Do you take vitamin - or other - supplements?

[kib]

ACA or no ACA, I'm trying to be as healthy as I can and avoid incurring healthcare costs of my own, or at least make them preventative costs rather than remedial ones.

I'm 50 and I don't take any prescription drugs, partially because of my opposition to big pharma, partially because of my lucky good health, and partially (I like to believe) because of the more natural remedies I use to boost my health; meditation, proper rest, some sun and some exercise, laughter and friendship, plenty of water, what I think is good nutrition ...

Where I get lost in the jungle is supplements. I think that in the back of my mind, although I've gotten tired of most things our Western culture slams in my face, there's still a part of me that believes in the little white pills of health. I just went through another bout of wild-eyed supplement buying and am staring at a totebox full of what was formerly money. The question is, is it a box of health that was formerly money, or is it a box of stupidity.

:confused:

[bae]

Vitamin D, for reasons that should be...clouded in mystery.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-JauSDm1iSSs/S_1rDNNsZBI/AAAAAAAAD8U/yOKGDGVrtKA/s720/gse_multipart3191523857834411211.tmp.jpg

[ApatheticNoMore]

No, the unintended consequences and the complexity of it all seemed unmanageable to me. Basically as I understand it nutrients interact and if you aren't careful taking a supplement in one nutrient can actually lead to a deficiency in other nutrients. It's why they say if you are taking calcium, you should take magnesium, and then people say vitamin D as well. And then I've also heard if you don't take vitamin K2 with your calcium it will build up in your arteries and give you a heart attack :0!. Oh good grief. Plus the supplements recommended a decade or two ago: vitamin E was hot, vitamin A was hot. The entire mainstream was recommending vitamin E and many vitamin A, I remember. Now they are definitely not anf the mainstream says don't take them, they might increase cancer etc..

I believe in food :) (except when I believe in fasting). It's true I might be missing some nutrient I'm in need of and could live to 125 with but ...

[CathyA]

I take Caltrate Plus (mostly calcium) and I take Magnesium citrate. I take vitamin D3. I also try to take a B complex.

[kib]

Apparently even in Arizona I'll have to consider D eventually, turns out our skin falls down on the job of sunlight conversion as we age. Sheesh.

[Kestra]

Mainly glucosamine and chondroiton - twice a day for about 10 years now. For me it makes the difference between not being able to walk or sit without pain, and living virtually pain free.
Then also some B12 and Vit D every 2-3 days, being a vegetarian who doesn't eat a lot of fortified foods living in Winnipeg. I have been taking a multivitamin and omega as well, but am probably going to eliminate those, as my diet should be sufficient.

[CathyA]

I think some people just are born with skin that might not make it as easily as other people can.
My D levels were very low. My DD's (as a Vegan) were almost non-existent! And my DS has psoriasis, which I think has made most of his skin funky.
But........I don't think any of us spends enough time outside.

[Florence]

Multivitamin, Calcium + D, and Vitamin D1000 IU. I really worry though that since they are all most likely made in China, what is actually in them. Even if the vitamin and mineral content is what it is supposed to be, what about all the fillers and binders that go into the tablet or capsule? It could have metals or melamine and I don't think anyone is really responsible for ensuring quality on supplements.

[bae]

But........I don't think any of us spends enough time outside.

If you spend too much time outside here, moss grows on you :-)

[Miss Cellane]

I've had skin cancer. I stay out of the sun. My doctor prescribed Vit. D. He also prescribed Vit. B-12 for pernicious anemia. In order to avoid having to take iron supplements, I have to watch my diet pretty carefully, or I get iron deficiency anemia.

Other than that, I do take a multi-vitamin daily, just to fill in the gaps of whatever might be missing from my food intake that day.

[pinkytoe]

Currently, I do not though I suppose a multi-vitamin might be OK. I find the whole topic extremely confusing and also wonder about the origin of the ingredients. China? Who really knows? DH is in the natural foods biz so I read a lot of trade magazines. There has been a lot of testing and a rather surprising percentage of supplements do not contain what they say they do or their quantities are not as advertised. I also agree that taking a lot of individual supplements upsets the balance that our bodies are best at regulating.

[lhamo]

I take a multivitamin that contains the dosages recommended by the book "The Body Blues" to try to keep my depressive tendencies in check. I've also recently started taking 5-HTP for the same reason. Both seem to help me stay more stable. I notice my anxiety/stress levels/moodiness increasing when I forget to take them.

lhamo

[rosarugosa]

I don't take any supplements, and I doubt I ever will. Despite my previous unfortunate practice of supplementing with loads of cigarettes, and brandy and whiskey and such, I've generally had the good fortune to be one of the healthiest people I know (although I realize I could drop dead at any minute). So it's either good genes or good luck, or something along those lines, but it didn't come in pill form, that's for sure.

[rosarugosa]

By the way, it is great to see you again Kib! :)

[creaker]

Vitamin D, for reasons that should be...clouded in mystery.



I read an article recently there has been a rise the number of case of rickets over in the UK, as well as here.

[flowerseverywhere]

I take a centrum multivitamin with minerals for 50+, 500 mg of vit c, calcium with d. Since I started taking them several years ago I stopped getting every cold that came along. Bone density is good and I feel good.

[Gardenarian]

I've had a lot of ridiculous health problems so I do take some supplements. A mullti, magnesium, vitamin D (skin cancer here too) and an omega three supplement. I have done a lot of research on the supplements, but it's hard to know exactly what you're taking.
I try to buy vitamins that are made in Germany as they have the most rigorous standards for purity.

[catherine]

Well, I feel like I should take some vitamins and minerals, but I'm lazy and forgetful. My SIL sold Melaleuca for a while and I became a Melaleuca "subscriber" just to support her. My default order was vitamins, and since I always forgot to put in a new order, I always had vitamins sent to me. I have bottles and bottles of them.

I find they're hard to swallow because of their size, but there's no way I'm going to buy vitamins that may be smaller, or chewable, when I have about a dozen bottles in my basement. I consider vitamins to be a good safety net to make sure you're covering your bases, but I think the most important thing to do is just eat nutritious balanced meals.

[The Storyteller]

B-12 when my meat consumption drops to near zero on occasion.

And fish oil.

[puglogic]

I have been known to not get enough green matter, sunshine, etc. So my morning regime includes an "insurance" multivitamin, calcium/magnesium/D3, a B complex, and two special-purpose supplements, red yeast rice and hawthorn berry, which keep my cholesterol and blood pressure in normal ranges, respectively.

I am much like you in avoiding at almost all costs the products of the pharmaceutical machine. I've been fortunate so far in not having anything catastrophic happen to me that might require it.

[mira]

I like to think I eat healthily enough to meet all my vitamin requirements and I don't have any underlying conditions that require supplements. l will take folic acid and vit d whenever we start trying for a kid though

[Tiam]

No, the unintended consequences and the complexity of it all seemed unmanageable to me. Basically as I understand it nutrients interact and if you aren't careful taking a supplement in one nutrient can actually lead to a deficiency in other nutrients. It's why they say if you are taking calcium, you should take magnesium, and then people say vitamin D as well. And then I've also heard if you don't take vitamin K2 with your calcium it will build up in your arteries and give you a heart attack :0!. Oh good grief. Plus the supplements recommended a decade or two ago: vitamin E was hot, vitamin A was hot. The entire mainstream was recommending vitamin E and many vitamin A, I remember. Now they are definitely not anf the mainstream says don't take them, they might increase cancer etc..

I believe in food :) (except when I believe in fasting). It's true I might be missing some nutrient I'm in need of and could live to 125 with but ...


I relate to this entirely. I think I addressed it when I spoke about diet fatigue; about how the ever increasing and opposing opinions about what to eat and what not to eat make it hard to even care, or if you do care, you become a hypochondriac. It just gets to be too much.

I will say this and have no idea if it's related to anything. In at the end of summer I caught a summer cold. Since then, I've had a repeat every two weeks. Every two weeks I'm sick. Again. Sometimes worse, sometimes not as bad. Sometimes sore throat, sometimes not. But just an endless cycle of repeat. I felt so crummy and was wondering if a visit to a doctor was in order. I decided to buy some Roobios tea. Whatever. Maybe it will help. When I went to buy it, my daughter came with me and also bought me vitamin D and Omega 3 fish oil gels. Since that day, I haven't been sick. Not only that, I can actually feel myself getting better; shedding mucous and feeling better than the times I was "not" sick. Coincidence? Just starting to get better on my own? Finally? Absolutely possible. Was it the Roobios? The Omega 3's? The Vitamin D? who knows? I'm just liking feeling better. And since I am not certain what brought about the improvement, I'm sticking with it.

[redfox]

I've been under the care of a naturopath in an outcomes based, 5 year oncology study, conducted jointly between Fred Hutchison Cancer Research, & Bastyr College of Naturopathic medicine; funded by NIH. The ND has me on several supplements, and I am self-administering some as well. I'm also using an herbal vaginal treatment (uterine cancer, primary recurrence risk site is vaginal, and I'm treating the radiation site). At my first three month check-up post surgery & radiation, my gynecologist said I've healed faster that anyone she's ever seen. Of course, this isn't proof, but it sure was reinforcement for what I am doing.

[Tomas32]

I just started taking Vitamin D3 5,000 IU's per day liquid form. It's only been a couple of days and I already feel more alert, better mood, less groggy. I love it so far, will continue to take.

Also, lookup Blue Ice Skate Liver Oil. I know it sounds weird, but this stuff works wonders. Check it out on youtube because there isn't a whole lot of information on it. Basically it's far better than regular fish oil and even way better than cod liver oil. I've been taking it for almost 2 months now. I have no joint pain watsoever. I sleep better/ have very vivid dreams. It helps with colds/ sicknesses. I've only had a sore throat and sniffles since taking them. But whatever comes up quickly goes away.

[Greg44]

Vitamin B12 & D3 Vegan & Pacfic Northwest cloud bound resident. Enough said!

[Tiam]

I just started taking Vitamin D3 5,000 IU's per day liquid form. It's only been a couple of days and I already feel more alert, better mood, less groggy. I love it so far, will continue to take.

Also, lookup Blue Ice Skate Liver Oil. I know it sounds weird, but this stuff works wonders. Check it out on youtube because there isn't a whole lot of information on it. Basically it's far better than regular fish oil and even way better than cod liver oil. I've been taking it for almost 2 months now. I have no joint pain watsoever. I sleep better/ have very vivid dreams. It helps with colds/ sicknesses. I've only had a sore throat and sniffles since taking them. But whatever comes up quickly goes away.


It's fermented! Hmmmm. I know something helped turn me for the better this season, as I was stuck in a virus rut and not getting better. Be the D3, the fish oil or the Roobios, but something made a difference.

[Azure]

I was giving blood regularly. Or should I say trying to give blood but would often be turned away because my iron levels were low. So I started taking bifera iron. To my surprise a lot of my aches and pains went away! Then i tried just ferrous iron ( I think it is) and while my iron levels went up the aches and pains were back. So now I take the bifera iron.

I also take a whole foods hair skin & nails supplement. The little hairs along my hairline are coming back! Vitamin d3 because my levels are low. And calcium with magnesium & zinc because my hips were showing signs of osteopenia (I think it is). And until I can get my diet under control again I am taking a Udi's oil 3,6,9 . My mother has high cholesterol and now I do too. I am sure I can reduce it if I start eating better but I have a good day and 3 bad days, over & over :|(

[HappyHiker]

Yep, I do take vitamins and supplements. I'm a Linus Pauling advocate (and admirer). So I follow his protocol for good health:

Vitamin C (3000 grams, more if fighting off a cold), Vitamin E, B complex, a multi-vitamin, and I've also added in Vitamin D and Fish Oil based on new evidence.

A blood test a few years back found I was Vitamin D deficient--as many of us are, especially as we age. Sometimes, I take calcium/magnesium, too.

I try to limit sugars, processed grain.

This protocol seems to work for me--I'm pretty darn healthy and very few colds or flu episodes...even when many around me are suffering with them.

[Rogar]

I take a multi vitamin and fish oil daily. A couple of years ago I went through a time when I was slightly down and lacked energy. I tried about every over the counter supplement with some sort of evidence to help. About the only thing that I found to have a positive effect was rhodiola, which I still take occasionally. I've taken glucosamine chondroiton for knee problems in the past and it seemed to help, have not taken it for a few years.

I've not been afraid to try things, but by my opinion most of the supplements I've tried for various ailments just don't do much. I take vitamins and fish oil because that's what most of the literature and my doctor seems to think helps. I try to eat good food and exercise regularly and that seems to be the best medicine for my minor problems.

[Spartana]

I don't take any suppliments at all or any kind of medicine, herbs, or painkillers beyond an asprin as needed once or twice a year. Never really have and have never had any problems with anything..... so far!!

[enota]

Yes, I take supplements. I believe that the most important aspect of doing this is to find the best quality WHOLE FOOD supplements available, not something that is simply a chemical conglomeration of vitamins. I purchase Dr. Mercola's, which have no bad added ingredients (like shellac!!!!!) If you are going to spend the money to invest in your health, don't settle for garbage, spend a bit more and get a high quality, natural product.

[JaneV2.0]

I dabble. At the moment, my favorites are iodine (lugol's solution, iodoral) to support my thyroid and Magnesium, twice a day, as a general tonic.