FAQs

What are the benefits of taking supplements?

• Our diets may be inadequate in terms of quality and quantity of essential nutrients. By taking nutritional supplements specifically to fill the gaps in our diets, we are potentially optimising our health and protecting ourselves against illness and poor mental and physical performance. We are able to shield our cells and tissues against the physical stresses of a modern world – environmental pollution, prescription medications, ionising radiation – by supplementing daily with high quality vitamins and antioxidants.
• Taking supplements may help us live a longer and healthier life.

What is the best time of day to take supplements?

• The body performs different functions at different times of the day so the ideal time to take supplements can vary according to the nature and function of the supplement. For example, Vitamin B-complex vitamins should be taken in the earlier part of the day because they are energising and may interfere with sleep.
• Some vitamins and minerals also compete for absorption or inhibit the absorption of others. Calcium and iron supplements, for example, compete with each other for absorption, and should not be taken together.
• Nutritional supplements must be taken as directed to obtain optimal effect.

• Nutritional supplementation can be taken from infancy to late maturity. Liquid supplements are best suited to the extreme ends of the age spectrum, due to their lower dosages and ease of swallowing.
• Pregnant women may enhance their well-being and minimise the symptoms and complications of pregnancy when they supplement with a suitable multivitamin and mineral formula. When they supplement daily, they may be able to provide optimum nutrition, especially minerals and trace elements, to their baby.
• Individuals under particular physical challenge, such as athletes, are advised to supplement to feel the best they can feel, prevent illness and infections from over-training and to perform to their highest capability.

What is unique about the HIVITA range?

• Hivita is a family-owned company, passionate about helping people make positive changes to their health and lifestyle. Every formula has been designed with our own families in mind. by creating the best for us, we have created the best for you as well.
• All of our products are formulated with an optimal blend of high quality ingredients. We also blend our formulas with powerful herbs to boost performance.
• We strive to achieve excellence and world class standards through innovation of process, standards, structure and exceptionally high quality products which are formulated by experts in the field of complementary medicine.
• Hivita is also one of the few multivitamins to be Australian owned, made and formulated – look for the official kangaroo logo on our packs.

Are any of the HIVITA products vegetarian friendly?

• Yes, the following HIVITA products are vegetarian friendly:
  • HIVITA Daily C + Zinc
  • HIVITA Daily B

Are the packaging components of the HIVITA range recyclable?

• Yes, all HIVITA bottles, caps and labels are recyclable.

Can I break HIVITA tablets into half due to difficulty in swallowing?

• Yes, provided that that the entire dosage is taken for optimum benefit. This is not possible for enteric coated product like HIVITA Stress which need to be consumed whole.
• Liquid Multivitamins, like HIVITA Liquivita, are the best option for those having difficulty in swallowing tablet

What causes bright yellow urine after I’ve taken some HIVITA supplements?

• Taking B-complex vitamins, which include riboflavin and folic acid, can impart a bright yellow colouration of the urine. It is a harmless side effect and indicates that the product has effectively gone through the metabolic pathways of the body. The body uses what it needs of most water-soluble vitamins and excretes the rest in urine.

Where do you source HIVITA raw materials?

• To ensure consistent premium high quality, HIVITA sources superior materials for our products from leading local and global providers of raw materials.
• We only use materials that consistently meet the highest standards and specifications of British Pharmacopeia, British Herbal Pharmacopeia and TGA approved pharmacopeias and raw material monographs and guidelines.

Is there a government body responsible for regulating the complementary medicine industry?

• Yes, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is the government body responsible for regulating the complementary medicine industry. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is part of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, and is responsible for the regulation of therapeutic goods including complementary medicines, medical devices, blood and blood products.
• The manufacture of products in Australia is highly regulated, with the TGA only allowing the use of pre-approved ingredients, and ensuring that stringent Good Manufacturing Guidelines are followed. In fact Australia has one of the most highly regulated complementary medicines industry in the world. Some countries, including the United States of America, manufacture and regulate dietary supplements as a category of food, and not pharmaceutical drugs.

What does AUST L and AUST R mean? What is the difference between the two?

• Any product for which therapeutic claims are made must be listed, registered or included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) before it can be supplied in Australia.
  Complementary medicines may be either listed or registered, depending on their ingredients and the claims made.
• Listed medicines are given an AUST L Code and can only contain pre-approved low-risk ingredients. They are used for minor health problems and are reviewed for safety and quality. They include sunscreens over SPF4 and many vitamin, mineral, herbal and homoeopathic products. A purpose must be included on the label.
• Registered medicines are given an AUST R Code and are assessed by the TGA for safety, quality and efficacy prior to be accepted on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and are able to be marketed. They include all prescription only medicines and many over-the-counter products such as those for pain relief, coughs and colds and antiseptic creams. Prescription only medicines do not display their purpose on the label as the decision for using them lies with a doctor; however, over-the-counter medicines must have a purpose displayed.
• AUST R and AUST L Codes show that the medicines are accepted by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for supply in Australia and are included in the Register. The Code is printed on the outer packaging so that it can be seen easily.
• Almost the entire range of HIVITA premium complementary medicines have an AUST L Code, which means that they are listed with the TGA and have been assessed for their safety and quality. They have also been manufactured in accordance with the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

How do I compare the Manufacturing Formula and Specifications of different complementary medicines?

• Many complementary medicines are available in a variety of strengths and they may often contain several active ingredients. It can be difficult to work out what is the best option or to compare alternative brands. If you are choosing a complementary medicine, obtain as much information about the complementary medicine and its use as you can, and read the label so you know the active ingredients it contains and the amount of each.
• A zinc piccolinate ingredient, for example, is far more bio-available than a zinc sulphate. Amino acid chelates are taken up by active transport from the intestinal lumen, where inorganic salts may pass through undigested.
• In addition, the highest dose is not necessarily the best for you. For example, it is not necessary to take very high doses of calcium for bone health if the supplement also contains Vitamins D & K, boron and phosphorus, which improve the uptake and utilisation of the calcium by bone. Boron recycles up to 40% of urinary calcium.
• Discover for yourself the uniqueness of each product:
  • Compare different brands based on what ingredients are in the formula.
  • Compare the amount, form and combination of ingredients that would provide the best therapeutic effect and assess whether certain ingredients are just added to make them look comprehensive. We call this “label dressing”.
  • Ring the company and ask about the country of origin and the actual manufacturing sites of their products. Some products could be packed in Australia but actually sourced overseas. This information are not mandated by law to be included on the label for complementary medicine.

What is the level of quality control and assurance applied to HIVITA Products?

• To ensure all products are manufactured to the highest quality, HIVITA’s Quality Control comprises a chemist laboratory, in-process quality control laboratory and micro laboratory.
  • Raw Material Testing: Chemistry/Microbiology using both wet chemistry and modern instrumentation including HPLC, UV VIS spectroscopy, ICP for Mineral analysis, GC, CAMAG-HPTLC for herbal identification, Infra-Red Spectroscopy. Herbal ingredients are fully tested, including full identification and for the absence of pesticides, heavy metals and nasty residues.
  • In Process Testing: Regular quality control checks at different stages of Dispensing, Granulation, Mixing, Tableting or Encapsulation, Coating, Packing and Labelling, and Dispatch.
  • Intermediate and Finished Product Testing of Actives to ensure label claims are always met, and products meet the requirements for physical, microbiological and chemical parameters including identification, disintegration time, dimensions, aesthetic/appearance and active components.
• All Quality assurance documentation of TGA requirements (manufacturing batch cards, traceability of all ingredients used in a batch, validated manufacturing process, validated testing methods, staff training and standard operating procedures, etc) are kept on file for audit.
• The frequency and number of quality checks for each product varies depending on the complexity of formula. Several hundred quality checks and tests (from the beginning of the process of raw material receipt and testing up to finished product dispatch) take place to ensure that premium, high quality products are consistently delivered to our family and yours.

We proudly serve the community with high quality, unique products and are pleased at the prospect of expanding our range of healthcare products to promote health maintenance and wellbeing. We believe that we have the responsibility of educating you to inspire improvements to your health, happiness, wellbeing and lifestyle. We aim to focus on the prevention of health problems through balanced, healthy living, rather than finding a cure of health problems through unhealthy living. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.