and minerals than lower-fiber foods.

JENICE: I do not recommend Viactiv calcium supplements. Especially the caramels. They taste really good and have 20 calories each in them. Sometimes when I take them, I can't stop. I've been known to eat a handful of them.

YVONNE W: : Well, they are good. I try to discipline myself.

APRIL: I told my doctor once I was taking Viactivs and she told me as long as I eat a balanced diet and take a multivitamin, I do not yet need to be taking calcium supplements.

JENICE: Really? I'm surprised. My doctor recently advised me to take them, even though I'm not at particularly high risk partly because I'm large boned.

YVONNE W: At my age I need to be concerned with osteoporosis and bone density issues. Things change as you get older.

WENDY: Yes, it's true that you don't need calcium supplements if you eat a diet that gives you enough calcium -- but I would warn all of you gals, take a hard look at your diet before you decide to go without supplements. The minimum RDA for people 19 to 50 is 1,000 mg. One serving of milk, ice cream or cheese is one-third of that. Lowfat dairy -- especially cottage cheese -- is less still. Spinach? Yes, it has calcium -- and a chemical that makes it more difficult to be absorbed by the body. In fact, it's notoriously hard for the body to get calcium out of foods (and supplements); less than 10 percent of the calcium we eat gets absorbed. Less still gets absorbed when we are under stress or drinking cola, coffee or alcohol. I take one 500 mg supplement as a precaution, to make sure I am getting what I need.

There's good Calcium info here.

Also, here's some general reasons to TAKE YOUR VITAMINS.

And another thing: You should probably take at least SOME calcium even if you take a multivitamin. Check the label; a lot of them have only 12% of the calcium you need daily.

KIMBERLY: Ladies, you definitely want to rethink your vitamins. According to the Physician's Desk Reference, liquid vitamins have an absorption rate up to 98 percent! Liquid vitamins are processed by the digestive tract much more quickly and efficiently and rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.

As little as 10 percent of the nutrients ingested in pill form actually reach the body's cells. That means the other 90 percent is being flushed down the toilet. It's like throwing 90 cents out of every dollar earned into the trash. Liquid vitamins absorption rate is over five times the absorption rate of vitamin pills. If you are looking to get the most bang for your buck, you absolutely must choose liquid vitamins.

Ladies, you also want to watch those high protein diets that are all the rage right now because the truth about protein is that excess consumption leaks calcium stores and weakens bones. And often times cooking foods at high temperatures reduces the assimilation of amino acids in foods.

Ever wonder why we have such a huge problem with osteoporosis in spite of the fact they we consume more dairy products and animal protein than any other people on the planet? Spinal fractures (compressed vertebrae) are the most common osteoporotic-related fractures, with more than 700,000 such fractures occurring in the United States each year, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). Loss of height and stooped posture are irreversible changes that result from spinal fractures.